2008-09 POLICIES HANDBOOK - Colorado College

Student Employment

Student employment awards are wages earned for work accomplished. Students only receive these funds if they actually become employed. Students are paid only for hours worked.

Most students who receive a CC affordability plan receive student employment as part of a financial aid award. The federal and Colorado governments provide employment funding to the college for eligible students. Because of these funding sources, the college asks campus employers to give first priority in hiring to students with federal or state work-study eligibility, or to students who have institutional student employment as part of their financial aid award.

Students with student employment awards should seek out employment opportunities within the first block of the semester, which is the priority period. After this time campus jobs are available to any student regardless of their financial aid status. Job listings are available on the Student Employment section of the financial aid office Web site (http://www.ColoradoCollege.edu/financialaid/). All students must complete I-9 and W-4 forms with the human resources office and present a Student Employment Referral Form from the financial aid office to their employer in order to be hired.

The student employment award is part of the self-help expectation in a student’s affordability plan or financial aid package. We award an amount the student could earn during the on-campus enrollment period.

The college has a limited number of off-campus community service work-study placements available only to students who are eligible for need-based federal or state work-study. Students are placed in direct service positions with nonprofit community service agencies or school districts. These jobs are posted on the student employment job listings.

Job Assignments and Changes. If a student is awarded student employment, the college makes every effort to provide an employment opportunity, but the student is responsible for finding a job. Employment opportunities exist in many campus locations and some off-campus community service placements. The largest employers are the library and athletics. Ordinarily only students enrolled full time can be paid on the student payroll.

Student employees make significant contributions to the work at Colorado College. Employers should provide meaningful work opportunities with adequate supervision, training, and expectations. Students should be responsible employees who are dependable and reliable, and complete the work as defined in the job description. Student employment positions are academic-year positions only. Students should not expect that summer positions or returning to positions in the next academic year are a condition of any position offered. Students are expected to give at least one week’s notice if they plan to leave their position. Failure to provide this notification could result in ineligibility for further student employment positions during that academic year.

Procedure to Find Work. To find a job, a student with student employment in their financial aid award should do the following:

1. Fill out I-9 and W-4 forms at registration or with the human resources office (Spencer Center, 3rd floor). These federal forms are required before any hours are worked. Students must have a copy of their Social Security card and driver’s license or their passport. Students need to fill out these forms only once during their student years at CC.
2. Pick up a Student Employment Referral Form at registration or from the financial aid office. When a student finds a job, the supervisor completes this form, which must be returned to the financial aid office before the payroll office will release payment. A separate form must be completed for each job, every year.
3. Find available jobs by viewing the job listings on the Student Employment section of the financial aid office Web site, attending the job fair held during the first week of the fall semester, and visiting departments on campus to inquire directly about their student employment possibilities.
4. Set up interviews and seek a position.

Earnings and Payroll Information. Student employment awards are generally around $2,100 for the academic year. This represents approximately 8 to 10 hours of work a week. The student wage rates during the 2007–08 school year are $8.00, $8.50, or $9.00 an hour, depending on the level of responsibility and the qualifications necessary. Employers must provide a job description for each job. Students are paid twice monthly according to the college’s payroll calendar. The payroll calendar is available from supervisors and on the student employment Web site. The student is responsible for submitting an electronic timesheet in a timely manner according to the deadlines dictated by the payroll calendar. Paychecks and paystubs are sent to the student’s Worner box. Students may contact the business office to choose direct deposit options to a bank account, CC student account, or Gold Card account.

Monitoring Wages. It is the student’s and employer’s responsibility to monitor earnings so that federal and state work-study students stay within their work limits and can work the entire year. This is especially important for off-campus community service workers, since we cannot pay them beyond their work-study eligibility limit. The amount a student may earn through work-study is shown on the CC affordability plan or award letter. Students who anticipate exceeding this limit should contact the financial aid office to determine if an adjustment to the award is possible, or if it’s permissible to earn above the limit. The average student wage earner at CC does not exceed the typical $2,100 award limit.

Students may have more than one campus job. As long as they are able to be responsible in each job and not hinder their academic progress, this is acceptable.

Warnings and Termination. Employers should provide students with a written warning for unsatisfactory performance. Termination from a job may occur if the unsatisfactory performance continues, and some employers may communicate stricter guidelines for termination. Some situations may require immediate dismissal such as theft, inappropriate use of confidential information, falsification of hours worked, or threatening behavior. Supervisors make these decisions, and are expected to inform the financial aid office immediately. Any student terminated from a position may not be eligible for on-campus employment for the duration of the academic year. The associate director of financial aid reviews cases on an individual basis, and the next employer is notified of the termination. Employers and students should resolve problems between themselves first if at all possible. Any student employee who feels unfairly treated may appeal to the associate director of financial aid.

Off-Campus Employment. Students who wish to find non work-study jobs off campus should contact the CC Career Center. The Career Center posts off-campus part-time jobs on boards located outside their office on the second floor of the Worner Center. In addition, the staff can assist students in finding summer jobs and internships that not only may help financially, but also will assist students in gaining valuable experience related to their interests.