Effective Date: January 1, 2003
Last Reviewed: January 1, 2003
POLICY:
The Stonehill College Federal Work-Study Program has two purposes: to provide students with financial support and to aid in the daily operations of the College.
PROCEDURE:
1. The Financial Aid Award letter informs the student that he/she can participate in the Federal Work-Study Program. In addition, the letter indicates the amount of a student’s work award.
2. Students, who are not eligible for the Federal Work-Study Program, may still be considered for Student Employment positions funded with institutional money. These “Stonehill Employment” positions are available after October first; allowing sufficient time for the Federally funded students to apply for available jobs.
3. Any student who wishes to participate in the Stonehill Employment program must complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
4. Faculty and staff are asked to give job preference to Federally-funded Work-Study students. Federal Work-Study students have a campus earnings expectation built into their financial aid awards and, therefore, have priority for on-campus jobs.
5. Students can not begin working until all paperwork is complete and submitted to the Student Aid & Finance Office. This is both the student’s and the supervisor’s responsibility.
6. Eligible Federal Work-Study students may apply for available positions on the second day of classes in the Fall Semester. All job postings will be on the job bulletin board outside the Student Aid and Finance Office (Duffy 131). Using information obtained from the job postings, each student is responsible for contacting the job supervisor to set up an interview. As positions become available throughout the academic year, they will be posted on the job bulletin board.
7. Freshmen who have received Federal Work-Study awards are sent information prior to the beginning of the Fall Semester. Included with the information will be tax forms to be completed and sent back to the Student Aid and Finance Office. Once completed tax forms are received, The Student Aid and Finance Office will send a purple Interview Form to the student. This sheet is necessary to apply for a job; it indicates the student’s award amount and verifies that the student is eligible for a position on campus. Available positions will be posted on the second day of classes. At this time, personnel from The Student Aid and Finance Office will be available to answer questions and assist students in completing forms.
8. Students who need additional work because they cannot arrange enough hours with one department are encouraged to seek another job on campus. Since the schedules of both students and supervisors must be considered, it is sometimes necessary to be employed by two departments to earn the Work-Study award. 2 Students should notify their supervisors if they have more than one job so that the hours worked can be scheduled between the jobs and the Work-Study award is not exceeded. If students cannot schedule enough hours to earn their awards, the Student Aid and Finance Office will not make up the difference. Students may not earn in excess of their Work-Study award amounts. Students should always be aware of their earnings and remaining award amount.
9. Before beginning work, students must fill out the following forms and turn them in to the Student Aid and Finance Office: Federal Tax Form (Form W-4), Massachusetts Tax Form (Form M-4), and Employment Eligibility Verification (Form I-9). Students can not begin working if these forms are not completed.
10. A returning student, who is continuing at the same job, will need to see their supervisor to sign the re-hire form. If the returning student is looking for a new position, they will need to come to the Student Aid & Finance Office and obtain a purple Interview Form.
11. Upon hiring a work-study student, the supervisor will ask for the student’s purple Interview Form for verification of eligibility. The supervisor will then complete, sign and send the Interview Form to Student Aid and Finance, and a hire form will be issued. Once the supervisor signs the hire form and returns it to the Student Aid & Finance Office, the student will be added to the payroll system and automatically receive a time sheet every 2 weeks.
12. In an effort to involve college students in improving the quality of life for community residents, the Federal Government is allowing use of Federal Work Study funds as payment for community service positions. All community service positions are posted on the board outside of the Student Aid & Finance Office; only Federal Work- Study recipients are eligible.
13. Supervisors must remember that a student’s first obligation is to his/her academic work. Thus, supervisors must be flexible and understanding of the many demands placed on students. Work-study students are a valuable and essential resource to the College. Well-managed supervision benefits all involved in the program.
14. Supervisors are responsible for establishing comfortable working conditions for student employees, including outlining basic work expectations and responsibilities and helping students to establish good work habits.
15. Supervisors are responsible for completing a Job Classification form for each new Work-Study position created. Job Classification Forms may be obtained from The Student Aid and Finance Office.
16. Supervisors are responsible for their own Work-Study budgets. Supervisors should attempt to keep their student employee payrolls within their fiscal budgets. If a supervisor finds that this in not possible, he/she must ask the Budget Committee for an increase in the work-study budget.
17. Supervisors may hire only the number of students whose total awards do not exceed the departments’ budget for student employment.
18. Supervisors are responsible for monitoring the total number of hours students work to make sure students do not exceed their awards. If a supervisor anticipates that a student is going to exceed his/her award, the supervisor must adjust the student’s schedule accordingly.
19. Supervisors should record time from time sheets as they receive them. They should also make note of the date time sheets are due in the Student Aid & Finance Office to prevent delay in payment or inadvertent duplication of hours submitted for payment. A student time sheet submitted more than 2 pay periods late will not be paid without a letter of explanation from the supervisor.
20. Supervisors should review the mid-semester and end-of semester budget updates which are provided to each department by the Student Aid & Finance Office.
21. Supervisors are responsible for reporting all student injuries, no matter how minor, to the Director of Employee Services. The College is required to maintain a file on each accident report.
22. Students must be committed to their work-study jobs. Although primarily students, they have certain responsibilities as employees.
23. Students must perform their tasks to the best of their abilities, students must be considerate of their employers and respect their supervisors’ roles as employers, and students should accept constructive criticism.
24. Students must be dependable and punctual. Repeated absences are grounds for termination.
25. Students should review the hiring process section in this handbook to ensure all steps have been completed. Students share in the responsibility of making this process run smoothly.
26. Students are responsible for keeping track of their earnings and ensuring that they do not exceed their awards. If a student exceeds their award, the position will be terminated.
28. Student employees cannot, under any circumstances, collect unemployment benefits.
29. If a student believes he/she has been sexually harassed, the students should contact the Student Aid and Finance Office immediately.
30. After the Student Aid and Finance Office has received a Hire Form, there will be at least a 2-day delay in the departments receiving of a time sheet. The supervisor should keep track of hours worked by the student and when the time sheet arrives, transfer the hours on to it.
31. The student employment program runs on a biweekly schedule. For student employees to be paid on time, supervisors must submit time sheets to the Student Aid and Finance Office no later than 4:30 P.M. on each time sheet due date indicated on the payroll schedule. There can be no exceptions. Time sheets submitted after the deadline will be processed with the next payroll.
33. Supervisors and students should record the time worked on each time sheet using decimals. Time should be recorded in 15-minute increments only.
34. Paychecks will be placed in student mailboxes every two weeks. During school vacation periods, paychecks are mailed to the student’s home addresses. Students without a campus mailbox may pick up their checks at the Student Aid and Finance Office on payday; otherwise they will be mailed to the home address.
35. Since paycheck stubs list total earnings to date, students should use their paychecks to monitor their earnings to avoid exceeding their award limits. Students must discontinue work when they have met their award.
36. If a time sheet is submitted after the time sheet due date, the student will not receive a paycheck on the corresponding pay date. When a student has missed a paycheck, he/she should first speak to the supervisor. The supervisor will then work with the Student Aid and Finance Office to clarify the problem.
37. Direct Deposit is available for all student employees. The Student Aid and Finance Office strongly recommends this form of payment because, the student’s paycheck is automatically deposited into his/her bank account on payday, with immediate availability of funds. An ATM machine, conveniently located in The Commons, is available for withdrawal of funds.
38. Student Employment should be viewed as part of the educational process of a student at Stonehill College. In that light, careful consideration should be given prior to termination of a student’s employment. Nevertheless, a student who is unreliable or fails to perform required responsibilities might be terminated. Students are entitled to due process prior to termination. The Student Aid and Finance Office recommends the following steps when disciplining a student:
39. The supervisor must give a verbal warning to the student indicating the problems as well as suggestions for improvement. In order to confirm that the student understands the seriousness of the matter, the supervisor is encouraged to state “This is a verbal warning,” and then outline the possible ramifications if performance is not improved (i.e. progressive discipline and dismissal process). The Student Aid and Finance Office suggests that the supervisor keeps a record of their verbal warning as the first step in the discipline process.
40. If the situation does not improve, the supervisor must issue a written warning to the student stating the problems and terms to be upheld if employment is to continue. The student should be given an opportunity to improve by a date specified. Supervisor and student should sign the written warning and a copy should be forwarded to the Student Aid and Finance Office.
41. If a student fails to improve, the Head/Chair or supervisor of the department gives a notice of termination to the student. All grounds for termination should be stated. A copy must be forwarded to the Student Aid and Finance Office.
42. The above procedure should be followed except in the case of flagrant, willful violation of college rules/policies for which the student can be terminated immediately. Such infractions include: stealing, insubordination, breach of confidentiality, or falsifying a time sheet.
43. A student may resign from a Work-Study job. Students and supervisors should follow this resignation process: First, the student must notify the supervisor in writing to explain the reasons for his/her resignation. Next, the student should give a 2-week notice before leaving the position. Finally, the supervisor notifies the Student Aid and Finance Office to explain the student’s resignation and have it recorded on the student’s file.
44. If a student or supervisor has a grievance, he/she should send a signed letter explaining the grievance to the Student Aid and Finance Office. The matter will be looked into and appropriate actions will be taken.
45. The safety and security of the College community and surroundings is dependent on the contribution and cooperation of student employees. The College strives to provide a safe environment for all and, to this end, requires that all student 5 employees comply with safety protocols at all times. If students need physical assistance of any kind, such as lifting, moving furniture, transporting items, etc., they should notify their supervisor and contact the Building and Grounds Department, which is available to assist. Unsafe acts or conditions should be reported to a supervisor or to the Student Aid and Finance Office immediately. Accidents or injuries that occur while employed as a student employee should be reported to the supervisor. Medical attention should be sought if necessary. All accidents or injuries must be documented in writing on the College’s Accident/Injury/Exposure Reporting Form, and a copy sent to the Student Aid and Finance Office.
46. If job duties have the potential of exposing students to blood/bodily fluids, the College will offer the Hepatitis B vaccine free of charge.