Student Employment Handbook & Code of Conduct

Welcome to your new position with Lincoln University!

Employment of students has always been very important to Lincoln University. It is a vital part of the service that the University provides and a partnership that benefits both students and the departments. The University is pleased to present the following guidelines for maximizing the student employee experience.

To achieve the University’s goals, it is important for student employees to understand their role as members of the University community. All student employees should read this handbook carefully and keep it handy for future reference. This handbook is only a summary of University policies. All student employees are responsible for complying with all Lincoln University Rules and Regulations and policies, including those in the complete Employee Staff Handbook and Student Handbook & Code of Conduct.

All information contained in this handbook is subject to change at any time at the discretion of the University with or without notice.

Additional Contact Information

Students with employment questions should contact the Office of Human Resources. Questions can be sent to hrs@lincolnu.edu.

University Career Services handles all postings of vacant positions. You can contact Career Services to learn about open positions at careerservices@lincolnu.edu.

• Federal Work Study Coordinator: sfs@lincolnu.edu
• Office of Global Education: globaleducation@lincolnu.edu
• Office of Career Services: careerservices@lincolnu.edu

Definition of a Student Employee

All Student Employment is considered “at-will.” Such employment is interim or temporary and incidental to the pursuit of a degree or certification and is not for a specific term. Such employment can end with or without prior notice.

Eligibility and Enrollment Requirements

To be eligible for on-campus student employment, students must meet the following criteria:

1. Students must maintain a cumulative 2.0 GPA. Please note that the Office of Human Resources does not track GPAs for student employees. If a student's grades consistently fall below a GPA of 2.0, the student may become ineligible to register for classes, which would cause the student not to meet HR enrollment requirements for student employment. Supervisors are responsible for tracking student employee GPAs.
2. Students must be legally authorized to work in the United States.
3. Students must be admitted to Lincoln University and enrolled at least half time (six (6) credit hours for Spring and Fall).

Satisfactory Academic Process for Federal Work Study

Federal and State financial aid rules and regulations require students to maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) in order to be eligible to earn their work-study awards. This progress is assessed at the end of each semester as soon as grades are finalized. There are four (4) types of violations:

a.1. Grade Point Average
a.2. Completion Rate
a.3. Over Hours
a.4. Prior Degree

The primary purpose of financial aid programs consists of helping students to successfully complete their degree or certificate programs through the use of financial aid. Students are required to meet satisfactory academic progress requirements while earning their degree or certificate programs to receive aid. Financial aid programs include grants, tuition and fee waivers, work-study employment, need-based and non-need-based loans, and scholarship programs. A student's failure to meet satisfactory academic progress requirements will result in financial aid probation or suspension.

International Students

F-1 students may work up to twenty (20) hours per week when school is in session. They may work up to forty (40) hours per week during winter and spring breaks. They can work up to forty (40) hours per week as a student assistant in the summer, whether or not they are enrolled for summer classes, as long as they are enrolled at least half (1/2)-time in the upcoming fall semester.

Summer Employment Eligibility

Students are eligible to work during the summer semester if they were either enrolled for six (6) or more credit hours in the spring semester OR will be enrolled in six (6) hours or more in the fall OR if they are enrolled in six (6) hours or more during the summer.

Students who graduate in the spring semester are not eligible for summer student employment unless they are enrolled in summer courses or enrolled at least six (6) credit hours in fall courses.

Students who graduate in the summer semester are eligible to work until commencement.

Student employees are waived from certain payroll deductions while actively enrolled in classes. During any period in which there is a five (5)-week break in enrollment and an employee is enrolled less than half-time (six (6) credit hours), FICA/Medicare taxes will be withheld from student earnings. It is the responsibility of all student employees to review their paychecks and notify Payroll of any issues.

Total Maximum Weekly Hours

Student employees are not permitted to work more than twenty-five (25) hours per week during the academic year. They may work up to forty (40) hours per week during Spring and Winter breaks. They may also work up to forty (40) hours per week during the summer, even if not enrolled in summer classes if they are enrolled at least half-time (six (6) credit hours) during the fall semester.

Holiday and Overtime Pay

As temporary employees, student employees are not paid for holidays unless worked and are paid at their regular wage rate.

Student employees are not eligible to work over forty (40) hours per week.

Submission of Timesheets

Student employees must submit hours they actually worked on a timesheet. Student employees must make sure all their time is recorded and submitted before the deadline. Any student who is found to be falsifying their hours worked will be terminated immediately and not able to work a student employment position for the remainder of the calendar year. All timesheets must be signed by the student and supervisor.

Pay Schedule

Student employees are hourly paid employees. The pay period is Sunday at 12:01 a.m. through Saturday at 12:00 midnight, and employees are paid on the 15th of each month.

Number of Jobs Permitted

Students may have more than one job on campus as long as one of the jobs is a tutor and the total number of hours worked between the two (2) jobs does not exceed twenty-five (25) hours per week. The student’s supervisor will be responsible for monitoring that the student does not work more than twenty-five (25) hours per week in total during the school year and no more than forty (40) hours per week in total during summer and breaks.

Employment at Time of Graduation

Student employees may work until the end of the student employment session period in which they graduate, and a graduating student may continue employment if they have been accepted as a full-time student in a University graduate program for the following semester.

Student Employment Session Periods

• Session 1: August 11-December 31
• Session 2: January 1-May 15
• Session 3: May 16-June 30
• Session 4: July 1-August 10

Searching and Applying for Positions

Student employment opportunities are frequently posted on Handshake and managed by the Department of Career Services.

The Interview Selection Process

The hiring department will review submitted applications. If a student application is selected the department will contact the student for an interview. Please note: each department has their own interview and selection process.

If a student application appeals to an employing department, the student may be offered an interview. The following are some tips that will help students prepare for their interview:

Review the job posting and the job duties.

Bring résumés and be prepared to discuss how they can meet the departments' needs.

Completing the Hiring Process

Once a department offers a student a position, the department will submit a Student Employment Request Form (SER) in DocuSign. Once all approvers have signed the form, the Human Resources will reach out to the supervisor about action needed to complete the onboarding process.

Approval to Begin Working

Once the student has completed all required steps with Human Resources, an email will be sent by Human Resources to his or her supervisor, confirming that the student is approved to begin working. The student will be copied on this email. Please note that no student may begin working prior to receiving written authorization from the Office of Human Resources.

Departmental Orientation

Each student employee should be oriented to their specific position and job duties, as well as to the overall department, including job functions, departmental policies, their work schedule and expectations.

Work Schedule

Hours are determined between a student employee and his or her supervisor depending on availability of the student and the needs of the office. Student employees should establish a work schedule with their supervisors that they can commit to. It should not interfere with student classes since students are not permitted to work during scheduled class times. Student employees are expected to be on time for their schedules and stay until the end of their shifts. If something happens where a student thinks he or she might be late or miss work, it is the student's responsibility to alert his or her supervisor with as much advance warning as possible. It might not be possible for a student to make up any missed time. Also, a student should discuss with his or her supervisor the preferred procedure for calling out for that specific department.

Requesting Time Off

If a student needs time off, he or she should arrange this with his or her supervisor in advance. If a student employee is ill, he or she should notify his or her supervisor as early in the day as possible. Supervisors understand that school is a student's top priority, but a student is also responsible for seeing that the work of the department gets done.

If a student is frequently absent or late, absent without notifying his or her department, or frequently requesting time off, he or she may be asked to leave his or her position. This could also have an impact on the student obtaining employment with other University departments. Students should discuss with their manager if there are any specific procedures they should follow when they are going to be absent.

Personal Property

Students are responsible for keeping their personal property safe while at work. They should keep any items locked up and out of public view. Any use of personal items during work hours is dependent upon permission of the employee's supervisor. The University is not liable if any employee items are lost or stolen.

University Property

A student employee's supervisor may allow him or her to use various University items while working in the department. These items are University property and provided for University business and not for personal use. Also, any University equipment MUST be returned to the employee's supervisor when he or she leaves employment.

Dress Code

All student employees are expected to represent University in a professional and positive manner. Individual departments should communicate what constitutes appropriate dress for student employees.

Customer Service

All employees of the University will have countless encounters and be a visible and active role for the University. The goal of the campus is to provide the best customer service possible to individuals who visit the University. During each shift, a student employee may be in contact with faculty, staff, students, parents, and visitors to the University whose impression of the campus will be shaped by his or her actions. Student employees should make that impression a positive one by keeping a cheerful and courteous demeanor at all times.

Confidentiality

The files and records that a student employee may view during the workday are confidential and should not be discussed outside of the office in which the student reports. Any student employee who violates this rule will be subject to disciplinary action.

Discrimination

The University is committed to a diverse culture and maintaining an educational and work climate for faculty, staff and students that is positive and free from all forms of discrimination/harassment based on race, color, national origin (including ancestry, or any other subcategory of national origin recognized by applicable law), sex (including marital status, family status, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, or any other subcategory of sex recognized by applicable law), religion, age, disability, veteran status, genetic information or any other basis protected by applicable law. The University's administration, which includes all faculty, staff, students, and volunteers, is responsible for assuring that it maintains a positive work environment. Discrimination or any form of harassment in the workplace is unacceptable conduct and shall not be tolerated.

Safe and Healthy Workplace

The University is dedicated to providing a safe and healthy workplace for its employees. Therefore, the University recognizes that one of the most important obligations to its employees is to maintain a completely alcohol-free, drug-free, and smoke-free workplace. The use of drugs and/or alcohol, including marijuana, is strictly prohibited on University property. Any student employee who violates any portion of this protocol will be subject to disciplinary action, including termination.

Workers’ Compensation

All employees of the University, including students, are covered under the provisions of the Workers’ Compensation Act. This act provides protection in the event of an injury, illness, or death that arises out of the course and scope of employment for the University. When an on-the-job injury or illness occurs, the employee must notify their supervisor, who will work with Human Resources to report the incident.

Grievance Procedure

Minor disagreements between student employees and their employers should be worked out without resorting to formal grievance procedures. When problems cannot be resolved in this manner, students should bring their grievances to the attention of the Office of Human Resources.