1170 Student Employment

RATIONALE:    To provide guidance and requirements for student employment and to ensure compliance with regulations, rules, and policies as related to student employment.

POLICY:  

The employment of students is encouraged to enhance student educational interests, support student financial needs, and provide students with work experience.  Oakland University (OU) staff who hire student employees and students who perform work at OU and meet the definition of a student employee are subject to the requirements of this policy.  All student employment policies, processes, procedures, and practices are administered through the OU  Financial Aid Office and in accordance with applicable laws and regulations.  Exceptions to this policy are at the discretion of the Director of Financial Aid and Scholarships and in accordance with regulations, rules, and policies. 

Graduate assistantship policies, processes, procedures, and practices are administered through the Oakland University Graduate School and in accordance with applicable laws and regulations.

SCOPE AND APPLICABILITY:  This policy is applicable to all OU faculty and staff who employ students and to all students performing work at OU.

DEFINITIONS:

Federal Work Study: Federal financial aid program that provides partial funding of wages for student employees who qualify. 

Graduate Assistantships: Graduate student employees who are performing research and/or teaching and/or other services that are relevant to their academic program of study during the term of their appointment. 

Hiring Supervisor: OU faculty and/or staff who has departmental financial authority and is responsible for employing students to work in on-campus jobs. 

Regular Student Employment: OU department funded program for wages for student employees. 

Student Employee: An individual (i) who has been admitted to an OU degree seeking program, or is participating in OU's English as a Second Language Program ("ESL"), OU's American Semester Abroad Program ("ASAP"), or is enrolled at OU as an exchange student, (ii) whose primary purpose is to be a student, (iii) is enrolled at least half time at OU, (iv) is authorized to work for OU in the United States; (v) who meets the requirements for an available position at OU, and (vi) who is employed by OU as a student employee.  An individual might be considered a Student Employee during temporary periods of non-enrollment, such as the summer semester if the individual meets the eligibility criteria established and amended from time-to-time by OU and - in the case of an international student - is permitted by law to be considered a Student Employee during a period of non-enrollment.    

PROCEDURES:    

Hiring Supervisors are required to post student employment positions, with the exception of Graduate Assistantships, following the Financial Aid Office's posting procedures (see Appendix - Information for Hiring Supervisors).  Positions must be posted a minimum of three days before a student can be selected for a position.  Positions are not allowed to be posted through any other channels. 

Hiring Supervisors must comply with the Equal Opportunity Policy. 

Students cannot begin working until authorized by the Financial Aid Office or by the Graduate School for graduate assistants.  Working a student without an authorization violates University policy and puts the University at risk for fines and/or penalties from the U.S. Department of Labor, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Department of Education, and can jeopardize the visa status of international students. 

Students are not permitted to work during any enrolled class or exam time. 

Except as otherwise provided in this Policy, or as otherwise limited by applicable law, student employees can work up to 25 hours per week during the fall and winter semesters when classes are in session, and 40 hours per week during weeks when classes are not in session and during the summer; provided, however, that applicable law may limit some Student Employees, including without limitation international, ESL and ASAP students and exchange students, to fewer hours of work at certain times during the academic year.  Note: exams are considered to be classes in session.  Student Employees can work up to 1,440 hours per year, calculated October 1 - September 30.  Student Employees are not eligible for benefits unless required by law. 

International, ESL, exchange and ASAP students cannot work more than 20 hours per week, during periods of active enrollment, unless expressly permitted by applicable law and approved in advance and in writing by the Financial Aid Office (undergraduate and/or graduate students) or the Graduate School (graduate assistants) and have obtained approval from the International Students and Scholars Office.      

Graduate students who receive a full-time Graduate Assistantship are required to provide an average of 20 hours/week service during the fall and winter semesters, as described in their Graduate Assistantship contract.  Full time Graduate Assistants cannot work any additional student employment assignments at OU without prior written approval from the Graduate School.  An international student must also gain approval from the International Students and Scholars Office.

Graduate students who receive a part-time Graduate Assistantship are required to provide an average of 10 hours/week service during the fall and winter semesters, as described in their Graduate Assistantship contract.  Part-time Graduate Assistants can work up to an additional ten hours of Regular Student Employment assignments but cannot work more than ten additional hours of Regular Student Employment without prior written approval from the Graduate School.  

Maximum work hours apply to the combined hours worked per week for all positions held by Student Employee at OU.  Student Employees working multiple jobs must inform their hiring supervisor of all their OU jobs.  Student employees are required to self-monitor their total hours worked per week, combined for all jobs, to ensure they do not exceed the weekly limits.  Student Employees exceeding the weekly work hour limit may be subject to termination.  Hiring Supervisors are also responsible for monitoring the weekly and cumulative total number of hours worked by their student employees.  The Hiring Supervisor must document the day and time of day worked for each Student Employee.  Students are paid for all time worked.  Work time must be reported according to OU’s Payroll Office work time reporting procedures and documentation of the day and time of day worked must be retained by the Hiring Supervisor.  Falsifying work time reporting is a violation of U.S. Department of Labor, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, and U.S Department of Education regulations and University policy; this includes reporting work time on days and times the student did not work and/or exceeding the maximum hours allowed. Violations of the policy places the University at risk for federal fines and/or penalties and can jeopardize the visa status of international students.

RELATED POLICIES AND FORMS:    

Student Employees with access to confidential information such as educational records, student financial information, health information, and social security numbers must sign the Oakland University Employee and Student Intern Confidentiality Agreement form.  The form must be presented to the Student Employee by the Hiring Supervisor.  Hiring Supervisors must retain the signed copy in the Student Employee’s employment file.  The Hiring Supervisor must ensure that Student Employees understand that confidential information is not to be used in any way other than what is necessary as part of their job duties.  Hiring Supervisors must also ensure that Student Employees are familiar with Oakland University's Policy 830 - Information Technology and Policy 860 - Information Security policies.

Policy 200 - Authorized Signers

Policy 406 - Conflict of Interest Policy

Policy 470 – Release of Student Educational Records

Policy 710 - Administration Guidelines Prohibiting Discrimination

Policy 712 - Equal Opportunity Policy

Policy 830 - Information Technology

Policy 860 - Information Security

Policy 880 - System Administration Responsibilities

Policy 890 - Use of University Information Technology Resources

APPENDIX: 

Student Employment: Information for Hiring Supervisors