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Student Employment

Vassar College

Fall ’23 Student Employment Policy Updates

posted

Dear Students and Supervisors,

We are writing to inform you of changes to Student Employment policies and procedures that are being piloted this semester. We identified and prioritized these changes with significant input from a Student Employment Advisory Group that met during the Spring 2023 Semester. The group of 13- which included students and supervisors (faculty, staff, and administrators) from across campus- formed with the goal of addressing some of the ongoing concerns about Student Employment at Vassar.  

Please familiarize yourself with these changes, which are also reflected on our website, in the Student Employment Handbook, and in the Student Supervisor Guide for Fall 2023.

Standardized Guideline for Work Schedules

We are transitioning from dollar-based semesterly Earnings Allotments to a standardized “hours-per-week” guideline for all students. In order to reduce confusion and make employment opportunities more equitable, Work Study award amounts will no longer limit students’ earnings or employment schedules.  This change is intended to significantly reduce the frequency of mid-semester terminations.

How it works: 

  • All student employees may plan to work up to 8 hours per week, or 120 hours per semester.
  • While departments may continue to work with students on schedules that work best for the department, The Student Employment Office (SEO) will now consistently recommend that students do not exceed 8 hours per week. SEO will monitor this on a semesterly basis.
  • In the event that a student consistently exceeds 8 hours per week, SEO will alert the department and offer two options: for the job to end earlier than the end of the Academic Year, or for the department to fund the cost of hours worked over 120 per semester. If the department chooses for the job to end early, the job will not be reposted for another student to fill.
  • The 8-hour per week guideline applies to students holding multiple positions and must be considered for all of the hours worked by a given student.  Before a student accepts multiple positions in a given semester, they should alert supervisors to confirm that the total of 8-hours per week (120-hour per semester) will be workable across all  positions held by the student.
  • For jobs that are not funded by Student Employment, a maximum of 20 hours per week will apply during the Academic Year. This is a legal maximum that has already been in place, but it will now be more firmly enforced through Workday alerts. 

Changes to the 30-day Work Study Waiting Period

Any student, including those without work study, may be rehired into the same job and may begin work during the waiting period. This change is intended to increase the transparency of job availability in JobX during the waiting period, enabling job-seeking Work Study students to focus on opportunities that are truly available, and to support departments requiring specific skills earlier in the semester. With approval from the SEO, some jobs that require special skills or certifications may also hire any student during the waiting period.

How it works: 

  • Consistent with previous years, no student may work in a Fall job prior to the first day of classes (8/28/23).  
  • Rehires can be processed immediately.  Students must have worked in the same position in the same department in Spring 2023 to be eligible for rehire without waiting.  Returning students should reapply for jobs in JobX, so that supervisors can rehire them in the system.
  • Because only Work Study students are given access to JobX during the waiting period, departments should email names of students being rehired to stuemp@vassar.edu, so that SEO can grant them system access to apply and be hired.
  • Jobs requiring special skills or certifications, as approved by SEO, may process hires immediately.
  • Supervisors should submit this form if their job requires special skills or certification. SEO will inform them if their job is approved to hire any student as soon as possible.

We are hopeful that these measures will address some of the ongoing challenges our student employees and supervisors have brought to our attention, and we are particularly grateful to the VSA for engaging students to provide clear, actionable input through the Advisory Group. Please be aware that these changes are a pilot program for Fall 2023. We will be monitoring the success of each of these measures and may adjust these new policies accordingly in the Spring or beyond as needed.

Student Employment
Betsy Martell, Office Specialist
Linda Wessberg, HRIS Analyst/Manager, Student Employment
(845) 437-5286
stuemp@vassar.edu
offices.vassar.edu/student-employment/
Baldwin 300, Walk-In Hours MWF 1-4pm