FAQ

If a student cannot see a web time entry form today but could the day before, it can be caused by the following:

• The student submitted the online time sheet before the end of the pay period. The supervisor (or alternate supervisor) has to reject the time sheet to release it so the student can continue entering time for that pay period. The supervisor does this by checking the review entry and "submit" on the Time Approval (for supervisors) screen in Workday. Down on the "Supervisor Decision: check "REJECT" and enter a comment in the "Supervisor comments" field then click "submit." The student will now have access again until the end of the pay period.
• The online time sheet was approved by either the Supervisor or the Alternate Supervisor which means the student can no longer access the online time sheet. The supervisor (or alternate supervisor) has to reject the time sheet to release it so the student can continue entering time for that pay period. The supervisor does this by checking the review entry and "submit" on the Time Approval (for supervisors) screen in Workday. Down on the "Supervisor Decision: check "REJECT" and enter a comment in the "Supervisor comments" field then click "submit." The student will now have access again until the end of the pay period.
• The period in which the student can enter time has passed. In this case, contact Payroll in the Business Office for further instructions.

Student Work budgets follow the normal departmental budget cycle.  New budgets become available as of July 1st of every year. Anytime a student employee's hours are paid July 1st or later, then those hours are paid out of the budget year that July 1st starts. Hours worked in June could be and often are paid from the following year's budget even though the hours are worked in the preceding budget year. 

Examples:

Summer break begins June 6th. You have a student worker beginning that day.  However, that pay period is paid on July 1st. All of the hours that student works from June 6th on are coming from the following year's budget and not the budget year that June is completing.

Summer break begins June 4th. You have a student worker beginning that day. That pay period is paid on June 29th. Therefore that two week pay period is paid from the break budget of the year that June is completing and not the following budget year that is beginning July 1st.

Student Financial Services will guide supervisors in the student request email about which budget student employees will be paid from during summer break. The pay date is also noted on the Pay Period chart distributed by the Business Office. You can find that chart on the Business Office website or a copy is put yearly under the Document and Forms link on the Supervisor Portal.

Although a supervisor has the right to terminate a student employee, every effort should be made to avoid termination. Even after every effort has been made to correct a student's behavior, there may come a point where a supervisor must start the termination process. If a student has committed an egregious offense, then the supervisor can terminate a student employee immediately. Egregious offenses would include stealing, harassment, etc.

Procedure for Terminating Student Employees:

Verbal warning and discussion of the problem. If a supervisor is not satisfied with a student’s behavior, the supervisor should discuss the matter with the student, and detail exactly how to correct the problem(s). Written documentation should be kept detailing the problem(s) and what was said and agreed upon during the conversation.

Written warning. If the problem continues, a supervisor must issue one, preferably two, written warnings stating precisely what is the unacceptable behavior or performance issue, exactly what change is required, and a date by which that behavior or performance issue must improve in order to prevent the student from losing his or her student employment position. A copy of each warning letter should be sent to the Student Financial Services Office and will become a part of the student’s permanent file in the Dean of Students Office. It is important that supervisors keep careful documentation of the date and nature of each occurrence of unacceptable behavior or performance. Supersivors can use a Personal Improvement Plan form, Personal Improvement Feedback form, and the Personal Improvement Plan Follow Up form to help aid in their planning.

Each supervisor decides how many written warnings will be issued before terminating a student’s work assignment. The number of warnings should be included as part of the text of the warning letter.

Termination. If the student's behavior still does not improve, the supervisor has a right to terminate the student's employment.

If a student is terminated, the student will not receive any help from SFS in securing another position to replace the hours lost because of a termination. The student may work on campus during the remaining term(s) of the academic year, but will be treated as a non-aid student and will not be given preferential treatment in obtaining another position.

Every student employment position should have a job description. Job descriptions help to clearly define the position to the student and helps both the student and supervisor minimize misunderstandings. At a minimum a job description should include:

1. Name and address of the student's employer (department, public agency, nonprofit organization)

2. The purpose of the student's job

3. The student's duties and responsibilities

4. The job qualifications

5. The job's wage rate or range

6. The length of the student's employment (beginning and ending dates)

7. The name of the student's supervisor

Job descriptions are written and maintained by each department and should be available if needed by internal or external entities such as auditors.

Supervisors cannot hire students through the student employment program that have graduated except under the following circumstances:

• Students needed for reunion weekend

• Students finishing research work

• Other specific exceptions for unusual circumstances

The student employment program is meant to help current/returning students. If the supervisor wants to hire a graduate that does not fit into one of the above exceptions, they can do so through Human Resources. The graduate would then be considered a temporary employee. The graduates wages will not come out of the normal student employment break budget but will be charged to your normal departmental budget.

When a student is requested by two supervisors with both positions equaling more than the maximum number of hours allowed, Student Financial Services has to make an initial judgment call as to which position takes precedence. This usually happens when students are being assigned for the upcoming academic year. Once the academic year starts, the Work Transfer Form alleviates this problem. When determining which position to assign the student to, Student Financial Services will look at when the requests came in. Another criteria is if the position relates to their program of study or if the position requires a special skill set (i.e. math grader or tutor). If the student wants to change the initial assignment, they have the ability to do so. It should not be supervisors or Student Financial Services solely making that determination. Many times students are applying for and interviewing for multiple positions during spring term for the following academic year. They are "hedging their bets" so to speak. Students Financial Services and the supervisors have little way to control this. A supervisor that would like to retain the student for that position should contact the student to inquire if the student still wants to work in the position in question. In some instances, the student will want to be assigned to the position. In other instances, the student will have changed his or her mind about being assigned to that position. If the student decides to change the initial assignment, the student should communicate that decision to Student Financial Services. At that time, the system will be changed to reflect the decision.

If the job posting has passed the date that was originally put as the number of days to run, then the SFS Office can reactivate the posting and put in a new number of days to post. This way you don't have to go through the process of reposting a new position opening. If you already know that you want the posting to run longer than originally put on the form before the posting automatically comes down, the SFS Office can manually add more days.

The length of an online job posting is dictated by the number of days a supervisor puts on the original form. Once the number of days elapses, then the posting automatically disappears from the online job board. For example. The supervisor posted a position on September 10th. He/she wants it to run for 10 days. So on September 21st the posting automatically comes down. If a supervisor wants the posting to come down earlier, then he/she can contact Student Employment to manually remove it.

Student Employment budgets are distributed annually by the Budget Office. Please refer to the Budget Office's Student Employment Budgets website for more information. If you have any questions, please contact the Budget Office.

If a department finds itself depleting its student employment budget faster than expected, please contact the Budget Office. To prevent a shortfall from happening in future fiscal years, the department should request an appropriate increase in student employment allocation for the following fiscal year. The budget request process typically occurs in February or March; Budget Managers will be notified when the requests are due.  If the increase is not approved, departments are encouraged to hire within their given budget.

NEW students will have fall term positions starting on the Friday of New Student Week to accommodate for the Supervisor Orientation. This orientation is PAID and shall be recorded on the DATE of the orientation.

RETURNING students who are being scheduled before the first day of ANY term, MUST be set up in break positions.

Student time worked is recorded on the DATE worked.

As always, when requesting students for break and term positions, it is the supervisor’s responsibility to balance their student employment term and break budgets.

Students initiate a transfer by going to the Student Employment website and submitting the Work Transfer Request form which is available under "Forms for Students". Once the student initiates the transfer, the current supervisor receives an email saying the student is asking for a transfer. The current supervisor clicks on a link in the email and login using their normal network username and password. The current supervisor can approve or deny the request. If he/she approves it, then the new supervisor receives an email (with a link) saying there is a transfer to approve. If the current supervisor denies the request, then it goes back to the student to either do nothing or submit an update. If the student resubmits the request with corrections, then it goes through the process starting with the current supervisor. If the new supervisor approves the transfer, then Student Employment receives an email outlining the change so it can be put into the system. If the new supervisor rejects the transfer, then it goes back to the student to do nothing or resubmit the request. If they resubmit the transfer, it then goes through the process outlined again. Here's a step-by-step:

1. Student initiates request.
   • Current supervisor approves the transfer. Go to step 4.
   • Current supervisor denies request. Go to step 3.
2. Current supervisor receives an email. Go to step 2aor 2b.
3. Student gets an email about the denial. If student resubmits the request with corrections, go to step 2.
   • New supervisor approves the transfer. Go to step 5.
   • New supervisor denies the transfer. Go to step 3.
4. New supervisor receives an email about the request. Go to step 4a or 4b.
5. Student Employment receives email outlining the transfer.

Students are limited to an average of 9-10 hours/wk for upper classes and 7-8 hours/wk for freshman. Most students going on an Off Campus Studies program have the option to work up to 15 hours per week in the two terms they are on campus (within the same academic year) to make up lost earnings. In some cases, like Resident Assistants (RAs), this is not possible. Students need to communicate with Student Financial Services to determine if this is an option. In some cases, students can work more hours during a term as long as they reduce their hours in future terms. This arrangement MUST be communicated to and approved by the Student Financial Services Office at the beginning of the year or the term that it is happening. This needs to happen so that hours in the current or future terms can be adjusted to prevent students from working more than their awarded amount. If a student wants to work more than 15 hours/wk, the student MUST get special approvals including authorization from the student’s academic adviser. Working more than 15 hours/wk is considered a rare exception to the normal Carleton policy outlined above and will only be granted in extraordinary circumstances. Supervisors are required to monitor their student employees so they are not working over their scheduled hours without the proper approvals by Student Financial Services. If a supervisor allows a student to work more than their approved hours, the Student Financial Services Office will warn the supervisor and student and will closely monitor hours worked. Hours assigned in future terms will be adjusted appropriately. In the event the student continues to work more hours than is approved, the student's position will be ended regardless of when it happens when the maximum eligibility is reached.