Student Employment Handbook
The Cornell College Student Employment Program
Table of Contents:
Purpose
Procedure
Student Eligibility
Forms to Complete
Earnings
Hours
Rate of Pay
Timecards
Developing Work Schedules
Termination of Employment
Resident Assistants
Office Phone Numbers/Hours
Questions & Answers
List of Supervisors
Summary of Responsibilities
The purpose of the Cornell College student employment program is to provide students an opportunity to earn money to assist with educational expenses. Cornell employs approximately 700 students during the academic year. These students are an important part of the Cornell College campus.
The student employment program is administered by the Office of Financial Assistance. The division head of each College department specifies a dollar amount for student employment for the academic year, based on departmental needs and available dollars. The department/office supervisor has the responsibility for seeing that the department/office does not exceed the budgeted amount. Returning students are responsible for securing their student employment positions, and entering students are assigned to specific departments/office by the Student Employment Coordinator. Specific responsibilities for the students, departments and the Office of Financial Assistance are outlined at the end of this guide.
In most situations, students who work on campus must qualify for the Federal Student Employment Program, in which the federal government pays a portion of the student's wage. Federal Student Employment is a form of federal financial aid. In some cases students who do not qualify for Federal Student Employment may be employed by the College with Cornell-funded employment dollars.
If a student has not submitted the necessary financial assistance forms to be awarded a financial assistance award, the student is not eligible to work.
All student employees that have their FAFSA selected for verification must have verification completed on their file by October 31. If verification is not complete by October 31, the student will not be able to continue to work.
Student Employment Supervisor:
Provide tasks and job responsibilities to student workers.
Discuss and set job and performance expectations.
Coordinate student employment schedules that will not conflict with class schedules.
Prepare timecards including hours and signatures and turn them in to Business Services no later than 3:00 on the 3rd of each month.
Inform and document if a student is not fulfilling their responsibilities and warn of potential job dismissal.
It is extremely important to keep track of the student workers' hours so they do not exceed the awarded amount.
Monitor department/office budgets to avoid spending more than the budget allocation.
Office of Financial Assistance:
Award and or decline/increase student employment awards.
Keep a current file of job descriptions for all positions.
Confirm where student workers are assigned to work.
Insure federal regulations and institutional policies are followed.
Send a monthly over/under report to supervisors recording year-to-date earnings for each departmental worker.
Student:
Perform tasks assigned by the supervisor.
Personally contact your supervisor if you will be absent due to illness as early in the work day as possible. In addition, 48 hours notice must be given in advance when requesting a change in a work schedule or permission to take time off.
Continued tardiness or failure to notify your office whenever you cannot report for work can be sufficient grounds for termination.
Inform supervisor and Office of Financial Assistance of any changes in long-term schedule
Keep your time card up to date, somewhere at your work site where your supervisor has access to it and submit it to your supervisor prior to the closing of payroll. (Usually the last day of the month). Student timecards must be kept in the office/department the student is working, a student may not take the time card to their residence.
Complete W-4 and I-9 forms with Business Services before you may begin working.
Represent yourself and Cornell College in a professional manner and maintain the confidentiality of student and College records to which you may have access.
At least half of the student employment award should be earned by January in order to keep on the appropriate schedule. The Office of Financial Assistance will send out an e-mail in January to students who have not earned at least $100 of their work award. The students will be required to explain the circumstances that prevented them from earning at least $100 of their award to the Office of Financial Assistance. Students who do not respond to the Financial Assistance Office will not receive student employment for the next year
It is extremely important to acknowledge the shared responsibility between the Financial Assistance Office, the student, and the student employment supervisor to monitor a student's earnings. The student must stop working when the earnings limit is reached.
Remember, any dollars earned from working over the amount awarded on your financial assistance award letter without approval from the Student Employment Coordinator will be taken from your Cornell grant and/or student loans dollar for dollar.
Work Study Supervisors 2012-2013
| Art | Christina Penn-Goetsch | X4355 |
| Biology | Shea-Lynn Putz | X4387 |
| Chemistry | Jana Klein | X4370 |
| Computer Science | Leon Tabak | X4295 |
| Economics/Business | Santhi Hejeebu | X4349 |
| Education | Jill Heirnrich | X4282 |
| English | Cheryl Dake | X4283 |
| Ethnic Studies | Mary Olson | X4359 |
| Geology | Rhawn Denniston | X4306 |
| History | Robert Givens | X4314 |
| Kinesiology | Steve deVries | X4267 |
|
Languages |
Salley Farrington-Clute | X4310 |
| Latin American Studies | David Yamanishi | X4300 |
| Mathematics | Jim Freeman | X4393 |
| Music | Cathy Schonhorst | X4228 |
| Philosophy | Jim White | X4239 |
| Physics | Lyle Lichty | X4360 |
| Politics | Cheryl Dake | X4283 |
| Psychology | Melinda Green | X4313 |
| Religion | Joseph Molleur | X4237 |
| Sociology | Erin Davis | X4296 |
| Theatre/Communications | Scott Olinger | X4233 |
| Women's Studies | Aparna Thomas | X4590 |
| Academic Media Studio | Brook Bergantzel | X4125 |
| Admissions-Mail Team | Jan Hartung | X4173 |
| Admissions-Main Office | Karen Kleinsmith | X4161 |
| Admissions-STARS (phone team) | Joey Crowley | X4532 |
| Admissions-Tour Guides | Randi Martinez | X4170 |
| Admissions - Visit Team | Sharon Grice | X4162 |
| Alumni Engagement Office | Regina Finn |
X4204 |
| Alumni and College Advancement Phone Team | Minda Davison | X4304 |
| Bon Appétit (Dining Services) | Amy Zupanci | |
|
College Advancement |
Brittany Brannaman |
X4247 |
| Berry Center | Courtenay Baker-Olinger | X5265 |
| Business Services |
Shannon Amundson | X4220 |
| Campus Minster | Cathy Quehl-Engel | X4402 |
| Campus Saftey | Julie Houser | X4518 |
| Career Engagement |
Megan Hicks |
X4101 |
| Office of Marketing and Communications | Nancy Selim | X4231 |
| Student Activities | Tera Kringle | X4335 |
| Civic Engagement | Kara Trebil | X4538 |
| Campus Recreation | Jill Hopper | X4113 |
| Commons Information Desk | Carol Stock | X4334 |
| Orientation-Peer Advocates |
Gwen Schimek | X4103 |
| Information Technology |
Mike Plagge | X4357 |
| Information Technology - Office Support | Jacque Morningstar | X4357 |
| Counseling Services | Brenda Lovstuen | X4292 |
| Director Student Life | Dianne Timm | X4103 |
| Facilities Services |
Karen Clifton | X4133 |
| Financial Assistance | Renee Miceli | X4216 |
| Health Center | Jill deLaubenfels | X4292 |
| Human Resources | Lindsey Hotz | X4244 |
| Dimensions Program |
Courtenay Baker-Olinger | X5265 |
| Institutional Research | Elizabeth Jach | X4818 |
| Intercultural Life | Ken Morris | X4484 |
| Library | Kristin Reimann | X4201 |
| Library Writing Program | Kristin Reimann | X4201 |
| Human Resources |
Lindsey Hotz | X4244 |
| Registrar | Michelle Long | X4234 |
| Residence Life | Judy Goetschius | X4113 |
| Service Center/Mail Center | Becky Baxa | X4115 |
| Sports Center | Dick Simmons | X4270 |
| Sports Information | Kerry Kahl | X4483 |
| Sports Medicine Assistants | Dick Simmons | X4270 |
| WEB Team | Mike Plagge | X4357 |
| Writing Resource Center | Laura Farmer | X4509 |
All students who work for Cornell College must have current W-4 Forms (Employee's Withholding Allowance Certificate) and an I-9 Form (Employment Eligibility Verification) on file in Business Services. Students are required to provide appropriate documentation when filing the I-9 form. Students are also required to complete a Direct-Deposit Authorization Form. All earnings are direct deposited to the student’s bank account; paychecks will not be issued. If a student fails to provide the required documentation, he/she will be removed from the work schedule and not allowed to work until the documentation is completed.
All first year student workers will receive a student employment assignment in their campus mail box upon arrival to the college. Returning students will have this information e-mailed to them. This form states the eligible award for the academic year, the department/office where the student has been assigned, and the amount you will earn per hour. The standard student employment award is $1000 or $1500.
Student workers will be scheduled to work approximately 4 - 8 hours per week. All hours must be recorded on the student's timecard and signed by both the student and the student employment supervisor. Domestic students should not schedule themselves to work more than 40 hours a week. International students are eligible to work no more than 20 hours a week during periods of enrollment. To avoid termination of your employment, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) laws MUST be complied with.
All students should keep in mind, once you have earned your full work-study award, you must stop working immediately. Please remember, any dollars earned from working over the amount awarded on your financial assistance award letter without approval from the Student Employment Coordinator will be taken from your Cornell grant and/or student loans dollar for dollar.
Federal regulations require verification if a student works during a scheduled class time. There is a form that must be completed by the professor, signed and dated with a copy to the student employment supervisor, the Office of Financial Assistance, and a copy attached to the student's timecard for Business Services. Student workers and the supervisors should monitor the hours worked in order to be in compliance with this regulation. You may print the form or contact the Office of Financial Assistance and request the form be sent to you..
Cornell College pays work-study students at the rate of $7.25 per hour. Any other wage paid to a student must be approved by the department's board member.
Students are required to complete and submit an electronic timesheet each month. It is the student's and supervisors responsibility to submit the timesheet, electronically, by the third day of each month for the prior month. If the third day falls on a week-end, timesheeets are due the following Monday. By approving the electronic time card, the supervisor is verifying that the student worked the documented hours.If a student falsifies a timecard information the Office of Financial Assistance is obligated to report this incident of fraud to the Department of Education's Office of the Inspector General. A federal investigation may result. Falsification of a time card will result in immediate dismissal from the work-study program. The student will not be eligible to work on campus the remainder of their time at Cornell.
All students should be given the opportunity to work their employment awards in the department/office to which they are assigned. The student, together with the supervisor, should plan a work schedule that is compatible with his/her class schedule. Any request for time off, such as a week-end or a particular shift, must be approved in advance by the supervisor.
A student may be terminated from their student employment position if the student is not performing in a satisfactory manner. The supervisor should make clear to each student employee their performance and responsibility expectations.
The supervisor should discuss any performance problem with the student, document the conversation, and schedule a follow-up visit to assess improvement. If no improvement is shown, a written warning shall be given to the student with a copy sent to the Student Employment Coordinator. If there is no improvement after the second warning, the supervisor will recommend to the Office of Financial Assistance that the student's student employment award be removed from the award package and the student be dismissed from the position for the academic year.
Students who are terminated will not be reassigned to a new student employment position during that academic year. If a student is able to find another position on campus the following year, the student may be re-assigned a student employment position. Any exception to this policy will be determined by the Student Employment Coordinator on a case by case basis.
International students must comply U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) laws. International students will receive one written warning if the student works beyond 20 hours a week. If there is a second occurance within the same academic year the student's employment will be immediately terminated for the remainder of the academic year.
Immediate Dismissal: If the student has falsified records including timecards, divulged confidential information from the workplace, or is caught stealing, the student will immediately forfeit employment opportunities while at Cornell College.
If a student falsifies a timecard the Office of Financial Assistance is obligated to report this incident of fraud to the Department of Education's Office of the Inspector General. A federal investigation may result.
Resident assistants, who are eligible for federal work-study, may work one additional job on campus up to a $1200 award.
Questions Concerning Campus Employment
If you have questions regarding the student employment program, please contact Pam Perry, Student Employment Coordinator, at 319-895-4216 in the Office of Financial Assistance.
If you have questions regarding your paycheck/timecard, please contact Lisa Evans, Cashier, at 319-895-4593 in the Business Services Office or levans@cornellcollege.edu
Cornell College
Office of Financial Assistance
Located in Wade House
Office hours: 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Phone: 319-895-4216
Fax: 319-895-4106
Cindi Reints, Director of Financial Assistance
Pam Perry, Senior Associate Director of Financial Assistance
Darrell Aaron Senior Assistant Director of Admission and Financial Assistance
Renee Miceli, Financial Assistance Secretary
Questions & Answers for Students
Students often have questions relating to the student employment program. Listed below are some of the more common questions:
Q: When do I report to my student employment position?
A: You should report to your supervisor by Monday,
September 5, 2011 and no later than Friday, September 9, 2011.
Q: I was assigned a position for my first year at Cornell College. How will I know what my assignment will be for future years?
A: In March of each year, student employment supervisors are asked to submit to the Student Employment Coordinator a form to request students to work in their department/office for the upcoming academic year. In most cases, the supervisor will request returning students who have performed satisfactorily. This provides continuity for both the department/office and for the student. Many students will work in the same department/office during all four years at Cornell. Be sure to let your supervisor know if you are interested in returning to the same job.
If you wish to work in a different department/office for the following year, you should contact the appropriate supervisor during the month of February or March. If that supervisor has openings and agrees to the hire, he/she will include your name on the request form. (See previous paragraph). Please notify your current supervisor if you will not be returning to their department/office.
Q: Can I switch jobs during the year?
A: Beginning with the 2003-2004 academic year we will require all students to work in their assigned job for the full academic year. Students will not be able to change jobs on campus unless they are filling a specific need for a department, e.g., tutoring or research, without detrimentally affecting the student employee requirements of the department to which they were originally assigned. This policy is being put into place so that we can ensure that all department's work needs are being adequately met. Only the student employment coordinator, along with the supervisor's approval, may authorize a student to switch jobs on campus.
Q: What if I don't earn all of my awarded amount during the year?
A: Any unearned amount is forfeited. Amounts are not carried forward to future years. All student employment awards are estimated, they are not a guarantee of funds.
At least half of the student employment award should be earned by January in order to keep on the appropriate schedule. The Office of Financial Assistance will send out an e-mail in January to students who have not earned at least $100 of their award. The students will be required to explain the circumstances that prevented them from earning at least $100 of their award to the Office of Financial Assistance. Students who do not respond to the Financial Assistance Office will not receive the awarded student employment for the next year.
Q: When will I be paid?
A: Payment will be monthly by direct deposit issued the 15th of the following month or the first business day following the 15th of the month (if the 15th falls on a weekend or holiday) and is based on actual time worked as certified by the faculty supervisor.
Q: How do I decline or increase my student employment award?
A: If you wish to decline your student employment award you must notify your current supervisor and the Office of Financial Assistance.
If you wish to increase your student employment award you must have the supervisor approve the increase and the supervisor should notify the Student Employment Coordinator. All increases must be approved by the Office of Financial Assistance.
Q: Must I report my work study earnings on my federal income tax?
A: Yes. All earnings, including federal student employment dollars, must be included on your Federal Income Tax form if you file. You will receive a Form W-2 from Cornell College showing the amount of earnings during the previous calendar year.
Q: Must I report federal student employment earnings on my FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid)?
A: Although you must include the amount of federal student employment earning in the adjusted gross income figure on the FAFSA, you will also show the amount of these earnings as a Title IV exclusion on worksheet C of the FAFSA. This means that the processor will exclude from the income the amount you earned in federal work-study, thereby reducing the amount of income considered in the eligibility formula. Any amount of Cornell-funded institutional work study does not qualify to be a Title IV exclusion.