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Workplace Polices - Student Assistant Employment

These procedures outline specific guidelines for supervisors to follow in the recruitment, employment, change of status, and resignation of student assistants at the University of Georgia Libraries. 

The Student Assistant Employment Quick Reference Sheet and the Student Assistant Hiring Checklist are designed to lead supervisors through each step of the paperwork needed hire a student assistant.

Index

Recruitment

Supervisors may recruit student assistants through referral or through posting at the UGA Career Services online job posting service, DAWGLink. Posting on DAWGLink requires a brief job description including job qualifications, schedule and hours per week, and contact information. Refer to the Student Employment web page for recruitment information to share with prospective students.

Eligibility for Employment

Supervisors are encouraged to offer employment only to students who are actively pursuing a degree at the University of Georgia. Non-students, students in high school, or students from other universities or colleges are eligible for employment with the Libraries; however, they must be hired in a LBCLR status and must participate in the GDCP (Georgia Defined Contribution Plan). Student assistants may continue their employment for one semester if they are not enrolled in classes or if they graduate. If a particular situation warrants it, supervisors may request to employ or retain students outside of these guidelines.

Students with a F-1 VISA status may be permitted to be employed on the campus of the school in which they are enrolled for a maximum of 20 hours per week while classes are in session or up to 39.9 hours per week during school vacations.

For graduate students, please refer to the Graduate Student Eligibility below.

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Rates of Pay

Newly hired, regular student assistants begin employment at minimum wage (currently $7.25 per hour effective 07/16/09). All other rates given for special hours or longevity are based on this hourly amount.

Special Hours Rates of Pay

Special Hours rates of pay compensate student assistants who work when the building(s) is closed or when work is required outside the normal work schedule expectations.

  • Special Hours Rate = $10.00 per hour for regular and regular security student assistants and $11.00 per hour for senior, senior security or special status student assistants.

Senior Student and Senior Security Student Classification Types

Student assistants whose duties and responsibilities require training, skill, knowlege or supervision above the regular level are compensated at a pre-determined higher rate of pay.

“Special Student” Classification Type

The default student classification types are those listed above; however, there may be times when the market, the circumstances, or the skill needed require a classification with a higher base rate of pay. When the “special student classification” is used, the circumstances should be for unusual or hard to find skill sets or competencies, physical demands or other unique job requirements. Department Head and Human Resources approval for a special rate is required.

Longevity Increase

Implementation of longevity increases for student assistants is contingent upon funds being available. If a longevity increase is given, the amount will be determined and announced and will normally go into effect on January 1.

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Procedures to Hire a Student Assistant

Student assistants may not begin working until ALL forms listed below are completed and submitted to Lucille Davis and the electronic Form I-9 process is complete (this includes both the employee portion of the I-9 and the employer portion completed by Lucille Davis) by 5:00 p.m. of the FIRST Wednesday of the pay period.  Students assistants whose complete paperwork cannot be processed by this day and time may not begin work until the beginning of the next pay period.

All newly hired student assistant employees must meet with Lucille prior to beginning work to complete the Form I-9 process (see #3 below) and other employment paperwork. Lucille's normal work schedule is Tuesday - Thursday from 9:00 a.m. until 3:30 p.m.  Please contact Lucille at lkdavis@uga.edu or at 706-542-0660 to set up an appointment for her to meet with the newly hired student.

  1. Complete the Student Employee Information Form (also located at G:/ugalibs/pers/student assistants/studentinfoform.doc)
    • Use the employee's LEGAL name, as it would appear for taxation purposes, and check the "employment" box;
    • Enter start date -- Note on start date: To meet MyTime (Kronos) deadlines, student assistants may begin their employment only on Thursday - Wednesday of the FIRST WEEK of the pay period.
    • Check the appropriate "classification type" box and fill in the rates of pay ( All possible rates of pay should be included on the form when employing the student to avoid duplicating this paperwork in the future.);
    • Forward form to Lucille Davis in the Libraries' Administration offices by 5:00 p.m. on the FIRST WEDNESDAY of the pay period.
  1. UGA Online Orientation: Direct the student to complete the University's REQUIRED online orientation. This provides them with the employment forms and "Right to Know" training required for all employees. During the online orientation, students are instructed to complete and print the various employment forms; these completed forms must be submitted to Lucille Davis before the student may begin working. Some forms need notarization which can be obtained from staff in the Libraries' Administration offices. A list of the forms that must be completed during the online orientation follow. Please note all documents should be completed without errors (i.e. - cross-outs, write-overs, etc.) and the employee should use his/her LEGAL name.

  2. Electronic Form I-9 - Employment Eligibility Verification:
    • Direct student assistants to the I9eXpress EMPLOYEE Instructions.
    • Have student assistants complete the employee's portion of the electronic Form I-9 at http://www.newi9.com.
    • Make an appointment for student assistant to meet with Lucille Davis to complete the Form I-9 process. Lucille's normal work schedule is Tuesday - Thursday from 9:00 a.m. until 3:30 p.m. and she can be reached at lkdavis@uga.edu or at 706-542-0660.
    • Instruct student assistants to bring approved employment eligibility verification documents, along with all of their COMPLETED new-hire paperwork, to their scheduled appointment with Lucille Davis. Lucille will verify the new-hire paperwork and complete the employer's portion of the electronic Form I-9 process.  Students without Form I-9 approved employment eligibility verification documents may not work any hours.
  1. Review the Libraries’ Personal Safety Tips with the student assistant employee and discuss specific areas that are impacted by your department's function or hours of operation.

  2. Instruct the student assistant employee to complete the required role-based security training and accountability modules at SecureUGA.

  3. Student Assistant employees are REQUIRED to complete the USG Ethics Training module. Student assistants will be notified by their respective supervisor when the module has been added to their eLearning Commons account, https://www.elc.uga.edu/webct/entryPageIns.dowebct. After receiving this notification, if students cannot access the module, please refer them to EITS at helpdesk@uga.edu .
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Payroll Calendars

Payroll Calendars, submission dates and deadlines, and other payroll information may be accessed from the Libraries' Business Services website at http://www.libs.uga.edu/adminservices/businesssvcs.html.

Procedures to Change Classification Type

  1. Complete the Student Employee Information Form, using the employee's LEGAL name, and check the appropriate "classification type" box. Forward the form to Lucille Davis by 5:00 p.m. on the FIRST WEDNESDAY of the pay period.

  2. Please see the MyTime (Kronos) Updates for Student Hires/Status Changes section for instructions on updating the student assistant's MyTime pay record for this type of status change.

Procedures to Change Status from "Enrolled Full-Time" to "Not Enrolled Full-Time"

A note will be posted to GRAPEVINE regarding the effective date each semester to change the status of student assistants. It is the responsibility of the student assistant to inform supervisors when they will not be taking classes or will not be enrolled (or classified) as a full-time student. Additional information regarding the criteria constituting full-time enrollment may be accessed at http://www.libs.uga.edu/staff/studentstatussheet.pdf and from the Office of the Registrar's website at http://www.reg.uga.edu/or.nsf/html/ctwd-5ncvb6.

  1. Complete the Student Employee Information Form, using the employee's LEGAL name, and check the "not enrolled " box and the "change status from STUWK to LBCLR" box. Forward the form to Lucille Davis by 5:00 p.m. on the FIRST WEDNESDAY of the pay period.
  2. Instruct the student assistant to complete the GDCP (Georgia Defined Contribution Plan) enrollment form. A student assistant who is not classified as enrolled in classes full-time is considered a "temporary" employee and therefore eligible for GDCP. Participation in the program ensures that they will contribute 7.5% of their gross salary to the plan through payroll deduction. The student assistant will also be required to contribute the Medicare portion of FICA which is equal to 1.45% of their gross salary. Those excluded from participating in GDCP are:

    • Students who are classified as currently enrolled in classes full-time and attending classes at UGA if classes are currently in session
    • Non-resident aliens with F1, J1, or J2 visas

  3. Please see the MyTime (Kronos) Updates for Student Hires/Status Changes section for instructions on updating the student assistant's MyTime pay record for this type of status change.

Procedures to Change Status from "Not Enrolled Full-Time" to "Enrolled Full-Time"

A note will be posted to GRAPEVINE of the effective date to change the status of student assistants each semester. It is the responsibility of the student assistant to inform supervisors when they will return to a full-time enrolled status classification. Additional information regarding the criteria constituting full-time enrollment may be accessed at http://www.libs.uga.edu/staff/studentstatussheet.pdf and from the Office of the Registrar's website at http://www.reg.uga.edu/enrollmentCertifications.

  1. Complete the Student Employee Information Form, using the employee's LEGAL name, and check the "enrolled" box and the "change status from LBCLR to STUWK".  Forward the form to Lucille Davis by 5:00 p.m. on the FIRST WEDNESDAY of the pay period.

  2. Instruct the student assistant to apply for a GDCP refund of contributions form and interest by completing a refund application. Refunds are generally received within 8 - 10 weeks after the application is processed.

  3. Please see the MyTime (Kronos) Updates for Student Hires/Status Changes section for instructions on updating the student assistant's MyTime pay record for this type of status change.
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Procedures to Delete a Terminating Student Assistant from the Payroll

To comply with appropriate security measures, paperwork to terminate student assistants from the Libraries must be submitted in an immediate manner. It is the responsibility of the supervisor to promptly inform Lucille Davis, via a completed student information form, of any student terminations/resignations.

  1. Complete the Student Employee Exit Checklist if the student is classified as STUWK or the Faculty & Staff Exit Checklist if the student is classified as LBCLR. Forward the appropriate completed checklist to Lucille Davis along with the Student Employment Information Form.

  2. Complete the Student Employee Information Form, checking the Termination box. Forward the form to Lucille Davis by 5:00 p.m. on the FIRST WEDNESDAY of the pay period.

Student Status Change for Student Assistants Working More than 20 Hours/Week (requires LBCLR status)

In unique situations, a supervisor may request that a student enrolled for 12 or more hours be classified as LBCLR and work up to 39.9 hours per week. Students may not be employed on STUWK and LBCLR simultaneously. An employee may remain in the LBCLR status for 6 months. Additional information on student employment is detailed in UGA's Administrative Policies & Procedures, Types of Employment, located at AskUGA.

  1. Complete the Student Employee Information Form using the employee's LEGAL name and indicating the student is enrolled in classes but will be working in a LBCLR status. Forward the form to Lucille Davis by 5:00 p.m. on the FIRST WEDNESDAY of the pay period.

  2. Instruct the student assistant to complete the GDCP (Georgia Defined Contribution Plan) enrollment form and submit the completed form to Libraries' Human Resources. A student assistant working in a LBCLR status is considered a "temporary" employee and therefore eligible for GDCP. Participation in the program ensures that they will contribute 7.5% of their gross salary to the plan through payroll deduction. The student assistant will also be required to contribute the Medicare portion of FICA which is equal to 1.45% of their gross salary. Those excluded from participating in GDCP are:

    • Non-resident aliens with F1, J1, or J2 visas

  3. Please see the MyTime (Kronos) Updates for Student Hires/Status Changes section for instructions on updating the student assistant's MyTime pay record for this type of status change.
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MyTime (Kronos) Updates for Student Hires/Status Changes

For Rate Changes/Status Changes/Promotions:

  • Submit the student information form to Lucille Davis reflecting the updated rate of pay, student status change (i.e. - LBCLR to STUWK) and/or promotion information.

  • Betty Mayweather will update the MyTime (Kronos) system to reflect the appropriate change in payroll information. The MyTime (Kronos) system will automatically take into consideration the different rates of pay, based on regular versus special hours, that a student assistant may earn when working various hours within the same Libraries' Department (i.e. - Security Assistant who works midnight until 8:00 a.m.).

      • NOTE: Betty Mayweather will input the rates of pay into the MyTime (Kronos) system for student assistants who are employed in two or more Libraries' departments (i.e. - student assistant works in both Access Servies and Media) and who are being paid two different hourly rates of pay (i.e. - $7.25 in Access Services and $7.50 in Media). The original hiring supervisor will need to contact Betty Mayweather (bettymay@uga.edu) to receive instructions for rate transfer to the higher rate of pay. All hours are to be recorded on one timecard.
For Student Assistants Who Work in Two or More Libraries' Departments:
  • Supervisors of student assistants who work in two or more Libraries' Departments and earn the SAME hourly rate of pay in each department should submit an individual departmental paper voucher to Betty Mayweather. The hours the student assistant works in each department will be recorded on one time record in the MyTime (Kronos) system.

  • For student assistants who work in two or more Libraries' Departments and earn DIFFERENT hourly rates of pay, the hiring supervisor will be responsible for the transfer of hours to the correct rate of pay for any given shift. The hiring supervisor will be the only one with access to the time record in the MyTime (Kronos) system. Please contact Betty Mayweather (bettymay@uga.edu) with questions.

NOTE: If a student assistant does not approve his/her time record in the MyTime (Kronos) system by the payroll due date, then the student's supervisor must print a paper copy of the MyTime record, obtain the student's signature on the paper copy, sign the paper copy as the supervisor and forward the paper copy to Betty Mayweather.

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Work Schedule

A student assistant's work schedule is set by the supervisor based on the schedules and needs of the department and the student's preferences and class schedule. It is up to the department to determine and monitor any guidelines regarding attendance, punctuality, and absences to which a student assistant must adhere. The work week begins on Thursday at 12:01 a.m. and ends on Wednesday at 12:00 midnight. If the student assistant works a three-hour shift or more and the work situation permits, the supervisor may authorize a 15-minute break during the student's scheduled working time. This time may be used only as a respite from job duties and may not be used to accumulate extra time off or as an excuse to arrive late or leave early.

For student assistants employed in a STUWK status:

  • Student assistants who are classified as enrolled full-time in classes may work 20 hours per week (see also Graduate Student Eligibility section for applicable graduate school guidelines.)

For student assistants employed in a LBCLR status:

  • Student assistants who are not classified as enrolled full-time and/or who want to work more than 20 hours per week may work up to 39.9 hours per week (see also Graduate Student Eligibility section for applicable graduate school guidelines).

  • Please note that if a student assistant works in more than one department (either within the Libraries or in another University department) it is the responsibility of that student assistant to notify both supervisors as to avoid overtime compensation by ensuring that no time over 39.9 hours per week is worked. Action up to and including termination may occur if a student assistant works overtime.

Supervisor should review the Libraries’ Personal Safety Tips with the student assistant and discuss specific areas that are impacted by your department's function or hours of operation.

Federal Work Study

The Libraries also employs students through the Federal Work Study Program. Funds for the program are awarded through Student Financial Aid on a semester by semester basis for Fall and Spring semesters only. Students are awarded a specific amount of money each semester and may earn up to, but not more than, their awarded amount per semester.

To recruit Federal Work Study students, supervisors should contact Lucille Davis to post or resubmit job descriptions. Job descriptions should be a brief description of job qualifications, schedule and hours per week, and contact information.

Students receiving FWS awards must view posted Libraries' positions at https://my.osfa.uga.edu. Students will then contact the supervisors of positions they may be interested in to arrange interviews and to be considered for employment. Supervisors may view profiles submitted by interested students by visiting https://my.osfa.uga.edu and entering in the supervisor's UGA MyID information.

Paperwork and time sheets are completed as they are for regular students with the addition of a sign-in, sign-out sheet to record the actual time the student worked and a specially designated Federal Work Study payroll voucher.  Supervisors of Federal Work Study Students must initial beside each hours worked entry for individual students.

Supervisors of Federal Work Study Students must submit to Lucille Davis the paper payroll voucher, paper sign in/out sheet and a printed copy of the MyTime (Kronos) record for each student. These forms are to be submitted to Lucille on the payroll due date.

NOTE: If a Federal Work Study Student assistant does not approve his/her time record in the MyTime (Kronos) system by the payroll due date, then the student's supervisor must print a paper copy of the MyTime record, obtain the student's signature on the paper copy, sign the paper copy as the supervisor and forward the paper copy to Betty Mayweather.

Evaluating Job Performance

Student assistant positions are temporary part-time and do not carry guarantee of continuing employment. Student assistants are expected to demonstrate reasonable effort and productivity; adhere to rules and regulations of the department and the Libraries; and to accept customs and standards of courtesy, conduct, and cooperation. The same good management practices should be followed if problems occur with student assistants as with any employee. S/he should be made aware in writing of any improvements that should be made, given the assistance and time to make those improvements, and monitored until improvement is made. If improvement is not demonstrated, action up to and including termination should occur. If a supervisor needs assistance in counseling a student assistant, please don't hesitate to contact Jan Hudson or Lucille Davis for information and assistance.

Graduate Student Eligibility

The Graduate School limits the number of hours per week graduate students may work. Graduate students should inform their advisor of the number of hours they plan to work. The following policies are adhered to when employing graduate students:

Graduate students with a 1/2 time assistantship may not be employed.

  • Graduate students with a 1/3 time assistantship may work no more than 7 hours per week
  • Graduate students with assistantships of more than 1/3 time but less than 1/2 time may work in diminishing hourly increments of less than 7 hours based on the amount of the assistantship. The number of allowed work hours is determined by the Graduate School Business Office (9-706-425-3026). Please contact the Graduate School Business Office if you have questions regarding the number of hours a graduate student may work for the Libraries.
  • Graduate students with no assistantship who are enrolled for 9 credit hours or less may work 40 hours per week providing they are placed in a LBCLR employment status; if they are enrolled for more than 9 credit hours they may work up to 25 hours per week providing they are placed in a LBCLR employment status.
  • An employee may remain in the LBCLR status for up to 6 months. Additional information on student employment is detailed in the University of Georgia Human Resources Policies & Procedures located at AskUGA "Types of Employment."
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SOURCE: Libraries' Human Resources Department, updated July 2004; March 2005; June 2005; July 2006; October 2007; June 2008; October 2008; November 2008; July 2009; October 2010.
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