Kansas State University

Student Handbook

Introduction

This handbook has been developed to aid you in becoming a successful employee of the Registrar's Office. We have confidence in your abilities and we are looking forward to working with you.

An hourly student employee may either be an undergraduate or graduate student and is an important part of the Registrar's Office staff. As an employee, you will be responsible for providing accurate information and appropriate service to students, faculty, staff, administrators, and the public.

Section I - Appointment

A. Hiring Procedure

Immediate supervisors have the major responsibility for interviewing and hiring a student employee. The student employee will be informed of his/her immediate supervisor at the time of the interview and will be expected to report directly to that individual (or lead worker of Supervisor's designation) for work assignments and other employee responsibilities.

To be eligible for employment as an hourly student employee, a person must be at least 16 years old and must be enrolled at K-State in no fewer than six credit hours during the fall and spring semester as follows:

1. For employment during the summer (from the start of summer semester registration through the day before the fall semester begins) the person must:
   1. have been enrolled in no fewer than 6 hours in the past spring semester or
   2. be pre-enrolled in the upcoming fall semester in no fewer than 6 hours or
   3. be enrolled in the summer semester for any number of credit hours or
   4. be admitted to study in the upcoming fall semester.
2. Students with an F1 or J1 visa may only be employed during the summer semester if:
   1. they have been enrolled in no fewer than six credit hours in the previous spring semester or
   2. are enrolled in any number of hours in the summer semester.
3. Student who were not enrolled for the previous fall semester and who enroll for the spring semester may begin work effective the first day of the pay period in which the spring semester begins.
4. In addition to the above enrollment requirements, College Work Study Program (CWSP) student employees are subject to the eligibility requirement and limitations of the CWSP as determined by the Student Financial Assistance Office. Thus under no circumstances may departments allow anyone to work under CWSP without prior approval from the Student Financial Assistance Office.

An hourly student employee is not entitled to enrollment fees at staff rates or to any other staff benefits except Worker's Compensation coverage. Refer to PPM Chapter 4820, Insurance Programs for additional information.

It is recommended that each student employee check with the Office of Student financial Assistance to determine if eligibility exists for Work-Study program assistance. If eligible, it is a requirement that the student pursue this financial aid in order to gain employment within the unit; the Registrar’s Office subscribes to equal employment opportunity policies.

The Registrar's Office must obtain verification that a Work Authorization Report is filed with the Student Financial Assistance Office before offering a person employment under the College Work Study Program (CWSP) A student is responsible for obtaining the Work Authorization Report form from Financial Aid and forwarding it to the Office supervisor in the Registrar's Office within seven calendar days of the date of employment. Authorization received in the fall or during the year is valid for the academic year (fall and spring semester).

A new Work Authorization Report is needed for summer employment under the CWSP. Depending on the availability of funds and enrollment status, summer employment may be either full or part-time. Each student’s summer earnings will be taken into consideration when determining the amount of aid for which the student will be eligible for the next school year.

The minimum wage rate for an hourly student employee is $7.25 per hour. Wage rate increases are dependent on a satisfactory or above evaluation and are given in increments of $.05 with a maximum of $.15 unless otherwise approved by the Registrar's Office Administrators.

No student employee may begin work until all personnel papers have been completed and signed by the student, supervisor and/or administrator.

The immediate supervisor is responsible for establishing and discussing evaluation expectations and training the student employee.

B. Payroll Period

The pay period for hourly student employees begins at 12:01 a.m. Sunday and ends at 12:00 midnight on the second following Saturday. The normal pay date is then on Friday, two weeks after the end of the pay period. Hourly student employees must record hours worked on a KSU Time and Leave Document. This document must be completed and signed by the student in ink, approved by the supervisor and retained in the student's personnel file at the end of each pay period. If changes have been made to the time document, the employees must initial the changes even if they make the changes. The supervisor must also initial the changes.

Time documents are printed by the Registrar's Office Personnel Specialist and distributed to supervisors either on the first Monday or Tuesday of a pay period. On the Wednesday prior to the end of the pay period the Registrar’s Office Personnel Specialist will send out a reminder of date/time when time documents are due back to him/her.

It is the responsibility of each student to:

1. Accurately record each day the hours worked on the time document.
2. Keep the time document in a location known by you and your supervisor.
3. Sign and date the completed time document before handing it in to your supervisor prior to the established deadline each pay period.

Time is recorded on the Time Document in quarter hour increments. If time worked is between:

• 00-07 minutes, no time is recorded
• 08-22 minutes, 0.25 hours are recorded
• 23-37 minutes, 0.50 hours are recorded
• 38-52 minutes, 0.75 hours are recorded
• 53-67 minutes, 1.00 hours are recorded

Time documents that are not turned in by the deadline can create a "late paycheck" situation. It is the responsibility of each student to accurately maintain their time document and submit it within deadlines to their supervisor.

An hourly student employee is exempt from FICA (Social Security and Medicare) tax deductions while enrolled in at least six undergraduate and or graduate semester hours at Kansas State University during a fall or spring semester or three undergraduate or graduate hours during the summer session. Hourly student employees with F-1 visas are not subject to FICA deductions.

All students, except for F-1 or J-1 visa holders, are limited during the academic year to 30 hours of work during calendar weeks when classes or final exams are in session three full days or more and to 40 hours during all other weeks. Students who hold an F-1 or J-1 visa are limited during the academic year, excluding student recesses, to 20 hours of work per week. During the summer semester all students are limited to 30 hours per week while enrolled in four or more credit hours and to 40 hours during other weeks. When employed in more than one department concurrently, the sum of hours worked in all departments may not exceed these maximums.

Student employees are encouraged to have their pay direct deposited to the financial institution of their choice. Direct deposit pay advices will be available electronically through Employee Self Service in HRIS a week prior to payday. Students who do not elect to have their payroll directly deposited to a checking or savings account or do not submit their direct deposit information in a timely manner, will be provided with a Skylight paycard.

C. Probation Period

The probationary period for a student employee is 250 clock hours of work. Upon written recommendation of the supervisor and completion of 250 clock hours, each student employee may be given consideration for a merit wage increase. A merit increase is based on the job performance evaluation. A student who receives less than satisfactory rating is subject to dismissal.

D. Evaluation

The immediate supervisor will complete a written evaluation expectation for each new student employee. At the end of the probation period, each student employee will be evaluated according to the expectations set forth on the evaluation form. However, if the supervisor determines it is necessary or beneficial, counseling/evaluation may be performed prior to the mandatory probationary evaluation.

After the initial probationary evaluation has been completed then each student employee must be evaluated at least once every 750-clock hours of work. However, at the discretion of the supervisor, an intermediate evaluation may be performed. A step increase in wage may be awarded at the time of the 750-clock hour evaluation.

No student employee who receives less than a satisfactory overall evaluation will be eligible for a pay increase.

Section II - Information

A. Confidentiality

Records and information contained in all student files are considered to be confidential. Disclosure of confidential material or information will result in immediate dismissal of the student employee. An employee should not repeat conversations, which may be overheard in the course of duties.

However, certain information concerning students is considered to be open to the public upon inquiry. This information is called DIRECTORY INFORMATION and includes:

• Name
• local address & telephone number
• permanent address
• e-mail address
• date and place of birth
• photograph or likeness
• college
• curriculum
• enrollment status (full/part-time)
• classification
• dates of attendance at Kansas State University
• awards and academic honors
• degrees and dates awarded
• most recent previous educational institution attended
• participation in officially recognized activities and athletic teams
• height and weight student athletes

Any of the above information may be released to the public unless a student has filed a request for non-disclosure of directory information with the Registrar's Office. For detailed information please refer to the "Student Records Policy Kansas State University".

B. Information Dissemination

As an employee of the Registrar's Office you will be asked many questions regarding office policies and procedures. If you are unsure of the answer to a question, consult with your supervisor or lead worker. It is very important that appropriate and accurate information is given out from the Registrar's Office.

Section III - Office Policy

A. Attitude

A student employee must be courteous and professional in all office interactions with his/her supervisor, fellow employees, administrators, and the public. While at work, refrain from conducting personal business, personal conversations, and telephone calls. Personal long distance calls are to be made with personal cell phone during break time only.

B. Dress Code

Students working for the Registrar's Office should dress appropriately to project a professional, dignified organization. Your dress should reflect the fact that you are a University employee during the time you are in the office. Inappropriate attire for the Registrar's Office includes torn/ragged jeans, overalls, sweat pants, rubber thongs, and T-shirts and sweatshirts with offensive printed text or pictures. Supervisors are expected to discuss with each student employee the professional appearance/attitude that is necessary for his/her particular section of the Registrar's Office.

Supervisors can temporarily waive the above dress code policy if assigned work for the day requires a modification of appropriate professional attire.

C. Work Break

A student employee is allowed a maximum 15-minute break per four consecutive hours of work time. Breaks for the morning shift (8:00-12:00) are to be taken between 9:00 and 11:00 a.m. Breaks for afternoon shift (1:00-5:00) are to be taken between 2:00 and 4:00 unless previously approved by your supervisor. It is the responsibility of the student employee to discuss with the lead worker you are assigned to what time would be convenient for your break and then abide by that schedule. Student employees are to leave the work area during break time. No food or drink is allowed in the work area during work hours unless the supervisor has given approval.

D. Work Schedule

All students, except for F-1 or J-1 visa holders, are limited during the academic year to thirty hours during calendar weeks when classes and/or final examinations are in session three full days or more and to forty hours during all other weeks. During the summer session a student employee is limited to thirty hours per calendar week while enrolled in four or more resident semester credit hours and to forty hours during other calendar weeks. When employed in more than one department concurrently, the sum of hours worked in all departments may not exceed these maximums.

A student employee is expected to establish a work schedule with the immediate supervisor, arrive promptly at the scheduled time, and be present for the respective hours. Unless otherwise approved by his/her supervisor, a student employee shall work a minimum of two continuous hours per work period. The work week for the hourly student employee begins at 12:01 am Sunday and ends at 12:00 midnight Saturday.

You may be asked to work when the University is not in session, or during a vacation holiday or break.

A student employee who wishes to spend time in the Registrar's Office outside his/her work schedule must have prior approval from his/her supervisor.

A student employee who is unexpectedly absent from work during his/her assigned work shift should follow procedures as outlined under Registrar's Office Home Page www.ksu.edu/registrar/. Click on Registrar's Office Staff, Staff portal, Procedures, Attendance, Call-In Procedures.

As a condition of employment, employees are expected to report for duty at the assigned time and place and to remain on duty during scheduled work hours. Employees are also expected to accurately report hours worked.

In any situation where an employee is unable to report or may be delayed in arriving for work at the assigned time and place, the employee must contact the immediate supervisor or other designated person prior to or at the start of the scheduled work shift. Except in the most unusual situations, the employee is expected to make the call personally, provide a projected length of absence, and explain reasons for the absence or lateness. When absence is necessary, the employee must contact the supervisor before each scheduled shift unless the absence is approved in advance by the supervisor. The employee must also obtain supervisory authorization to leave the work site during a scheduled shift.

Absences not planned or reported in this manner will be noted on the periodic evaluation review. Developing a satisfactory work ethic is a requirement for continuous employment.

If a student employee is absent from work, the missed hours may be made up at the supervisor's discretion.

Section IV - Separation

A. Termination Procedure

A student employee must provide a written termination letter to his/her supervisor at least one week before the termination date. This letter must state the termination date and reason for termination.

Termination may occur at the option of the student employee (voluntary) or at the option of the supervisor (involuntary).

1. An "unsatisfactory" evaluation may result in the supervisor terminating the student.
2. If a written involuntary termination letter is given to the student employee by the student employee's supervisor this letter must be approved by the Registrar.
3. The date of an involuntary termination will be at the discretion of the supervisor.

If the student employee wants a letter of recommendation from the supervisor upon departure, it is the responsibility of the employee to request such a letter. The employee must supply the supervisor information as to the distribution of the recommendation (i.e., place the letter in the employee’s office personnel file or in the placement file in Career Planning and Placement, send it to a prospective employer, or give it to the student).

After the student employee terminates his/her current position, re-hiring in the Registrar's Office requires a new application and/or interview, a new set of appointment papers, and the completion of all procedures expected of a new student employee. The amount of previous work credit, previous evaluation, and availability of budget monies will determine the re-entry salary at the discretion of the supervisor and/or administrator.

Each student employee is expected to leave a forwarding address and telephone number with the Office Supervisor in order to forward W-2 forms, the final payroll check, or other job-related information.

Revised: May 7, 2012