Frequently Asked Questions

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Am I Eligible for Student Employment? All full-time undergraduate students are eligible for employment on campus, whether a commuter or resident student. All students requesting student employment must first complete the financial aid process. Federal work-study eligibility is a preference for all student employment positions. With the passage of the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986, every employer in the United States must now check the legal status of all employees, including student employees, hired after November 1986, or face the threat of criminal penalties. All new employees must complete an I9 form and prove their identity and eligibility to work in this country before they can begin working.

How Do I Find an On-Campus Job? It is the student’s responsibility to find student employment on campus. All open on-campus positions are posted on the website. The student obtains an application from Human Resources or online, fills it out and returns it to Human Resources. Human Resources provides students with a copy of their application to carry throughout the application and interview process. Student Administrative Services provides the student with a Federal Work-Study/Campus Work-Study Authorization Card. Students should only schedule an interview once they have received their card. Once a student is hired for one of the posted, open positions, the hiring supervisor completes the student’s authorization card and a Personnel Action Notification for Students. The supervisor should return the appropriate paperwork to Human Resources. The student completes any other necessary employment paperwork. Rockford University’s job search process mimics that of the outside world and offers students the opportunity to discover the variety of campus positions available, to compare them and to participate in interviews. It also creates the opportunity for students and departments to meet their needs for the academic year in a competitive manner. It is important that the student project professional appearance and conduct, as there are many more students looking for jobs than there are available positions.

I’m Thinking About Changing Jobs. What should I do? On occasion, a student employee and their supervisor mutually agree to terminate the employment relationship. The most common reasons are scheduling conflicts or obtainment of off-campus employment. These terminations should be readily apparent before or early in the semester and should be handled quickly so those positions can be available for other students. Any problems or concerns that arise regarding on-campus jobs should be discussed with an immediate supervisor. If the problem or concern cannot be resolved with the supervisor, the student employee may choose to seek other employment on campus. However, a student employee should not job-hop and should always give a two-week notice, which is considered standard courtesy. A student employee should never walk out on a job!

How Much Do I Get Paid? Rockford University uses a job classification process to ensure that all student employees are being paid equally while working in similar positions. To ensure equality, all positions have a written job description on file with Human Resources.

When & How Do I Get Paid? Student employees are paid on a bi-weekly basis according to the Student Payroll Schedule‌ which also indicates when timesheets are due. Students are issued a paycheck; earnings are not subtracted from their tuition bill.

What Are My Responsibilities? Student Employment was designed, not only to assist in educational expenses, but also to help students learn work ethics to carry with them as they move into careers. The student employees are expected to:

• Report promptly to their work site and supervisor.
• Become familiar with job duties, quality and quantity of work expected.
• Adhere to the mutually agreed upon work schedule.
• Submit their timesheet to their supervisor as specified by the Student Payroll Schedule.
• Complete the Federal I9 and W4 forms prior to beginning work.
• Keep their supervisor informed of any schedule deviation.
• Report all on-the-job injuries or illnesses promptly to their supervisor.
• Maintain good work performance.
• Do not exceed their total award amount and adhere to e-mails received from the Student Employment Program Coordinator when limited award amount is remaining.
• Participate in the employee performance evaluations.
• Notify their supervisor and Human Resources if they plan on terminating employment.

How can off-campus student employment help me? The Off-Campus Federal Work Study program is designed to not only assist students with their educational expenses, but also to gain valuable community service experiences. Due to federal guidelines, community organizations must be non-profit. Only those students who were awarded Federal Work Study in their financial aid package may participate. During the school year, students are limited to the number of hours they may work per week. Those hours are based on their academic status. For further information, please refer to the Off-Campus Federal Work Study page.