Policies

Students must complete required forms and be officially hired in Workday before any employment can begin.

Students With Work-Study Have Priority For Jobs

Students with "Federal Work-Study" or "Smith Campus Job" in their award notification have priority for all jobs on campus.

Students without work-study should not apply for jobs until October 1 in the fall, and wait two weeks after classes start in the spring to apply for on-campus jobs.

Graduate students do no receive work-study as part of their financial aid and are therefore not eligible for campus jobs until after the work-study priority period has ended.

Employers must provide a reason why the student is best suited for the job, and must have advertised the position and considered work-study applicants first. Exceptions will only be granted under very special conditions. The position must be reopened the following semester to work-study students. Requests can be submitted to studemp@smith.edu.

Non-work-study students who have obtained jobs are not eligible to be rehired into those positions. The positions must be re-advertised for as long as possible to attract work-study eligible applicants. Non-work-study students may not apply or be considered until after October 1 in the fall and after the first two weeks of classes in the spring.

General Policies

Work-Hour & Position Limitations

First-year students on work-study (excluding first-year transfer and first-year Ada Comstock Scholars) may work up to 8 hours per week and may apply for any job on campus after arrival at Smith College in September once all mandatory Payroll requirements have been completed.  First-year traditional students with federal work-study have the additional opportunity to work as America Reads/America Counts tutors or at Off-Campus Work-Study agencies. Non-work-study first year students must wait until after October 1 to apply for on-campus jobs.

Students attending Smith on an F-1 visa and are awarded work-study are permitted to have on-campus work-study jobs as a benefit of their visa status. Students are limited to working up to 10 hours a week unless given special permission. Even then, no student on an F-1 visa should ever work more than 20 hours per week during term-time due to legal restrictions.

Work-Hour & Position Limitations

First-year international students on work-study (excluding first-year transfer and first-year Ada Comstock Scholars) may work up to eight hours per week and may apply for any job on campus after arrival at Smith College in September and once all mandatory Payroll requirements have been completed.  Non-work-study first year students must wait until after October 1 to apply for campus jobs.  International students are not eligible to work off campus at any time.

Part-Time Students

Students who are enrolled less than half-time (fewer than 8 credits) are only eligible to apply for casual positions through the Office of Human Resources.

Graduate Students

Graduate students, whether on aid or not, have no work-study and have no priority for on-campus jobs.

Graduate students are not eligible to work under CFCD grants or OCIP internships.

First-year students (excluding first-year transfer and first-year Ada Comstock Scholars) may not work more than eight hours per week, but may hold more than one on-campus position to meet this allowance. All other students may work up to 10 hours per week, and may hold more than one on-campus position to meet this allowance.

Summer Employment 

You may work up to 40 hours per week during the summer. Summer jobs can start any time after the last day of classes, be any length of time, and must end the day before classes start.

Students employed by residence life may not hold secondary positions, although temporary spot jobs are permitted. Spot Jobs consist of a few hours or a few days of work.

Kahn interns and Mellon Mays Fellows may not have an additional regular campus job; the internship is considered the student's "full-time" job. This policy is strictly upheld.

Refer to your financial aid award to verify the type and amount of work-study you are eligible for, which in turn determines where you can work and how much you can earn. Your other aid will not be increased if you choose not to work. Your earnings are paid directly to you.

An additional form is required by the IRS from students planning to work during the summer and must be submitted to Human Resources before they can be hired or begin work.

Salary Reduction Agreement (SRA) (112.91 KB)

Smith College students who work at Smith in the summer are eligible to contribute a percentage of their summer earnings to the Smith College Defined Contribution Retirement Plan. Whether you wish to participate or not, you must complete and sign the form, and mail it to Human Resources at 42 West Street, Garrison Hall, or email it to hrbenefits@smith.edu. This form is required before you may work in the summer. If you do not wish to contribute to the retirement plan, simply indicate 0% for your contribution elections on the form. For information about the retirement plan, please visit the Human Resources website.

On-The-Job Expectations

The student worker, supervisor and department all benefit from a clearly outlined job description and guidelines for expectations and behavior. Departments, professors and off-campus employers rely upon students and value their work, and a student employee position should be treated exactly like any other job. Future employers also view student employment as valid experience and check references. Your performance at work will reflect on your record and, like your education, be valuable for future employment.

Reliability

If you have employment lined up for the start of the semester, you must report to your employer during the first week of classes; if you do not, employers are not required to hold your job for you.

If you secure employment after the start of the semester, you should arrange your schedule with your employer as soon as possible.

Punctuality and Professionalism

You are expected to appear punctually and as scheduled for your job, present a neat appearance, and work efficiently and cooperatively.

In Case of Illness or Emergency

When illness or emergency prevents you from working, you must notify your supervisor well in advance of your usual reporting time. Never just fail to show up; doing so will put your job in jeopardy and create a hardship for your supervisor and coworkers. In some positions, it is the student's responsibility to find a substitute, if necessary.

Clarity of Expectations

Your supervisor should be very clear about what is expected of you and should provide the appropriate training. If you are unsure of your responsibilities, ask for guidance to avoid any misunderstanding. Feel free to request advice or seek the assistance of  a student employment representative via studemp@smith.edu.

Compensation

If your supervisor fails to approve your timesheet on schedule and you miss a payroll, bring the matter up with your supervisor or the payroll office. 

Confidentiality and Misuse of Information

Comprehensive Information Security Program

Employee Information Security Policy

Confidentiality is a serious issue at the college. You should not read confidential materials or documents. If you find yourself exposed to confidential information, the information should not leave the department. Misuse of information can result in immediate termination and referral to the Judicial Board.

No Personal Use of Equipment

You are expected to use office equipment, such as the phone and computers for work purposes only and not personal business.

Termination

Employers may warn you verbally and then in writing for failure to follow protocol. If the problem persists, your employer reserves the right to then terminate.

You may be terminated immediately in cases of:

  • falsifying a timesheet
  • stealing
  • insubordination
  • breach of confidentiality
  • physical or sexual abuse