Information for New Departments

Once your registration has been approved:

• Visit https://fwsp.rutgers.edu
• Click the blue “login with NetID” button and enter your NetID and password
• Click Job Description Form on the top menu
• Click Create a New Job – This will bring you to the online form that you must complete to submit a job

Some important sections to pay special attention to:

• You will be able to choose from a list of designated approvers who have registered for your department. If you do not see your approver listed, you must either instruct your approver to register before you continue creating your JDF, or choose a different approver from the list.
• When filling out a JDF, be sure to complete the location information, including campus, for your department. This information is very important for job placements.
• All JDFs require that the Job Title be selected from the drop down menu. These job titles are prepopulated and each title has a designated pay rate as assigned by the SEO. If you do not see the title you had in mind, please choose the one that most closely matches the job. The SEO staff reviews each and every job to make sure the ranges associated with the job titles chosen are accurate based on the job description.
• You should include all necessary details for your job in the Job Description field. Job descriptions must describe job responsibilities.
• The Special Skills/Conditions section is perhaps the most important section on the JDF. This section gives you the opportunity to check-off all required and preferred skills for the job. The system will complete a matching process which uses this list to find students who indicate on their applications that they have these particular skills. If you do not see a specific skill that you require, please try to find one that is similar.
• If you absolutely cannot find anything that relates to a specific skill you need, please type that skill in the Other Skills section (please note: the system does not auto match to this section. However, we will look to addappropriate skills from this section for the following application period.)
• For Student Supervisor Information, be sure to provide all contact information for the person directly responsible for supervising the FWSP student employees in your department. This is the contact information that will be sent to the students who are assigned to that particular JDF. If you want someone other than the supervisor to be the person who the students contact upon initial assignment, you must complete the Contact Information section. Unless the contact information section is completed, the students will receive the supervisor information.

To register, an approver should follow these instructions:

• Visit https://fwsp.rutgers.edu
• Click the blue “login with NetID” button and enter your NetID and password
• Choose approver from the access level drop down
• Enter either your 6-digit FWSP ID in the department name field or begin typing the name of your department
• Click submit and then log out
• Please allow 24-48 hours for the SEO to approve your registration before attempting to log in again.

All JDFs require approval by the designated department approver. It is your responsibility to notify your approver that you have submitted a JDF. Please note that no JDFs will be accepted or processed without approval from your departmental approver.

The approver should review the JDF carefully, to ensure that information on the JDF is correct. If there are corrections to be made, the approver must notify the preparer to fix the JDF before approving it.

FWSP-eligible students will receive a link to an electronic job application via their financial aid award letter. The job application asks for students’ work history, skills*, interests, campus preferences, job preferences, etc.

*Students will complete the same skills/conditions check list that you completed on your JDF to indicate which skills they believe they possess.  Once again, the system will complete a matching process using this list.

Students do not see the JDFs that departments create. JDFs are  used by the SEO staff to match students to appropriate jobs. Students are placed in jobs using the information provided on both the JDFs and the job applications, so please be honest and thorough when creating your JDFs.  Students will now be matched to a specific JDF, rather than just to a department account. However, if you have different types of jobs, you can assess students’ skills, experience, etc., to determine which specific job they are best suited for.  Please just make sure you notify the SEO if you would like to switch any students to different JDFs so we can update the system accordingly.

Placements begin in June and continue through the beginning of the fall semester. Departments will be notified via the FWSP Supervisor Email List when they can view the students who have been assigned to them for the academic year. Student contact information will be available.  While students are instructed to contact their supervisor or designated contact person, we strongly suggest that departments reach out to their students once the list is available.

When placements are complete, the SEO will send a notification via the supervisor email list. Please do not attempt to view your newly assigned students until you receive this notification.

To view your placements:

• Visit https://fwsp.rutgers.edu
• Click the blue “login with NetID” button and enter your NetID and password
• Click Students on the top menu
• Click View Assignment – this will bring you to a list of students who have been assigned
• In addition to viewing the list online, you can also download it to excel by clicking the Export to CSV icon, which is located in the top right corner of the assignment list.

It is strongly recommended that you email or call students to introduce yourself and the department, rather than waiting for students to contact you. Click on each student’s name to view their contact information.

At this point, you may want to briefly explain the duties of the FWSP job and set their first day of work. Some students may not be able to work immediately, especially if they are just starting at the university. Please be understanding if they ask for a week or two to get adjusted to the university before they begin working.

If you have made several attempts to contact any students who have been assigned to you and you do not receive a response, you may mark them as a “no-show”.  You will be notified via the supervisor email list when the time has come to begin considering students to be no-shows, usually around the third week of the semester.

To mark a student as a “no-show”:

• Visit https://fwsp.rutgers.edu
• Click the blue “login with NetID” button and enter your NetID and password
• Click Students on the top menu
• Click View Assignment
• Locate the student and click View Details
• Click the No-Show button
• Click Update Status

If you mark a student as a no-show, you must contact the SEO to ask for a replacement student if you need one. We do not just automatically assign a new student.

If you have made contact with a student, but it appears as if they will not be able to work for you due to extenuating circumstances, you may send them back to our office to request reassignment. Examples of reasons why they can be “sent back to SEO” are:

• They do not have availability that suits the needs of your department (i.e. the student is only available on nights and weekends, but your office hours are Monday-Friday, 9 am – 5 pm)

• They live on, or take the majority of their classes on, a campus that is far from your location (i.e. the student is on Cook and your office is located on Busch. It may take a very long time for them to travel. However, if they are up for it, there is no rule saying they cannot do it.)

• They do not have the required skills or experience needed for the position.

• This is meant for highly skilled positions, such as Computer Support Techs, Graphic Artists, Research Assistants, etc., not office/clerical work.

• There is an issue of safety based on the requirements of the job (i.e. the student does not have the temperament to work with children or the general public, does not have CPR certification, etc.)

We will send a message on the supervisor email list when we begin allowing students to be sent back to SEO. Much like no-shows, students can typically be sent back around the third week of the semester.

To mark a student as “Sent Back to SEO”:

• Visit https://fwsp.rutgers.edu
• Click the blue “login with NetID” button and enter your NetID and password
• Click Students on the top menu
• Click View Assignment
• Locate the student and click View Details
• Click the Sent back to SEO button
• Click Update Status

At that time, you must also contact the SEO if you need a replacement for that student. We do not automatically assign a new student.

***Important*** You must instruct the student to come to the SEO in person to request a reassignment.  We need to speak with the student and have them fill out a job change request form. Requests for reassignment will not be accepted via phone, email, or from a supervisor on a student’s behalf. Students must come to the SEO in person!

Please keep in mind if you identify that a student must be sent back, you should take the above steps as soon as possible after receiving the notification that we are allowing students to be sent back.  If you wait too long, there likely will not be any jobs available for that student, which is certainly not ideal.

***Important*** Remember that students can only be sent back for extenuating circumstances. Once they start working for you, you cannot send them back because they are not working out as well as you thought they would. In that case, you must follow our termination protocol which will be explained in the My student employee is not working out so well… section.

Orientation

We do not regulate how each department supervises their student employees, but we can offer a guide that may assist you in developing your own programs.

Many incoming students have never worked before. This may be their first ever job, which means you are their first supervisor! You will play a major role in helping your student employees grow into successful and productive workers.

After you have already made initial contact with your students and have scheduled their first day of work, but before they are expected to being training for their job, you should have an orientation to introduce them to your department.

During an orientation, you should go over:

• The type of work the department does.
• What the student’s role will be.
• Onboard students in the payroll system, if you have not already done so.
• Policies – both office policies and specific student employee policies (such as general workplace behavior, attendance, dress code, proper use of office equipment/technology, communication, etc.).
  • Your policies should be in writing and you should have the student sign off that they received them. Keep the original signed copy in their file and make them a copy for their personal reference.
• Hierarchy – establish the chain of command, as it relates to the student.
• Office/building layout – establish any guidelines on where the student may or may not go.
• Introductions to other office staff members.
• What to do and what NOT to do – although some things may seem like common sense, you should go over acceptable and unacceptable workplace behavior.

Even though you may want to get the student off and running right away, we recommend that you hold off on training them for their job until their orientation is complete. It can be a lot to absorb, and you run the risk of them not retaining very important information. Some students may even feel intimidated by the volume of information being thrown at them and may not come back!

Training

Once students have completed orientation, they should begin training for their jobs. On-the-job training is very important. Each department should have their own training methods, depending on the type of work the department does and what the student will be responsible for. For example, you may have to train students on how to properly answer the telephone, transfer a call, or take a message. Some departments may have specific systems that students will be working with. Others may require safety training. The bottom line is, you can train students any way that you would like, but it is important that they receive a foundation to be able to be successful in their jobs, both for them and for you!

Your FWSP student employees are considered employees of your department and the university. Therefore, they should complete any training modules, certifications, acknowledgments, etc., that are required by your department and/or the university, just as any other employee of your department would.

Once you have seasoned student employees, you may want them to train your new student employees.  We recommend creating Student Manager positions and promoting your returning students when they are ready and deserving. They can then help train new students, which takes some work off your plate!  Also, we have found that students respond well to guidance from other students.  However, it is very important that a supervisor monitors all training and progress. Training should not be the sole responsibility of another student.

When it comes to how you supervise students, you can develop any type of management style that makes you the most comfortable as a supervisor. It is very important though that you set boundaries as a supervisor and that you are firm with your expectations. It is also important that you treat all students fairly and are consistent in your approach to supervision.

Supervision

Supervisors are responsible for all discipline, including warnings (verbal and written), when a student violates a departmental policy (which again, is why it is so important that you have policies in place).  The SEO is not involved in the day-to-day supervision and discipline of students, until termination becomes a possibility. At that time you must follow the termination protocol, which will be explained in the My student employee is not working out so well… section.

Another way to reward an extraordinary student employee is by nominating them for the Student Employee of the Year (SEOTY) award. Winners are chosen through a committee review and the top three winners will receive a monetary prize. The first prize winner can go on to compete on the state, regional and even the national levels! We will send information about SEOTY each year in December/January so be on the lookout if you have outstanding students who you would like to recognize! 

The SEOTY program was designed to recognize those students who really stand out amongst the rest.  Therefore, we ask that you do not use this as a platform to recognize all of your student employees, but rather to nominate those who make unique contributions to the workplace, go above and beyond, and consistently exceed expectations.

Termination

Unfortunately, sometimes even after working with a student, they may fail to show improvement and continue to repeatedly disobey policies. At that point, you may be left with no option other than to explore termination. Because FWSP students are paid with federal funds, we must have a protocol in place for terminations. While we understand and respect that departments have their own termination procedures, for FWSP students you must follow our termination protocol, which is always available on our website. All termination requests must be submitted through the FWSP Online System and approved by the SEO before you have any discussion with the student!

Do Not Assign List

If you have worked with a student all the way through to the end of the year and aren’t satisfied with their progress, you do not have to go through the formal termination protocol. You can add the student to your department’s do not assign list. This will to block the student from being assigned to you again for the following academic year, even if they indicate that they want to work with you again. However, you are required to have a discussion with the student so they understand that they will not be asked to return to their job and why. This should be a learning experience for the student so they hopefully do not make the same mistakes at their next job. The SEO is not responsible for notifying students that they will not be asked to return. If students contact the SEO asking why, they will be directed to contact you for more information.  

Please remember that the DO NOT ASSIGN LIST can only be used if the student completes the entire year of work with you. If you feel the need to end a student’s employment before the end of the year, you must follow the termination protocol.

To add a student to your department’s Do Not Assign List:

• Visit https://fwsp.rutgers.edu
• Click the blue “login with NetID” button and enter your NetID and password
• Click Students on the top menu
• Click “Do Not Assign” List
• Click Add new record
• Enter the student’s Rutgers ID number (the student’s name will auto-populate after completion)
• If you are registered for more than on FWSP ID, choose the FWSP ID that the student is assigned to from the department drop down list
• Click insert

If you believe that a student has violated university policy, please contact your campus SEO via email, right away to discuss the proper way to handle a possible termination. The SEO staff will also work with you to determine whether or not the offense requires you to submit the incident to student conduct. An example of this would be a student falsifying their time sheet.