Position Assignments

First-Year Students (freshmen, exchange and transfer students)

All incoming freshmen, transfer and exchange students are considered "first-year" students as they are new to Berea College.  First-year students are assigned centrally by the Labor Program and Student Payments Office using the Labor Assignment Resume (LAR) submitted through the registration process for Summer Connections (orientation). The LAR provides an employment history and summary of skills that assist in matching students to available positions. Once LARs are collected and organized, labor supervisors are invited to review them and request a placement in their department. They may also conduct phone interviews with incoming students to determine if they are qualified for more specialized assignments (e.g., accompanist, lifeguard).

All incoming freshmen, transfer and exchange students are assigned Work-Learning-Service (WLS) level 1, ten-hour positions, which they will hold until the end of the first academic year (August - May). However, a higher WLS may be assigned to transfer students dependent on their prior work experience.  The practice of placing first year Berea College students ensures equity in a situation where students are not able to freely promote themselves to prospective supervisors. While many of these positions are in service areas, students are assigned in departments all over campus- it depends entirely on availability. A student’s first position emphasizes transferable skills such as punctuality, accountability, initiative, communication, etc., while providing time to acclimate to college life and explore future interests. Students are not normally permitted to have an overload their first year (see Policies and Guidelines for specifics on policy).

Incoming students (freshmen, exchange, and transfer) are not allowed to work more than a 10-11 hour position for the first term. After completing the first term the student can work up to 15 hours in their primary position or a 10 hour primary and 0-5 hour secondary.

Upperclassmen

At the conclusion of the first year placement, all upperclassmen are responsible with securing their own labor assignment for each remaining term.  Once a position has been entered into the Banner system, the position remains in effect through the end of the following spring term unless special circumstances apply (e.g. mutual release before the Last Day to Change a Labor Position within a term, release for non-performance…).  While the majority of position placements occur between supervisors and students, the Labor Program Office facilitates this process by sharing departmental descriptions, contact persons, posting vacancies, and connecting students with supervisors according to interest and qualification. If students are unable to locate suitable positions on their own, the Labor Program Office will ensure placement for them. Position assignment is linked directly to registration.  Therefore, students who have not secure a labor position will be unable to schedule their courses until they have submitted a Labor Status Form to the Labor Program and Student Payments Office. 

Securing a New Position

All labor departments are required to have position descriptions which includes specifics of the work performed, the learning opportunities, and the desired qualifications. Presently, Labor departments have been encouraged to utilize the classified portal of myBerea (https://my.berea.edu/cp/home/displaylogin) to post vacancies that may exist within a specific department. Instructions on how to use this resource is posted on the ‘work tab’ under the drop down menu “Resources and FAQ” as Posting a Student Position Ad Instructions. Classifieds are posted for fourteen days. Although the Labor Program and Student Payments Office serves as a liaison between departments seeking help and students seeking work, the search and hiring process is, for the most part, decentralized.

Position descriptions are posted online at via the Labor Program and Student Payment Office website. Students may explore position opportunities in consultation with their academic adviser, current labor supervisor, the Labor Program Office or the Office of Career Development. Once the desired position is identified, the student should contact the individual labor department to determine the appropriate application process. Some departments have position applications, while others prefer to review a resume. From there, the hiring process should closely resemble that of an off-campus job review of resumes, selection of candidates, interviews, reference checks, job offer, and commitment. Supervisors and students should approach the hiring process as they would in an off-campus setting. This helps supervisors identify the right person for the position and familiarizes students with an important process they will encounter after graduation.

While each department should have questions tailored to the needs of their workplace and to the requirements of the position, they may choose to draw from the following general questions when conducting an interview:

• Why are you applying for this position?
• What is your knowledge of this position?
• What motivates you to do great work?
• Describe a situation where you had to inspire others to perform better and to achieve greater goals.
• What will your references tell me about your work ethic and performance?
• Describe how you gain respect from your fellow workers.
• What skills/abilities would you bring to this position?
• What are your expectations for this position and from me as a supervisor?
• What are you hoping to learn/achieve from this labor position?
• How would you describe your personal style in the workplace?
• What kind of workplace is most conducive to personal effectiveness for you?
• At the end of the year, what would complete success in this labor position look like?
• How does this position connect with your career/vocational aspirations?

For further guidance on conducting and participating in the interview process, supervisors and students may consult the Office of Career Development or the Labor Program Office Training and Assessment Specialist.

Retaining an Existing Position

It is not uncommon for supervisors to encourage their students to remain in a labor assignment from year to year, taking on additional responsibility or even a leadership role. In this case, it is still important to establish clear expectations and goals for the coming year. An experienced workforce is a great asset to a labor department, but students should not feel obliged to remain in a position if they prefer to pursue another opportunity once the position ends (as defined by the status form).  Regardless, all essential paperwork must be completed in the appropriate time based on the academic calendar. 

Readmitted Students and Students Returning from Leave of Absence

Students returning to Berea College following a Leave of Absence usually secure their own assignment for the upcoming term.  As well, readmit students are responsible for locating their own assignment unless notified otherwise prior to the student's arrival. 

Resume Design and Usage

Beginning with their Labor Assignment Resume (LAR), students are encouraged to draft a resume as early as their freshman year.  This task provides a framework to build upon in the future, familiarizes students with content and language, and identifies areas that will need development over the next few years. The Office of Career Development located in The Center for Engaged and Transformative Learning provides resume and cover letter-writing tips, samples and formats, and activities designed to identify content (e.g., skills and experience). Resume counseling sessions will provide students with what should and should not be included in a resume and demonstrates the best ways to highlight a student’s talents. A well design resume, while enrolled at Berea College, can be beneficial in securing an on campus position, off-campus internship, or a off-campus summer job.

Individual and group consultations are available on this important topic, and faculty and staff are encouraged to seek information so that they can better assist students in articulating what they’ve learned through their classes, work and co-curricular activities.

Secondary Positions

All students are required to fulfill their labor obligations through a primary assignment. Those who wish to pursue additional opportunities- out of interest or financial need- may seek a secondary position. Secondary positions are generally reserved for intermittent work and range from 0-5 hours per week, with some extending to 10 hours. Opportunities depend upon department allocations, and students must seek overload approval if they desire more than 15 hours per week.

Secondary labor positions require the approval of the primary labor supervisor, who may decline if there is a concern about the student’s position performance or about potential scheduling conflicts (approval may later be revoked if such issues arise). Secondary positions must not take priority over the primary labor assignment.  As well, secondary hours are not factored into the basic labor requirement.

Typically, first year students are not normally permitted to hold secondary positions during their first term to ensure focus on academic and primary labor requirements during this time of transition. Exceptions include those cases where students must work a set number of hours to qualify for social services. 

If a student fails to go through appropriate administrative channels to seek an approval for labor overload, the Labor Program and Student Payments Office may terminated the secondary position if the student continually works over the appropriate number of hours per week and fails to heed administrative requests. 

Off-Campus Agreements (Community Partnerships)

In the past, some local agencies have had long-standing relationships with the Labor Program and Student Payroll Office to provide primary work assignments during the academic year (e.g., Save the Children, MACED). These agencies are treated like any other department in the way that they secure allocations, fill positions, compensate and evaluate students. Students are paid through the Labor Program and Student Payment Office, but agencies must reimburse the College for the scholarship payments unless a prior arrangement has been made.

In very special cases, students may approach the Labor Program and Student Payments Office to develop a one-time agreement with an off-campus agency. These agreements are made very sparingly and are typically with non-profit agencies directly associated with the student’s intended major.

Due to the complexity of establishing off-campus agreements and the need for positions within the campus community, Berea College has decided to decrease the number of community partnerships.