Labor Enrollment Agreement

Exchange, Part-Time, and Non-Degree Students

Exchange students are required to participate fully in the Labor Program. Part-time students are required to participate, but a reduction in hours may be approved by the Dean of Labor depending on the circumstances. Non-degree students are permitted to participate in the College’s Labor Program provided funding is available and all degree-seeking students have been assigned.

First-Year Labor Assignments

First year students are defined as freshmen, International, Exchange, and transfer students.  In other words, any student who is attending Berea College for the first time.  

All first-year students are assigned WLS level 1, ten-hour positions, which they will hold until the end of the first academic year. At the conclusion of the first year, and each year thereafter, students are charged with securing their own position placements. Academic studies and work through the Labor Program are the primary concern of students attending Berea College and constitute a full-time load. Accordingly, work outside the Labor Program on a regular basis while enrolled as a student is not permitted without the approval of Dean of Labor or his designate in consultation with appropriate academic and financial-aid officials.

Hour Contracts

During each academic term, students have the following hour expectation based on their contractual hours:

Labor Overloads

A labor overload is defined as more than 15 hours of labor per week during the regular academic year. Overloads may not be approved retroactively and are subject to periodic review. Approval may be revoked if primary labor hours, labor performance, or academic performance become less than satisfactory. Forms may be secured in the Student Service Center, or Labor Program Office, and should be submitted to Financial Aid for preliminary review. Labor overloads may be continued from term to term within an academic year, provided that the approval guidelines can still be met. The form will specify approval for the Academic Year, Fall or Spring Term.   Student records will be reviewed mid-year and students will be notified if the overload is discontinued. Students may work up to 20 hours during January’s short term without special approval.

Guidelines for Approval:

• Sophomore, junior, or senior classification
• Meeting Labor Program requirements in the primary position
• Not on any form of probation
• Enrolled in less than 5 course credits with less than 8 preparations (fall and spring terms only)
• Have a 2.50 GPA, both cumulative and for the previous full term; the required 2.50 cumulative GPA may be waived if a 3.00 GPA is earned during the previous full term.

Requests for over 20 hours are subject to the following additional guidelines:

• Junior or senior classification
• 3.00 GPA in the major, overall, and for the previous term
• Submission of a letter outlining the reason for requesting more than 20 hours
• Approval of the Dean of Labor and the Student Admissions and Academic Standing Committee.

These approval guidelines may be waived in cases where student parents must work 20 hours per week in order to receive state childcare benefits (e.g., KTAP), but the application must still be submitted and reviewed.

During periods of non-enrollment (vacation periods, summer practicum), hours must not exceed 40 per week.

Last Day to Release from a Labor Position

Signing a primary position status form obligates a student to remain in a labor position for the entire academic year, for the summer term, or, in the case of a December graduate, for the fall term. Should a student holding a Sophomore- Senior classification petition for an early release due to special circumstances, the labor supervisor of the primary position may consider and approve the request for a release on or before the last day to drop a class without a “W” appearing on the transcript. (This dates occurs one week after the first day of class in Fall and Spring terms and earlier in Summer One and Summer Two terms. Please refer to the academic calendar for the official dates.)

Primary supervisors are not obligated to approve a student’s request for release. Rare exceptions may be considered after this deadline and will require approval from the Labor Program Office. The current primary supervisor must complete a “Change of Labor Position Request Form” and submit it to the Labor Program Office, Hafer-Gibson, for review. Note: First Year Students are assigned to a labor position for an entire academic year and may not be released from any position without approval from the Labor Program Office.