Student Employment

Working on Campus

Benefits to Students

Attendance at Western Illinois University is designed to be an educational experience. This experience comes from many different University offerings: courses, organizations, and student employment. Holding an on-campus job while attending school not only can offer financial rewards, but also can enhance your career development.

There are two major benefits of maintaining on-campus employment. First, employment on campus provides the opportunity to earn money in order to meet educational expenses. The second benefit involves the experience derived from the position. Your job will give you the opportunity to add many skills, develop your organizational ability, gain research and investigative experiences, and increase your ability to work with other people. These attributes are important in any professional endeavor. Because there is a great diversity of employment opportunities, your part-time employment can be related to your career goals.

On-campus employment offers an opportunity to demonstrate your strengths and willingness to work and learn which can result in an important letter of recommendation for that first career opportunity.

Student Employment Orientation & Training

The hiring department should provide orientation and training to all student employees it hires. Students must be paid for training hours.

Student Employment Evaluations

Supervisors should perform periodic job performance evaluations on their student employees. If evaluations are completed, they must be done consistently using the same form for all employees. A student employment evaluation form is available online. Job performance evaluations must be retained for 3 years by the employing department in the student’s personnel file.

Releasing Student Employment Records

Departments may confirm that a student has worked and release work dates to the inquiring company. No further employment information may be given without written permission/signed release form from the student which must be retained in the department’s files.

Student Employment Session Dates

Student employment is divided into two sessions. The academic year session runs from the first day of fall semester through spring semester. Students who work the entire academic year may be authorized for the employment session with one authorization. Authorizations for any period within the session are acceptable.

The summer employment session runs from the first day after spring semester through the last day before the fall semester begins. Students may be authorized with one authorization for any portion of the employment session in which they work during the summer.

The Student Employment Office will send an email to all departments in July to submit job openings to be posted for positions that are not being filled by rehires. New employment authorizations are required each academic year and each summer session for all rehires and new hires. Federal Work-Study students must also file a FAFSA (financial aid application) each academic year to be eligible for Federal Work-Study funds. Departments should also encourage each student employee to file the FAFSA early (after October 1) in order to receive Federal Work-Study before funds run out, which usually occurs in January. As funds are available, the Student Employment Office will fill departmental requests for eligible Federal Work-Study students.

NOTE: Summer employment consists of Regular Student Employment only. There is no Federal Work-Study Employment for the summer session.