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Guidance for student workers and their supervisors

Andrew Bruso

SUNY New Paltz is publishing important messages and news updates related to the College’s response to COVID-19 on the campus news website. Use this link to view all these posts in one place.

The below provides additional guidance regarding students working on campus, including specific guidelines for College Work Study Students that must be followed.

Campus community members can view updates at the Coronavirus Information and Coronavirus FAQs webpages, which are being updated regularly as this situation evolves.

Process for College Work Study Students (CWS) for spring 2020:

  1. Find out whether Work Study students want to continue to work.
    1. If student declines work:
      1. Supervisors let Payroll and Financial Aid know the Work Study student has declined work.
      2. According to the Financial Aid guidance, we cannot pay CWS if the student has declined to work.
    2. If student wants to work…
      1. …and there is NO WORK for the student:
        1. Student will continue to be paid.
        2. Student submits time records for the normal work hours the student would work using scheduled work hours.
        3. Supervisor approves time record with comment “Student not working scheduled hours but paid per COVID-19 guidance.”
      2. …and there IS WORK for the student:
        1. Supervisor has Work Study student fill out the telecommuting form
        2. Student sends form to supervisor to approve electronically
        3. Supervisor approves and sends to department chair for approval. Telecommuting form is sent to payroll@newpaltz.edu to be filed in employment record. Electronic approval is acceptable.
        4. College Work Study Student will be in touch with supervisors remotely at least once per week to learn what tasks may be able to be performed remotely for the remainder of the semester consistent with previously scheduled work hours.

Process for Student Assistants for spring 2020:

  1. Find out whether Student Assistant wants to continue to work.
    1. If student declines work:
      1. Supervisors let Payroll (payroll@newpaltz.ed) know the student has declined work.
      2. Decisions will be made on an individual basis if the student commitment should be terminated
    2. If student wants to work…
      1. …and there is NO WORK for the student:
        1. Student will continue to be paid
        2. Student submits time records for the average work hours the student worked over the last two payroll periods
        3. Supervisor approves time record with comment “Student not working average hours but paid per COVID-19 guidance.”
        4. If no time record is submitted, then average hours over the past two payrolls will be calculated by the payroll staff and paid via a manual payment.
        5. Payroll will follow up with supervisors to ensure students are not overpaid in the case of a late time record
      2. …and there IS WORK for the student:
        1. Student Assistant is not required to fill out the telecommuting form
        2. Student will be in touch with supervisors remotely at least once per week to learn what tasks may be able to be performed remotely for the remainder of the semester consistent with average work hours
        3. Actual hours should be recorded on the time record if actual time work exceeds the average work hours.
        4. If no time record is submitted, then average hours over the past two payrolls will be calculated by the payroll staff and paid via a manual payment.
        5. Payroll will follow up with supervisors to ensure students are not overpaid in the case of a late time record

College Work Study Students are employed and paid on a separate College Work Study payroll on an hourly basis for hours worked and reported on an approved time sheet. Funding to support this program comes from federal grants and required “matching” funds provided by the campus. Only students meeting federal Work Study financial need and enrollment criteria are eligible for employment in a College Work Study job.

Student Assistants are enrolled students who have been hired to provide services on a campus. They are paid on an hourly basis on a separate “Student Assistant Payroll” for hours reported on an approved time sheet. Each campus determines their own student assistant jobs and procedures for hiring students.

Student Assistants can be undergraduate or graduate students. Graduate Student Assistants are not Graduate Assistants. Graduate Assistants are hired through the Graduate School are members of the Graduate Student Employee Union.

Questions regarding Graduate / Teaching Assistants should be directed to the Office of Human Resources, Diversity & Inclusion or the Office of Graduate & Extended Learning.

If you need clarification as to what category your student is assigned, please contact payroll at payroll@newpaltz.edu or x3145.