This document is intended to serve as a guide when hiring students. We recognize there are different skill sets and expectations preferred when hiring students in different areas across campus. The hiring manager is expected to support student employees and ensure appropriate labor laws are being followed.  Please be sure you are requiring the necessary onboarding information to be complete before allowing students to work.  The University student wage range is $7.25- $13.50/hour.  We ask that you stay within this range to prevent compensation compression issues across campus.  Below are three general job classification categories and a suggested pay range to be used for reference. 

Student Hiring Form

Student Hiring Form Instructions

Job Classifications 

Student Support Positions ($7.25-$10.00/hour)

• Aid in the running of an office/department/area

• Typically, customer service and/or daily task focus

• Can be trained

• Little/no experience needed

 Student Service Positions ($8.50-$11.50/hour)

• Manual labor type of function

• Specific skill set deemed helpful

• Can be trained

• Little/no experience needed

Student Technical Positions ($9.00-$13.50/hour)

• Specific and experienced skill set preferred

• Not easily trained

• Possess prior knowledge or baseline of subject

• Significant responsibility

Student Research/Supervisor Positions ($12.50 – $15.00)

• Significant role in initiating the research or initiative

• Involved in all aspects of the research or initiative

• Contributes meaningfully to the end product

• Supervises/mentors/trains less experienced student assistants

We are an equal opportunity employer.  Employment selection and related decisions are made without regard to sex, race, age, disability, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, color or any other protected class. Read more about our Equal Opportunity Policy.

Hiring Managers Please Note:

All employees, including student workers, must prove identity and eligibility to work prior to engaging in work activities. This is accomplished only through the Form I-9 component of the online onboarding with Red Carpet.

All employment, including student-workers, is covered by Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination in employment, including the terms and conditions of employment.  The following guidance is offered to assist you in complying with Title VII.

• Establish a consistent threshold criteria for the characteristics listed in each of the classifications from which you will be hiring students.  These can be minimal, but eligibility for work in your area should be uniformly applied to all potential student hires.

• Establish a consistent starting pay rate for each classification from which you will be hiring students. Hire all students within that classification at the same pay rate.

• Establish a consistent schedule for pay adjustments/increases, as well as a consistent increment the pay will be adjusted.  If you would prefer to make pay adjustments/increases based on merit, you should establish written performance objectives that must be met to obtain certain increments of pay adjustment/increase.

• If you determine it is necessary to make an exception to these practices, you should have an articulable, non-discriminatory basis for making the exception.

In addition to this guidance, it is also important to know that all employment, including student employment, is governed by the federal Fair Labor Standards Act.

• Student jobs almost never qualify for exemption from overtime requirements.  As such, student-workers must be hired at an hourly rate of pay and their work time must be tracked and recorded.

• As with all other types of employment, student-workers cannot perform work for which they are not paid.

• Student employment is different from internships, certain grant work, or volunteer opportunities for which a student might receive a stipend or honorarium.

If you need assistance or further information on any of these guidelines, please contact the Office of Human Resource Services.

It is important to note that student wage budgets will not be adjusted just based on changes to the per hour rate elected when hiring students. Supervising managers are expected to coordinate with budget managers to ensure the number of student employees, wage rate and volume of hours do not exceed the allocated budget amounts in each department. 

Valparaiso University is required to keep accurate job descriptions of all jobs on campus that are available for students’ employment.  If at any time, a student's current job description changes or you would like to add additional positions to your department, you may make this update on Handshake.  Be sure to include the job classification, based on your knowledge of the job expectations, in the job description, so the University knows the appropriate pay. You will need a Handshake account. If you need  an account, or assistance in creating or updating your job description on Handshake, please contact the Center for Career and Professional Development. If you have no student position currently created, you will need to work with HR for a student job number. Handshake Site

Several departments have coordinated with the Student Life group to create a consolidated approach to available student positions.  The following departments are using the attached website: Student Life, Recreational Sports, Information Technology, Admissions, Parking and Transportation, Athletics and Dining.  Valpo Student Employment