Student Employee Onboarding
Welcome and Overview
Dear Supervisors of Student Employees,
I’m excited to share this web resource, designed to support you in successfully onboarding student employees. One of the many great things about working at Western is the opportunity to prepare students for careers by working with them here on campus. The contributions of student employees can be seen throughout Western—from seamless daily office operations to answering enrollment and financial aid questions to assisting fellow students to prepare resumes or crush their Organic Chemistry exams. It is so important that all our student employees receive a solid foundation of workplace knowledge and skills, including our policies, practices, and shared expectations. You will find resources here organized as required and optional. All our student employees should be provided time to work through all the materials in the Required section. And you may find it beneficial to include the Optional materials as part of the onboarding process as well. Human Resources Training Portal also has many valuable training materials, and I encourage you to explore them.
Thank you for all that you do to make student employment a vital part of the educational enterprise of Western.
Best,
Melynda
Training Timeline
Student employee onboarding should be completed within the first two weeks of employment.
Rights and Responsibilities
To our Student Employees:
We are so glad that you have chosen to work at Western. As a Western employee it is important to note that you are now not only representing WWU as a student but also as an integral part in fulfilling Western’s mission.
Together with you, and all our students, staff, and faculty we are committed to making a positive impact in the state and the world with a shared focus on academic excellence and inclusive achievement.
As a community, we uphold certain basic values. These include:
- Commitment to student success, critical thought, creativity, and sustainability
- Commitment to equity and justice, and respect for the rights and dignity of others
- Pursuit of excellence, in an environment characterized by principles of shared governance, academic freedom and effective engagement
- Integrity, responsibility and accountability in all our work
Required Training
Understanding FERPA
Mandatory Reporting
Security Awareness Training
This training will give you an overview of safe computing practices at Western and to enable you to work securely.
To enroll in this course, visit the canvas course.
Required Prevention and DEI Training for Student Employees
Western requires all faculty and staff, including temporary employees and student employees, to complete required online prevention training. DEI training is also required for new employees and student employees. Detailed information about the required trainings is available on the Office of Civil Rights and Title IX Compliance website.
Time Sheets
This user guide instructs employees in overtime-eligible, hourly student positions in how to complete their time sheets electronically in Web4U.
Civil Rights & Title IX
This website hosts several training videos on civil rights & Title IX compliance for students and student employees.
Emergency Preparedness
This webpage hosts videos and resources regarding what you can do to stay safe and be prepared in the event of an emergency at Western.
Optional Training
Accessibility for Content Creators
This training is required for content creators and editors. Covers basic accessibility practices in web, documents, and media.
Accessibility for Instructors
This training is designed for WWU instructors to provide basic exposure to accessibility requirements in the design and implementation of their courses.
Informational Security Quick Start
This training is designed to provide an overview of safe computing practices at Western and to enable employees to work securely.
Student Employee Evaluation
In an attempt to implement a division-wide assessment initiative, an ESS working group was formed in 2019 to develop a rubric for evaluating professional development competencies for student employees. Supervisors of student staff across the division are encouraged to use this rubric as both a pre- and post-assessment each year, to measure development as a result of the student employment experience. Below you will find a copy of the rubric in document format, as well as a link to the digital rubric tool (using Microsoft Forms – just select the “Duplicate It” button to create a copy for your own use).
ESS Student Employee Competency Rubric
ESS Student Employee Competency Rubric Tool (Form)
Special thanks to those who have made contributions to the development of this rubric: Matt Bryant, Jenn Cook, Joanne DeMark, Casey Hayden, Sara Wilson, and Taya Winter.
Comments or Suggestions?
Contact the ESS Student Onboarding Committee:
Mindy Pelton, Director, Career Services Center
Diane Flores, Program Coordinator, Career Services Center
Casey Hayden, Assistant Director, Student Activities
Jasmine Johnson, Assistant Director, Student Employment
Caitlin Sommers, Assistant Director, Clubs/Intramurals