Student Worker Recruitment Instructions

Class 5 Student Worker appointments are for active full and part time matriculated Rutgers University students. These are opportunities for Rutgers students to gain meaningful work experiences that may be helpful to their current program.

Duties vary by department, but student workers generally DO NOT TEACH within academic settings.

+ A list of duties that require supervision:

Clerical Work / General Labor

Scheduling appointments and meetings

Answering Phones

Assisting in preparing informational material

Grading papers, quizzes, and exams – Usually reserved for Graduate Student Workers

Assisting in preparing class materials (sorting, file, copying, scanning distributing)

Setting up classroom equipment and technology

Assisting in monitoring labs or classes (Graduate Students may proctor but not teach)

Performing website searches or research

Collecting data

Assisting in lab setup and taking down of experiments, including cleaning of equipment

Feeding animals, may use farm equipment (driver’s license required for campus deliveries)

Pruning and watering plants

Leading tours for departments or on campus

May maintain grounds and buildings

General Landscaping and Fieldwork

Event planning, seating, setup, and sign-ups, maintaining crowds and directing traffic

Conducting experiments for research in faculty labs (applies to both undergraduate and graduate students)

Student Workers may be referred to as Lab Assistants when performing lab duties

Assist in daily operations of basic research laboratory. Assist with experiments, record keeping, supply ordering, and laboratory maintenance.

Some work with animals may be required. Some work may be at Cook College farm. Hours of Duties are arranged by individual laboratories and are flexible based on specific lab needs.

Assist with community service, outreach, and /or educational programming to the list, as this may cover farmers market efforts not already specified on the list. (Please note that educational programming is not teaching in a classroom.)

Assist in social media content preparation and dissemination, as well as website maintenance and updates

Assignment instructions for Student workers:

  1. Students can hold a secondary class 5 assignment.
  2. Students cannot work more than 20 hours in one week when classes or exams are in session.
  3. Students cannot work more than five consecutive hours without taking at least a 15-minute unpaid break and must clock out for their break.
  4. Students cannot work more than 35 hours in one week during the summer or during holiday breaks or intersession when classes or exams are not in session.
  5. If hiring a Class 6 Academic Year (AY) Teaching Assistant (TA) as a Class 5 Student during the summer, a special memo from the hiring authority must be attached to the Class 5 TBH and must contain Start and End dates of the Class 5 appointment.
  6. The Class 5 Student Appointment Request Form is required to be completed and attached to the new TBH for all Student Worker (05100) appointments. The form is not required for Federal Work Study (05200) appointments.
  7. Students cannot hold a class 5 appointment after graduation; however, they are encouraged to apply to other non-class 5 positions within Rutgers.
  8. Class 5 appointments should be terminated in HCM once the assignment has ended.

Departments should work within the following hourly wage parameters:

Undergrad Student ($15.13–$18 per hour) [15.49 as of Jan 01, 2025]

Grad Student ($19–$22 per hour)

PhD Student ($23–$25 per hour).

Effective January 1, 2024 - New Jersey Minimum Wage will increase to $15.13 per hour. Any requests that exceed $25 per hour must be directed to SEBS HR for approval, utilizing the Student Employee hourly rate exception form (791k PDF). Any appointments that exceed the $25 per hour rate that have not been approved by our office will be rejected in HCM.

Forms