Student Worker Recruitment Instructions

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

Here are some helpful tips on best practices:

  1. Class 5 hourly student workers should be paid on an hourly basis not in a lump sum.
  2. Under the Fair Labor Standards Act, record keeping must be kept for all non-exempt employees. This includes hourly Class 5 student workers. Recordkeeping such as timesheets that document start time, end time, and breaks are essential to complying with federal law.
  3. Prior to any work being performed for the university, an appointment request (template-based hire) should be submitted to our office for review and approval. An appointment request form can be attached to the template-based hire in HCM. See additional guidance on hiring Class 5 student workers as well as the work they are permitted to perform below:

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 for equity purposes.

Undergrad Student ($15.49–$18 per hour) [15.49 as of Jan 01, 2025]
Grad Student ($19–$22 per hour)
PhD Student ($23–$25 per hour)

For any Class 5 Student Worker requests exceeding the $25 per hour rate - SEBS-OHR will review the justification after the Class 5 Student Appointment Request Form is submitted in HCM. The link below will direct you to complete the form via DocuSign.

Class 5 – Post Graduation Employment

For any Class 5 Student Worker requests exceeding the $25 per hour rate, SEBS-OHR will review the justification prior to the Class 5 Student Appointment Request Form being submitted to HCM. If you choose to complete the form via DocuSign, it will automatically route to a SEBS HR Approver. If you complete this form manually, please email the document to SEBS-HR@sebs.rutgers.edu.

Class 5 – Post-Graduation Employment Policy

Once a student graduates and does not plan to further pursue an educational program within the University, they are no longer eligible to work as a student worker. However, as a courtesy, they may continue working through May 31 of their graduation year. This policy also applies to December and other off-cycle graduates. To continue employment beyond this period, they must be terminated from their student worker position and rehired as a Class 4 Casual/Seasonal employee.

The following degree contingency language will be added to Class 4 postings by UHR to ensure graduating students will pass UHR Qualification Review: Applicants who have not yet received their bachelor's degree may apply and will be considered, but the degree must be conferred by the date of hire.

Continued Employment Eligibility for Graduating Students Enrolled in Graduate Programs

Student workers who graduate and subsequently enroll in course work or a graduate program at the university are eligible to continue in their Class 5 student appointment. Provided they are actively enrolled, they may remain employed under their current student worker classification through the summer until August 31. Proof of enrollment is not required. During this period, they are permitted to work up to 35 hours per week. This extension ensures continuity in their employment while supporting their transition into graduate studies, in alignment with university guidelines regarding student worker eligibility.

Forms