Supervisor Responsibilities

For many students, a college job is their first work experience. What seems obvious to you may not be so to your new student employee. We recommend the following for new employee orientation:

• Let other employees in the department know who the student is and when they will start work.
• Meet briefly with the student on their first day to:
  • review job responsibilities.
  • explain department layout.
  • outline basic office policies and procedures.
  • show the locations of fax, photocopier, restroom, etc.
  • introduce department staff.
• Create a “workplace guide” or other written resources about the department/college/unit. It should include:
  • a description of offices in your building.
  • general expectations for students, especially department-specific expectations.
  • dress code.
  • timesheet procedure.
  • commonly used phone numbers.
  • other important policies and procedures.
• Offer a group orientation or training session, if you have more than one student in the department.
• Review RISD’s emergency procedures with the student.

Here are a few tips for preparing to train a new student employee:

• Identify the best procedure(s) for performing the tasks you will hand off to them.
• Analyze their task: identify steps involved, key points, areas of difficulty.
• Define performance standards to which you will hold them accountable.
• Prepare the workplace for their arrival.

Ten steps of training:

1. Explain the task to the student, as well as its purpose and how it fits into the “big picture.”
2. Find out what the student already knows about the task.
3. Demonstrate the task step by step and identify performance standards for the task. (Sometimes a written procedure is can be helpful.)
4. Emphasize any key points.
5. Demonstrate the task a second time.
6. Ask the student questions about their understanding of the task.
7. Allow the student to practice the task.
8. Give frequent, specific and accurate feedback on the student’s performance of the task.
9. Have the student continue to practice until the task is done according to the standards you’ve communicated to the student.
10. Allow the student to do the task independently but encourage further questions. Check their procedure and results periodically, and less frequently as they proceed in the job.

Part of your role will be to provide on-job supervision, such as:

• ensuring adequate supervision of student work.
• keeping lines of communication between you and the employee open, clear and constructive.
• establishing student work schedules. In doing so, please ensure that your student employee(s):
  • do not work during scheduled class times.
  • take a half-hour (minimum) unpaid break if working for six or more continuous hours.

Treat students in accordance with their rights, which are the same as those of all RISD employees as defined by applicable state, federal and RISD regulations. You are required to provide a work space that is free from hazards and follow your department's student worker accident procedures if a student incurs an injury while working. 

Find resources for employing students with disabilities in the guide below:

Employing students with disabilities

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA) is a federal law that protects the privacy of a student’s educational records.

Notice of student rights with respect to education records (FERPA)

Statement of FERPA understanding

Confidentiality agreement

When a student has $500 or less remaining on their FWS award, Workday sends a notification to the supervisor(s) of any FWS-funded position(s) the student holds. Notifications continue each pay period as the student approaches and reaches their cap.

These notifications are intended to give you advance notice so you can plan ahead for the student's position. Once the student's FWS award is fully earned, one of two things happens:

• The position continues on departmental funding. If your department has budget to cover the student's wages going forward, no action is needed on your part. The wages will automatically shift to your department's cost center, and the student can continue working.
• The position ends. If your department is unable to cover the wages on its own budget, the position needs to be formally ended in Workday

Please reach out to our office before communicating with the student about their FWS status or next steps. We can help you:

• confirm whether the student holds other on-campus positions (many students do)
• walk through available options with the student based on their full employment picture, and
• avoid the student receiving unexpected news as a hard stop.

Our goal is to support the student through the transition, whether that means continuing the role on departmental funding, closing out the position, or exploring other options. A quick email or call to our office before the conversation helps us do that well.

If the position does need to end, the supervisor is responsible for formally ending the position in Workday. A verbal conversation with the student does not close out the appointment. The Workday action is what ensures payroll, time tracking, and reporting all reconcile properly.

When ending the position, use the following:

• Reason: Involuntary > Federal Work Study Award Limit Reached
• Comment: Optional; add only if additional clarification is needed

View step-by-step instructions for ending a position in Workday
 

You can reach out to our office at any time to request a student’current FWS award balance. This is especially helpful if you are:

• planning beginning or end-of-semester scheduling
• considering a new hire and want to understand their available FWS funds
• supporting a student who holds multiple on-campus positions

Contact Student Employment with the student's name and ID, and we will provide the current balance.

Many students hold more than one on-campus job, and the FWS cap applies to their total earnings across all FWS-funded positions, not to any single role. This means that a student's FWS award may be exhausted through a position in another department, even when the role in your department has not yet been affected directly.

When we notify you that a student has reached their FWS cap, the notification reflects the student's overall earnings, not just the hours they've worked for you. If you have questions about the student's full employment picture, please reach out to us.
 

Undergraduate students must be paid hourly, based on time worked and one of four wage levels.

Graduate students may be paid hourly or through a graduate assistantship, which is a fixed stipend over the course of a semester or academic year. Assistantships are not based on hours worked and must be approved and documented in advance. 

You are not allowed to pay students through lump sums, cash or side deals. Students must be paid through official RISD student employment.

RISD has four standardized hourly wage levels for student employees. We use this structure to ensure fair, equitable compensation. If you are unsure what level fits the role you are hiring for, reach out to us at studentemployment@risd.edu.

2026 hourly student wage levels

No—paying a student outside of official student employment exposes both you and the student to serious violations including:

• wage and labor law violations
• tax reporting issues
• visa violations (for international students)
• policy violations that could lead to disciplinary action. RISD does not allow side-payments for RISD work.

Students can only be paid through official RISD student employment. That means:

• A job with a written description—every student role needs a clear, written job description tied to a RISD wage level. Would you accept a job without knowing what you’re being hired to do—especially as an artist, designer, or creative professional? Students deserve the same clarity and respect
• A wage that aligns with RISD’s hourly pay levels or an approved graduate assistantship stipend.
• Time worked, hours tracked, and payment processed through payroll.

Hiring guidelines

Paying students correctly protects both them and RISD in many ways including:

• protecting students from unfair or undocumented work.
• protecting supervisors from legal and HR problems.
• protecting RISD from federal audit flags.

Retroactive hires are not ideal, but they are legal. In these circumstances, you still cannot pay them through a one-off cash or lump sum payment. We will work with you to get the student hired and paid correctly. 

We endeavor to move the hiring process as quickly as we can within compliance. I-9s, job setup and accurate time tracking all serve to protect students and the institution.

If you need help paying a student, send us the job details and we will walk you through the hiring process. The student can then log their hours (or sign their graduate assistantship contract) and receive payment.

If you made a mistake, reach out and let us know. We’re here to help and would much rather fix it than find out later during an audit or emergency.