On Campus Employment

SUNY Plattsburgh offers a variety of part-time on-campus jobs to provide students the opportunity to earn money while attending school. In addition to on-campus opportunities, there are also many opportunities for working part-time in the local Plattsburgh community. To view a listing of available part-time jobs, log into your Handshake account. Be sure to filter by either on-campus jobs (for on-campus opportunities) or by part-time (for opportunities in the local community).

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SUNY Plattsburgh values its student workers. As a student, your first priority is academics, but while you are at work, you are expected to approach your job professionally and give 100%. Just like any other job, your part-time job requires a commitment.

• Be on time: You are expected to be at your job when you are scheduled to work. You are required to give your supervisor as much advanced notice as possible when you know that you are going to be absent or late. Make sure you are aware of the "call-in" procedure for your department. If you know that you are going to need any amount of time off let your supervisor know well in advance.
• Be positive: Go to work with a positive attitude. View your job as an opportunity to learn new skills and meet new people. Be enthusiastic about learning new tasks and taking on new responsibilities.
• Be a team player: As a student worker, you will be part of the departmental team. You will be interacting with other students and staff members. Establishing a positive rapport with those you have contact with will strengthen the team.
• Be present: "Personal business," such as making personal phone calls, doing schoolwork, and browsing the internet and social media, is distracting and unproductive while at work. Refrain from conducting personal business unless you have specific permission from your supervisor to do so.
• Dress for success: Dress appropriately for your department. Make sure that you are aware what the dress code is and what the expectation is for student workers.
• Take initiative: Check with your supervisor for other tasks that may need to be completed. If you have completed the work assigned you should not assume that there is nothing else to do.
• Communicate: Establishing and maintaining open lines of communication with your supervisor will help you to feel more comfortable at your job. It is important to convey any problems or concerns, as well as provide updates on a regular basis.
• Ask questions: Don't be afraid to ask for clarification. In most cases, your supervisor would much rather have you ask questions than do a procedure incorrectly or give someone inaccurate information.

Student employees are expected to meet work performance standards established by their supervisors, their employer department, and the university. The term "work performance" include all aspects of a student employee's work.

Poor work performance can be demonstrated in a variety of ways. Depending on the particular position, examples may include (but are not limited to) the following:

• Repeated tardiness or absence, absence without proper notification to the supervisor or without satisfactory reason, or unavailability for work
• Neglect of duties, loafing or wasting time during work hours
• Falsifying time sheets or other university records
• Abusing, wasting or damaging property, supplies or records belonging to the university, co-workers or students
• Creating or contributing to unhealthy or unsanitary conditions
• Violating safety rules or accepted safety policies
• Failing to cooperate with supervisors or co-workers, impairing the work unit's function, or disruptive or disorderly conduct
• Theft, dishonesty or unauthorized use of university property, including records and confidential information
• Failing to meet a reasonable and objective measure of efficiency and productivity
• Failing or refusing to follow instructions or to perform designated work
• Failing to meet deadlines and/or complete project assignments
• Not providing customer service as required under job expectations
• Inappropriate, unauthorized, or illegal use of the university's information technology resources
• Violating policies or rules of the university

An on-campus job helps you start building skills employers will be looking for after you graduate. The National Association of Colleges & Employers (NACE) CareerReadiness Competencies provide a framework for what skills employers are looking for you to have developed by the time you graduate. While working on campus, you will start developing transferable skills employers look for in every candidate, regardless of major.

The Competencies:

Career & Self-Development - Proactively develop oneself and one’s career through continual personal and professional learning, awareness of one’s strengths and weaknesses, navigation of career opportunities, and networking to build relationships within and without one’s organization.

Communication - Clearly and effectively exchange information, ideas, facts, and perspectives with persons inside and outside of an organization.

Critical Thinking - Identify and respond to needs based upon an understanding of situational context and logical analysis of relevant information.

Equity & Inclusion - Demonstrate the awareness, attitude, knowledge, and skills required to equitably engage and include people from different cultures and backgrounds.. Engage in anti-oppressive practices that actively challenge the systems, structures, and policies of racism and inequity.

Leadership - Recognize and capitalize on personal and team strengths to achieve organizational goals. 

Professionalism - Knowing work environments differ greatly, understand and demonstrate effective work habits, and act in the interest of the larger community and workplace.

Teamwork - Build and maintain collaborative relationships to work effectively toward common goals, while appreciating diverse viewpoints and shared responsibilities.

Technology - Understand and leverage technologies ethically to enhance efficiencies, complete tasks, and accomplish goals.

How To Gain Experience:

Working on campus, you will be assigned tasks by your supervisor. Executing and completing help you to develop communication, critical thinking and teamwork skills. 

While working on campus, you will be exposed to people from different perspectives helping develop equity & inclusion skills.

Working a part-time job, you will need to develop workplace communication and etiquette skills which will assist you in developing professionalism and help you work on your career & self-development. 

 

Handshake is your one-stop shop for all jobs on campus.

Login to Handshake

On-campus jobs are posted in Handshake. Once you find a job you are interested in, be sure to follow the application instructions on the posting. Come to the Career Development Center for assistance with your resume or other application materials.

Login to Handshake

You can work a maximum of 20 hours per work when classes are in session and 29 hours per week during winter break and summer vacation. The average is closer to 10 hours per week. More information is available on the payroll website.

Payroll Information for Students

The most up to date information about work study can be found on the financial aid website. Visit:

Work Study & Student Jobs

The short answer is yes. The most up-to-date information on this can be viewed on the payroll website. 

Payroll Information for Students

Direct deposit is mandatory for all students. Paychecks are issued bi-weekly. Please refer to the payroll office webpage for further information.

Payroll Information for Students

For a complete list of the forms that are required and an explanation of each one, please visit the payroll office website. Click on the tab “Forms Required for Appointment To Payroll.”

Payroll Information for Students

The Student Employee Orientation Checklist is a helpful tool when on-boarding a new student employee. It is an organized way to ensure you cover topics with your new hires that may be integral to your department. It is critical to set clear expectations at the beginning of the hiring process as well as providing a welcoming environment to student employees.

View the Student Employee Orientation Checklist

There are many ways that a supervisor can guide student employees to give them the best possible work experience. The supervisor's role is to train, motivate, guide and evaluate student employees. Below is a list of helpful tips:

• Expectations: Communication is key when supervising students. Take the time to explain job standards and expectations to your student employees. Providing them with information in a written document allows them to use it as a resource in the future.
• Training: Providing training on essential skills that are necessary and required will deliver better results for both the student and the employer. Engage students in identifying sensible work habits that are advantageous to the team. Explain how your department functions and some of the common operations that they will see or be part of.
• Firm But Fair: Find the balance between maintaining high expectations and standards while keeping in mind that your workers are students first and campus employees second. Having an approachable, but no-nonsense approach to working with student workers will help you to be a successful supervisor.
• Inspire A Shared Vision: Engage students in seeing the big picture and how they fit into it. Letting them know their value within your department can contribute to the team's purpose and mission.
• Build Team Spirit: By valuing the contribution of each team member you can earn their loyalty and dedication. Build on a student's strength and learn to listen to, acknowledge and celebrate their efforts and accomplishments.
• Feedback: Giving feedback can be a delicate situation but if done in a positive, constructive manner it can help to improve student productivity and gives them room to grow in their role as a student employee.
• Recognition: Recognizing students for their positive performance and contributions to your office or department will heighten their sense of value and purpose as a student employee. National Student Employee Week is the second full week of April — celebrate your student workers!

Download:

Tips for Student Employee Supervisors

Offering a periodic review of student performance is beneficial to both the student and the supervisor. Students should be provided with specific descriptions outlining expectations and responsibilities. Take time to be sure your student worker receives the proper training to accomplish the tasks that are assigned. At preset intervals, meet with the student employee to evaluate their performance. Students can learn and benefit from a supervisors' expertise. We developed a Performance Review For Student Employees that can be utilized to review student performance. In addition, the Counseling Checklist For Supervisors can also be used when meeting with a student in a less formal setting.

Performance Review for Student Employees

Counseling Checklist for Supervisors