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EMPLOYER INFORMATION



Policies & Procedures

Policies & Procedures


The following human resources related policies/topics apply to students of KSAS and WSE who are hired into a student position within the university. Should you have any questions or need assistance regarding these or other student employee-related issues, please contact the Office of University Experiential Learning at 410-516-8400 or email us at stujob@jhu.edu.



Policies & How Tos..



JHU students on university payroll must be removed from their student position(s) once they confer/graduate unless they have been admitted into a full-time JHU masters or PhD program. Post-docs must be removed when their appointment ends.


ISR Reassignment

Departments who wish to continue employing their student post graduation/conferral must submit an ISR Reassignment to transfer the student to a staff/faculty position. For international students, VISA restrictions may apply and the hiring department is advised to contact the Office of International Services prior to the reassignment/hire process.

All departments should contact their local HR representative or recruiter in order to run a background check.


For complete instructions, please click the appropriate tab below:

The process as described below is to be used when employing graduating undergraduate (personnel subarea U007) or graduate (personnel subarea U008) students in a casual staff position. If hiring an international student, VISA restrictions may apply; please contact the International Office before hiring non-US citizens.

  • Hire into a casual position with the same or similar duties in the same department and at the same rate of pay unless their hourly rate as a student employee is below the minimum for the CA salary range (see Compensation website for current minimums: https://hrnt.jhu.edu/compensation/salary/
  • Hire as a casual employee - Employee Group 5.
  • Casual employees cannot work more than 28 hours per week nor exceed 987 hours in a 12 month period. Departments must monitor this.
  • Non-employee fellowship recipient positions (employee group 8, subgroup 20) are excluded from this process and must be treated as new staff positions and are therefore, subject to the full requisition process which includes application, background check, etc.


Hiring Process

  • No personnel requisition is required unless hiring employee in a position in personnel area UN02 (SOM).
  • If a personnel requisition is required, a background check and Occupational Health clearance is also required.
  • No new I9 will be required.
  • Direct deposit of earnings (if applicable) will continue.
  • No new tax forms will be required.
  • Active parking deductions will continue.
  • Initiate Position Create ISR to create a casual staff position if a vacant staff position is not available. Do not process a Position Maintain ISR to change the student position to a casual staff position; doing so could create data integrity problems if the correct date is not used when making position changes.
  • Initiate a Reassignment ISR to hire into casual staff position.
  • In the Comments Section of the Reassignment ISR, indicate the following:
    • Changing from student to casual staff position
    • Issue new employment dates
    • Indicate which personnel number (pernr) to reassign
      - Pernr issued to the student while employed in your department
  • All active student pernrs (includes temp-inactive) except for the pernr being reassigned must be terminated before HRSS can process the reassignment ISR. Please view the Employee Directory to search for other active pernrs. This SAP transaction can be found in the Enduser Role folder or by typing in ZHPR_DIR into the transaction box located on the SAP Easy Access window. If an active pernr exists in another department, please contact department directly or the appropriate central office (Student Employment, Financial Aid, Student Accounts) to have position(s) terminated.

[Policy Revision - Effective April 15, 2014]

Ph.D. candidates have officially completed their degree requirements after the Graduate Board approves his/her candidacy and after the President has signed off on the official degree roster. This occurs three times per academic year: in late August, December and May.

Once Ph.D. candidates have completed their degree requirements and have all appropriate documentation approved and signed, they must:

  • be removed from the university payroll system or
  • receive a post-doctoral appointment with a student payroll status change or
  • be hired into a staff position

Exception: Ph.D. candidates who have completed their degree requirements and received a postdoctoral appointment from the university may be reassigned prior to their degree conferral, provided a copy of the thesis submission is provided to the appropriate dean's office before the appointment is slated to begin. In the comments section of the ISR write: "A copy of the thesis has been submitted to the Dean's office."


PhD & Grad Students in F-1 and J-1 Paid by Stipend

Students receiving a stipend who wish to undertake additional on-campus employment during fall or spring semester would only be eligible to do so if the position qualifies for Curricular Practical Training (CPT). Please contact OIS at ois@jhu.edu to determine if CPT is necessary. Students requiring CPT need to allow time for the authorization process before beginning their new position.

The following OIS webpage explains the scenario for grad students paid by stipend. Visit: https://ois.jhu.edu/Students/Current_F1_Students/F-1_Training_and_Employment/OnCampus_Employment/


Work-study is a federally funded program that pays a portion or all of a student's wage, depending on the position and type of work-study award. The 3 types of work-study our students are awarded include: Traditional, Community Service, and America Reads.

Intersession FWS Announcement (updated 12/4/2024)
Summer FWS Announcement (updated 5/1/2024)


Key Points

  • Students may hold multiple campus jobs simultaneously. Thus, please remember to ask your student, at the time of hire, if they have another campus job using their FWS award. If so, you will need to take this into account when estimating how many hours the student can work in your department before their award is exhausted.
  • All hours worked beyond the award limit will automatically be charged 100% to the hiring department.
  • Undergraduate students, paid using work-study funding, MUST be compensated on an HOURLY basis.


FWS Award Look-up

If you hire a student who has an FWS award you must ask the student for their award information, which you will need for the ISR New Hire. Using MyJHU, the student will sign into SIS and select the appropriate academic year. Assuming the student has an FWS award, they will click on the Federal Work Study Authorization Form which they can save as a PDF to provide/email to their campus employer.


What is Non-Federal Work Study?

Students who do not receive a Federal Work Study award may have a line item on their aid package titled JHU Non-Federal Work Study along with a dollar amount. This is not an FWS award and can be confusing to students. The line item refers to money that a student can earn by working on campus through the Office of University Experiential Learning, in a non-work-study position where the department pays 100% of the student???s earnings. Thus, when you are hiring a student who claims to have an FWS Award, it is always best to check with our office to be certain. Also, please note that student employment is available to ALL full-time ASEN students and there is no limit to the amount a student may earn; the amount listed is only 'suggested' earnings.


Other FWS Related Information

View Key Dates and Eligibility Chart, FAQ, and more..

The dates for traditional undergrad FWS will run from 8/26/24 - 5/13/2025 for the academic year 2024-25. View Summer 2024 FWS Announcement

If you have any questions about this information, please contact Quinton Taylor (x6-8028) or Nick Lantz (x6-8400).

The guidelines used by the JHU Office of Student Financial Support defines Community Service as work that improves the quality of life for community residents, particularly low-income individuals, or work that solves particular problems related to the needs of the community. It consists of work in fields such as education, health care, social services, recreation, and community improvement, among others.

For America Reads, the work must specifically involve tutoring preschool and/or elementary-aged children in the areas of reading or math.

Please Note: For a student job to be classified as Community Service or America Reads it must FIRST be identified and approved as such by SFS.

If you think that your student job qualifies as Community Service/America Reads please contact the Office of Student Financial Support.

Summer FWS
Summer FWS for undergraduates is typically limited to Community Service/America Reads. Therefore, before submitting a summer position to the Student Employment website it must first be approved by SFS should you wish to require FWS. The only exception is FWS jobs limited to Graduate Students only. Find more information on Summer FWS.

Use these Z-Codes in the 'Base Pay' section of ISR Forms.

FY 24-25 - updated 7/09/2024
FY 23-24 - updated 5/24/2023



Each year, academic departments present cash awards and prizes to their students. The process for these type of payments depend on the nature and/or purpose of the gift. Thus, you must first determine if the nature of the award/prize is employment or non-employment related

Employment-Related: These include the Research Poster Award, Graduate Teaching Awards, the Science Service Award, etc. The payment would be processed through the payroll system in accordance with the university finance/controller web site which states, 'in the event that the award or prize is employment related it would be treated the same as those given to employees - it would be taxable as compensation and must be paid through payroll'. Source: https://apps.finance.jhu.edu/policyapp/APTRV-PL-24.policy

NON Employment-Related: These include the Undergraduate Research Award, WSE Convocation Awards, the Dean's Safety Award, etc. Payments for awards and prizes presented to students in recognition of academic achievements/pursuits -and- are not directly linked to a wage position, would be processed through Accounts Payable. This is in accordance with the university finance/controller web site which states, 'awards and prizes given to non-employees including students are to be paid through Accounts Payable directly to the recipient of the award'. Source: https://apps.finance.jhu.edu/policyapp/AP-TRV-PL-24.policy


Wage increases for undergraduate and/or student hourly positions are determined by the individual hiring department and granted based on the department's specifications. Some departments grant increases after a designated training period while others offer increases once a student has reached a certain number of hours worked. Most departments, however, provide an increase on an annual basis in conjunction with an annual performance evaluation. Increases for graduate students, working within their graduate department, are determined by their individual graduate departmental/program policies. The appropriate reason code to be used when processing a salary change for students is 03-General Increase.

Visit Student Performance Evaluation Form Template.


Helpful Links


Degree seeking students registered at least half-time (6 credits) in the Krieger School of Arts and Sciences (KSAS) & the Whiting School of Engineering (WSE) are eligible to work through the Office of University Experiential Learning. Other KSAS and WSE students who are eligible to work though University Experiential Learning include:

  • International students who are in their final semester, registered for less than full-load.
  • Visiting 'exchange' students to KSAS and WSE.
  • Students registered part-time who have a Federal Work Study award.


Graduating Students (after conferral)

Students on payroll who graduate must be terminated from their student position using the effective date of conferral; departments may not continue paying the students through the end of the conferral month. For example, if graduation is 5/24, the effective date on the ISR Termination must match the conferral date of 5/24, it cannot be 5/31. (This policy was established in 2014 by the Deans of ASEN, General Counsel, University Experiential Learning, and OIS). The only exception to this rule is if the student is continuing into a full-time JHU Masters or PhD program; in which case the hiring department may need to submit a reassignment.

If the student has FWS, any hours worked from the end date of FWS (fall award); through the end of December, would be charged 100% to the hiring department.

Incoming Students

Incoming KSAS and WSE students, who are pre-registered for the fall semester, including new graduate students accepted into a full-time program, are eligible to work through University Experiential Learning beginning July 1 (prior to their first day of classes).


Paid Leave

While the benefits of working through the student employee program are immeasurable, students working in on-campus positions are not eligible for benefits such as holiday pay, vacation or tuition remission.


For payroll purposes, reason code Leave of Absence (LOA) may not be used for individuals hired into a student job classification, this includes postdoctoral fellows. The only exception is for postdocs who are approved for short-term disability. Please see below for more information.

Should a student be placed on 'Academic LOA', they must be removed from the payroll system or be transferred to a full or part-time staff position. The effective date of the ISR must be the date the student declares they will stop working toward the completion of their degree. This date can be found on the application for LOA.


Short-Term Disability for Postdocs

  • KSAS and WSE postdoctoral fellows will be automatically enrolled for short-term disability insurance provided by The Hartford.
  • Benefits begin after the 14th consecutive day of absence and continue for up to 11 weeks provided the postdoc remains disabled and unable to work. Pay continues at the full rate during the 14 day absence.
  • The plan pays 60% of weekly base earnings, not to exceed $1,000 per week, for an eligible absence.
  • A postdoc's benefits may be reduced if he/she is receiving other disability benefits (i.e.??workers compensation, social security).

    How To Request
  • When the postdoctoral fellow is placed on payroll, the Office of Benefits Services??will inform The Hartford that he/she is eligible for short-term disability insurance (this notice is made weekly). If the postdoc has no payroll, regardless of the situation, he/she will not be included on the eligibility list to The Hartford.
  • If a postdoc becomes unable to work, he/she should: (1) inform the local departmental administrator or appropriate human resources representative immediately.
  • The department administrator or appropriate Human Resources representative should complete an ISR putting the postdoc on LOA status and zeroing his/her payroll for the appropriate effective date. Approver 2 must be University Experiential Learning. (Note: There is a 14 day elimination period that the postdoc can remain on the payroll.)
  • Visit Human Resources > Short-Term Disability for more information.
  • When the postdoc returns, the 'Return from Leave of Absence' ISR is processed by the departmental administrator or appropriate Human Resources representative. Approver 2 must be University Experiential Learning.


Should a student sustain a work-related injury, the student's supervisor must immediately submit a Report of Incident form (PDF).

  • Students injured while working on the Homewood campus must report to the office of Occupational Health Services. Be sure to take a copy of the Report of Incident and your J-Card with you.
  • Students injured while working on the East Baltimore/Medical campus should report to the Occupational Injury Clinic. Again, be sure to take a copy the Report of Incident and your J-Card or ID badge with you.
Should a student employee sustain an injury on a night shift or weekend, please seek the appropriate medical treatment and follow-up with the office of Occupational Health Services or the Occupational Injury Clinic, whichever office is appropriate, the next business day.


The goal of the hiring department should be to foster their student workers by providing constructive feedback aimed to enhance the student/s work performance and professional development. We recommend that all student workers be evaluated, at least annually.


Addressing Poor Performance

The goal of the hiring department should be to foster constructive feedback aimed to enhance the student/s work performance and professional development. To this end, we strongly recommend that necessary steps be taken to help the student fully understand his or her area(s) of weakness with an eye toward helping the student grow and develop in the workplace - please see recommended steps below.

We further recommend that you properly document all meetings and provide the student with documentation clearly stating the problem, outlining the corrective steps proposed, the timeframe, and the consequences should the student fail to meet the expectations at the end of the allotted timeframe.

Recommended Steps
  1. Meet with the student to review their job description and expectations.
  2. Keep feedback and communication open and positive. Acknowledge those things that the student has done well and address areas of weakness.
  3. Provide specific examples, making certain that the student has a clear understanding of what exactly the problem is and how they can go about fixing it.
  4. Listen for reasons they give to determine whether the issues is lack of skill or lack of will.
  5. Discuss corrective steps that need to be taken and set a timeframe for marked improvement.
  6. Inform the student that their failure to adhere to these expectations within the allotted timeframe may/will result in dismissal.
  7. After the allotted time, meet with the student to review their performance. Be sure to applaud their progress; if their performance has not improved, you will need to make the touch call to let them go.


Dishonest/Criminal Misconduct

If you suspect a student employee of dishonest or criminal misconduct on the job, (i.e. falsifying hours on timesheets, forging supervisors signature, theft of office property, unauthorized use of computer accounts, etc.) it is your responsibility to immediately report your suspicions to the Office of University Experiential Learning.

Consistent with its obligations under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, and the Americans with Disabilities Amendments Act of 2008, the university provides reasonable workplace accommodations to qualified employees with disabilities. A reasonable accommodation is a modification or change in the workplace or the way things are customarily done that provides an equal employment opportunity to an individual with a disability.

Questions regarding this policy should be directed to the ADA Compliance and Disability unit in the Office of Institutional Equity.


Consistent with our obligations under federal and state law, the university is committed to assuring compliance when hiring and paying students. All departments who hire students must adhere to the following employment guidelines. Failure to adhere to these standards place the university at risk of being non-compliant with state and federal employment laws.

  • Hiring & Payroll: Under the Maryland wage payment law, an employer must establish a regular pay period and provide notice to the employee. The employer must then pay the employee according to the pay period from the outset of employment. Simply put, a new student hire must be paid in accordance with the next pay cycle from the first date of hire, based on established cutoff dates.
  • Wages & Overtime: The Fair Labor Standards Act applies to students on university payroll. This means that all JHU student positions must be based on the Maryland State Minimum Wage -and- overtime pay of one-and-one-half-time the regular hourly wage applies for all hours worked over 40 per week. Please note: Student work hours are limited to 19.9 per week during periods of enrollment.
  • I-9 Form: The U.S. government requires all employers to verify eligibility to work for each person they hire. As part of that verification process, a Form I-9 must be completed by all employees, including student employees. This refers to students who are new to the university payroll system or students who have had a break in service. The I-9 must be completed within 3 days from their first day of work for pay. Students must make an appointment with the office of University Experiential Learning to complete the I-9.

If you suspect a student of dishonest or criminal misconduct on the job (i.e. falsifying hours on timesheets, forging supervisors signature, theft of office property, unauthorized use of computer accounts, etc.), you must immediately report your suspicions to the director or lead payroll contact of University Experiential Learning. You are asked to provide as much detail as possible.

Upon notification, University Experiential Learning takes the following steps:

  • University Experiential Learning alerts the associate dean of student conduct; this will include a short brief of case details. If the student's position is funded by Federal Work-Study, University Experiential Learning will also notify the director of student financial support.
  • University Experiential Learning gathers all relevant documentation and compiles a comprehensive report for the dean's review. Based on the nature of the case, University Experiential Learning may suspend student employment privileges, pending the investigation.
  • The dean determines if a conduct hearing is in order; based on the findings, disciplinary action is determined.
  • In cases where Federal Work-Study funds are involved, and if found guilty, the award will automatically be rescinded for a period to be determined by the Office of Student Financial Support.

    The Office of the General Counsel, under the advisement of the director of student financial support, will notify the DOE of any information pertaining to fraud or other criminal misconduct in violation of the Title IV program.

  • Departments wishing to post an on-campus internship opportunity may do so on SMILE.
  • Off-Campus, Paid Internships are listed with the Life Design Lab (formerly Career Center). They can be reached at (410) 516-8400.
  • Off-Campus, Experiential 'non-paid' Internships are also listed with the Life Design Lab.
  • For-credit, Internships; students wishing to receive credit for an internship must contact the office of Academic Advising. They can be reached at (410) 516-8216.


Below is a guide addressing when it is appropriate to terminate a student position -verses- reassign a student based on SAP functionality and tax requirements (i.e., Wage vs. Fellowship). This does not negate any additional processing requirements for University Experiential Learning

  • Changing a student from employee group 7 to staff. Example: graduation
    In this case, you would submit an ISR Reassignment

  • Changing from student (employee group 7) to fellowship recipient (employee group 8) - and/or vice versa. Here you have two options, they are:
    • Students may hold multiple positions simultaneously. Thus, if you wish the student to hold both a wage and a fellowship position (i.e., concurrent employment), you would simply submit a New Hire ISR placing the student into a 'Non-Employee' Fellowship position.
    • If you do not wish the student to retain both a wage and a fellowship position, you must submit an ISR Termination for the 'wage' position followed by an ISR New Hire for the 'fellowship' position. In this case, the student will receive a new pernr associated with the new position number. Please note: You cannot initiate a Position Maintain on an existing position from wage to fellowship & vice-versa.


Students are eligible for nonresident status provided they have:

  • Completed all coursework and requirements for the graduate degree other than the presentation and defense of the formal master's essay or the doctoral thesis
  • Reached the end of their departmental support period or have exhausted support from grants and cannot be supported by the department
Student Employment Eligibility
The following guidelines apply when hiring and paying a student on nonresident status:
  • Students in nonresident status may work no more than 19.9 hours per week or fewer during the academic year
  • Students in nonresident status must be paid hourly on a semi-monthly basis. Hours worked must be entered directly into TimesheetX.
  • You may not use a nonresident student's PERNR from another position; you must establish a separate position.
Exceptions
  • During intersession and summer, nonresidents students may work up to 37.5 hours per week. They may also work in a teaching capacity during this time, in which case they may be paid salaried.
  • Students in nonresident status who receive a fellowship may be paid salary on the semi-monthly payroll.