Hiring Guides

Your KSU student hiring journey starts here! Our Hiring Guides are your ultimate resource for efficiently recruiting and managing student employees at Kennesaw State University. We understand the unique needs of hiring student assistants, FWS (Federal Work-Study) student employees and grant-funded student assistants. These guides provide detailed, step-by-step instructions to streamline the process. Should you face any issues or have questions, our guides also provide contacts for relevant coordinators.

  • Guidelines for Student Assistant employment

    1. Must be enrolled at least half time.

    2. Cannot work more than 20 hours a week while classes are in session.

    3. Can work up to 40 hours per week as a student assistant during summer and breaks.

    4. If you have questions regarding the appropriate pay for your student position, contact the Program Coordinator for Student Employment at hrstudentemployment@kennesaw.edu or 470-578-3948.

     

    Hiring a Student Assistant

    1. Find a student to work with you. Handshake, managed by the Department of Career planning and Development, can be used to post a position if you need to generate an applicant pool. (This is not required. If you know who you want to hire, proceed to step 2). Visit Career Planning and Development for more information. 

    2. Complete a Student Employment Hiring Form (SEHF)

    3. Send the completed form to hrstudentemployment@kennesaw.edu.

    4. Once the hiring form is received by HR, the HR Coordinator for your department will vet your student assistant to confirm they are enrolled at least half-time, and then will reach out to them with instructions about completing the onboarding process. This will include a link to schedule an appointment to present I9 (work authorization) documents to Human Resources. Appointments are available every Tuesday between 9 AM and 11:30 AM, and every Wednesday between 1:30 PM and 4 PM. Note: No student may work until written authorization has been granted by Human Resources. 

     

    Getting Your Student Assistant Paid

    1. Student Assistants must log their hours in OneUSG by clocking in and out at the beginning and end of each shift. When your student assistant is approved to work, the HR Coordinator for your department will send them job aids on using OneUSG.

    2. Student Assistants must log their hours in OneUSG by clocking in and out at the beginning and end of each shift. Students can visit job aids by using OneUSG, including how to enter time.

    3. Time-cards must be approved in OneUSG by the student’s supervisor prior to the stated deadline for each biweekly pay date. Visit this link for payroll deadline calendars. Visit job aids by using OneUSG, including how to approve time.

     

    Terminating Your Student Assistant

    1. When your student has completed their work for you, or if they resign, submit a termination request in OneUSG manager self-service. Visit this link for a job aid to learn more.

    2. If you want to terminate a student assistant for cause, prior approval must be granted by HR. Reach out to the HR Student Employment Coordinator for advice in this situation.

  • Guidelines for Student Assistant Employment

    1. Must be enrolled at least half time, with some exceptions.

    2. Cannot work more than 20 hours a week while classes are in session.

    3. Can work up to 40 hours per week as a student assistant during summer and breaks.

    4. If you have questions regarding the appropriate pay for your student position, contact the Program Coordinator for Student Employment at sgarbe@kennesaw.edu or 470-578-3948.

     

    Hiring a Student Assistant

    1. Find a student to work with you. Handshake, managed by the Department of Career planning and Development, can be used to post a position if you need to generate an applicant pool. (This is not required. If you know who you want to hire, proceed to step 2). Visit Career Planning and Development for more information.

    2. Complete a Student Employment Hiring Form (SEHF)
    3. Send the completed form to FWS@kennesaw.edu 

    4. Once the hiring form is received by FWS Coordinator, they will vet your student assistant to confirm they are FWS eligible and enrolled at least half-time. After confirmation, the FWS Coordinator will sign SEHF and submit it to HR for processing. The HR Coordinator for your department will reach out to the student with instructions about completing the onboarding process. This will include a link to schedule an appointment to present I9 (work authorization) documents to Human Resources. Appointments are available every Tuesday between 9 AM and 11:30 AM, and every Wednesday between 1:30 PM and 4 PM. Note: No student may work until written authorization has been granted by Human Resources.

     

    Getting your Student Assistant Paid

    1. Student Assistants must log their hours in OneUSG by clocking in and out at the beginning and end of each shift. When your student assistant is approved to work, the HR Coordinator for your department will send them job aids on using OneUSG.

    2. Student Assistants must log their hours in OneUSG by clocking in and out at the beginning and end of each shift. Students can visit Videos and Job Aids for job aids on using OneUSG, including how to enter time.

    3. Time-cards must be approved in OneUSG by the student’s supervisor prior to the stated deadline for each biweekly pay date. Visit Payroll Calendar for payroll deadline calendars. Visit Videos and Job Aids for job aids on using OneUSG, including how to approve time.

     

    Terminating your Student Assistant

    1. When your student has completed their work for you, or if they resign, submit a termination request in OneUSG manager self-service.  

    2. If you want to terminate a student assistant for cause, prior approval must be granted by HR. Reach out to the HR Student Employment Coordinator for advice in this situation.

  • Guidelines for Student Assistant Employment

    1. Must be enrolled at least half time, with some exceptions.

    2. Cannot work more than 20 hours a week while classes are in session.

    3. Can work up to 40 hours per week as a student assistant during summer and breaks.

    4. If you have questions regarding the appropriate pay for your student position, contact the Program Coordinator for Student Employment at hrstudentemployment@kennesaw.edu or 470-578-3948.

     

    Hiring a Student Assistant

    1. Find a student to work with you. Handshake, managed by the Department of Career planning and Development, can be used to post a position if you need to generate an applicant pool. (This is not required. If you know who you want to hire, proceed to step 2). Visit Career Planning and Development for more information.
    2. Complete a Student Employment Hiring Form (SEHF).

    3. Send the completed form to your grant manager. They will review it and send to HR for processing.

    4. Once the hiring form is received by HR, the HR Coordinator for your department will vet your student assistant to confirm they are enrolled at least half-time, and then will reach out to them with instructions about completing the onboarding process. This will include a link to schedule an appointment to present I9 (work authorization) documents to Human Resources. Appointments are available every Tuesday between 9 AM and 11:30 AM, and every Wednesday between 1:30 PM and 4 PM. Note: No student may work until written authorization has been granted by Human Resources. 

     

    Getting your Student Assistant Paid

    1. When your student assistant is approved to work, the HR Coordinator for your department will send them job aids on using OneUSG.

    2. Student Assistants must log their hours in OneUSG by clocking in and out at the beginning and end of each shift. Students can visit Videos and Job Aids for job aids on using OneUSG, including how to enter time.

    3. Timesheets must be approved in OneUSG by the student’s supervisor prior to the stated deadline for each biweekly pay date. Visit Payroll Calendar for payroll deadline calendars. 

     

    Terminating your Student Assistant

    1. When your student has completed the work for your grant, submit a termination request in OneUSG manager self-service. 

    2. If you want to terminate a student assistant for cause, prior approval must be granted by HR. Reach out to the Student Employment Program Coordinator for advice in this situation.

     

Guidance on Internships

We provide support and clarity for both employers and interns working through Kennesaw State. Finding an internship to match your professional goals can be complicated. The following guidance laid out for students helps to cut corners for a more streamlined process. Get to know the policies and procedures for hiring a KSU student vs. a non-KSU student. If you have concerns about the hiring process, please contact Sam Garbe, Program Coordinator for Student Employment. We emphasize the importance of mandatory training for those working with minors, ensuring a safe and enriching experience for all at KSU.

  • If your intern is primarily going to be shadowing someone and learning from them, they most likely do not need to be vetted through Human Resources. However, you may want to set them up as a registered visitor if they will need access to KSU buildings or systems.

    If your intern will be performing work that they can reasonably expect to be compensated for, you will need to work with Human Resources to hire them into an appropriate status.

    The following may help you determine whether your intern should be paid:

    Courts have used the “primary beneficiary test” to determine whether an intern or student is, in fact, an employee under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). In short, this test allows courts to examine the “economic reality” of the intern-employer relationship to determine which party is the “primary beneficiary” of the relationship. Courts have identified the following seven factors as part of the test:

    • The extent to which the intern and the employer clearly understand that there is no expectation of compensation. Any promise of compensation, express or implied, suggests that the intern is an employee—and vice versa.
    • The extent to which the internship provides training that would be similar to that which would be given in an educational environment, including the clinical and other hands-on training provided by educational institutions.
    • The extent to which the internship is tied to the intern’s formal education program by integrated coursework or the receipt of academic credit.
    • The extent to which the internship accommodates the intern’s academic commitments by corresponding to the academic calendar.
    • The extent to which the internship’s duration is limited to the period in which the internship provides the intern with beneficial learning.
    • The extent to which the intern’s work complements, rather than displaces, the work of paid employees while providing significant educational benefits to the intern.
    • The extent to which the intern and the employer understand that the internship is conducted without entitlement to a paid job at the conclusion of the internship.

    Courts have described the “primary beneficiary test” as a flexible test, and no single factor is determinative. Accordingly, whether an intern or student is an employee under the FLSA necessarily depends on the unique circumstances of each case.

    If analysis of these circumstances reveals that an intern or student is actually an employee, then he or she is entitled to both minimum wage and overtime pay under the FLSA. On the other hand, if the analysis confirms that the intern or student is not an employee, then he or she is not entitled to either minimum wage or overtime pay under the FLSA.

    For further assistance in determining whether your intern should be paid, and how to hire them if applicable, please contact the following:

    If your candidate is a KSU student, your candidate pool is comprised entirely of KSU students, or you are unsure of the enrollment status of your candidate(s), contact Sam Garbe, Program Coordinator for Student Employment at hrstudentemployment@kennesaw.edu or 470-578-3948.

     If you know your chosen candidate is not a KSU student, and/or your entire candidate pool is not comprised of KSU students, contact the Human Resources Business Partner for your college or division: https://hr.kennesaw.edu/hrteams.php 

    Please note: Whether your intern is paid or unpaid, anyone working with minors will need to complete mandatory training. Contact Ann Schroeder (aschroe5@kennesaw.edu) for more information.

Useful Contact Information For Student Employees and Managers

Most student employment questions can be addressed to the Program Coordinator for Student Employment at hrstudentemployment@kennesaw.edu or 470-578-3948.

This includes:

  • Submitting Student MSS transactions
  • Approval of Student terminations for cause
  • Questions about student pay rates
  • All GRA/GTA hiring, onboarding and related questions

Student Assistant hiring and onboarding is handled by the HR Coordinator for your division/college. Questions about the status of a candidate can be addressed to your HR Coordinator. 

Other Important Contact Information and Links for Students and Managers

Retaining a Student Employee Who Has Graduated or is Otherwise No Longer Enrolled

With some exceptions, student assistants must maintain half-time enrollment to be able to work in that capacity. However, we understand that, as a manager, you may need to retain a student worker who graduates or otherwise ceases to be enrolled half-time. In these situations, please reach out to the Program Coordinator for Student Employment via email or 470-578-3948.) He will be able to help you explore your options for retaining your employee, and then will direct you to the right person to assist you in creating the necessary position.

Questions to consider before reaching out to the Program Coordinator for Student Employment

  • How long will I need to retain this employee after they graduate or otherwise cease enrollment?
  • How many hours per week will I need them to work?
  • Why do I need to keep them?
  • Is the function that they will be doing the same, or is it changing?