Formalize a structured institutional system to provide oversight, coordination, and optimal use of resources and capacity.
Clarify and acknowledge the roles and responsibilities of various offices and departments on campus in managing the program.
Simplify complex processes by taking the time to put a centralized system in place for management and oversight of important program functions, including marketing, recruitment, communications, paperwork, reporting, orientation, and training, among others.
Leaders of the program should have expertise in financial aid regulations, student development, and community partnership-building.
Stanford University, Stanford, California
Community service work-study is administered cooperatively by Stanford’s Haas Center for Public Service and the Financial Aid office. The Haas Center has responsibility for marketing, recruitment, and communications and conducts student orientation and training. The payroll process is also handled by the Haas Center. The Financial Aid Office keeps the Haas Center updated on federal student employment regulations and maintains fiscal oversight, determining which students are eligible for the program and each student’s individual earning limits based on federal needs analysis. The Financial Aid Office monitors the payroll expenses and reports student earnings on the FISAP through its database. The two offices communicate regularly and meet periodically to ensure efficiency and quality in students’ experiences and to support the community organizations’ needs.
Mary Morrison
Director of Funds Management
Financial Aid Office
Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana
Responsibilities for community service work-study placements are shared by the Office of Student Financial Assistance and the Career Development Center. Staff members from these offices and representatives from community service, service-learning, and academic programs meet with community agencies to update them about the range of opportunities available through the Federal Work-Study program. IU has developed a sophisticated information system for community service work-study through its website, with links to community service agencies that allow students to apply for positions. Additionally, programs built into the website have simplified the administrative operations for tracking student hours and reporting payroll information.
Jan Nickless
Career Development Center & Arts and Sciences Career Services
Tufts University, Medford, Massachusetts
Tufts University has a unified structure for community service work-study that is coordinated by the Director of Student Employment. Recently the Director’s office conducted a focus group of community service personnel, community organizations, and business representatives to determine community needs and campus resources in order to realign its processes. Using this information, the Director of Student Employment developed a system for recruiting and maintaining community contacts and a system for recruiting and placing students in those organizations. For reporting, community supervisors fax or email student employment data to the Director, and records are produced monthly. These records are linked to the university’s payroll system and students are paid by direct deposit.
Joanne Grande
Director of Student Employment
Student Financial Services
