Employer Policies

The Foundation: Employer Policies & Professional Conduct

The services and programs of the Center for Career Development and Internships (CDI) have been developed in accordance with the Principles for Professional Conduct established by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE). Employers using services and/or facilities of the Center for campus interviewing, employment listings, candidate referral, career fairs and/or information group meetings are expected to follow these guidelines. All employers must abide by Equal Opportunity Employment and Americans with Disabilities Act guidelines. Additional policies include, but are not limited to

Employers must provide valid contact information including an organizational e-mail account. Personal e-mail addresses (Yahoo, Gmail, Hotmail, etc.) will not be authorized to use CDI services. The only exception is if the company name is listed at the beginning of the e-mail address, and that e-mail address is listed on the company website and/or used as the "contact us" e-mail for the organization.
Employers must provide a brick-and-mortar location for centralized company operations; a residential or PO Box address provided for the business and/or point of contact will not be accepted, unless the opportunity is posted as a virtual internship (see "Virtual Internship Policy")
All marketing material must be approved by the CDI. We reserve the right close employer’s accounts in Handshake and restrict access if there is a violation.
The CDI reserves the right to deny a posting, contact access, and terminate an employer account at any time.
All companies who recruit Winthrop students or alumni, either on- or off-campus, should be aware of, and adhere to, our recruiting policies. The CDI staff is happy to help you with any questions or to address any concerns that a company might have about these policies. A company that fails to abide by these policies may be penalized with the loss of priority scheduling status, restriction on student and event access, and cancelation of on-campus events.
The CDI allows organizations utilizing a co-working space (such as WeWork, Industrial Parks, Hygge, etc.) to register for accounts in Handshake. Each organization must provide the address of your co-working location and agree to update the CDI on any changes to your location.

Non-Discrimination Policy

Winthrop University prohibits discrimination and harassment against any person on the basis of race, color, religion, age, national origin, physical or mental disability, political affiliation, veteran status, genetic information, sex, sexual orientation, gender expression, or gender identity in its programs and activities, and in its employment and educational decisions. The CDI observes this policy and requires all employers to comply with applicable laws and regulations related to non-discrimination.

The Following Exceptions Apply to Posting Positions

Multi-level or pyramid marketing opportunities will not be accepted.
Positions for which the work assignment is in a private residence or a residential or PO Box address is provided for the business and/or point of contact, will not be accepted. This also applies to start-up organizations that would require a brick-and-mortar location for centralized company operations.
Positions related to in-home care or in-home employment with private individuals will not be accepted (including babysitting, senior companions, housekeeping, yard work, etc.). Positions of this type will only be listed through a licensed and bonded business or agency.
Positions requiring students to pay money upfront or fees to be employed will not be accepted. This DOES NOT including professional licensure fees that may need to be covered by the employee (e.g., insurance licensing fees to sell insurance, etc.).
Positions that violate copyright or intellectual property guidelines will not be accepted.
Positions soliciting organ donations, blood donations, or clinical drug trials or studies will not be accepted.
Positions soliciting illegal or fraudulent activities will not be accepted.
Marijuana/Cannabis Industries: The CDI will not accept positions related to the use or distribution of recreational or medical marijuana. As the use of marijuana is illegal at the federal level, and Winthrop University receives federal funds, we must comply with federal law. In addition, the use of marijuana violates the Drug-Free Schools and Campuses Act and continues to be banned on campus.
Third-Party Organizations recruiting for international positions, or International Third Party Organizations, will not be allowed to post opportunities in the system.

Expectations For Students Regarding Offer Consideration, Negotiation and Acceptance

The CDI counsels students and alumni to conduct an ethical job search. Students and alumni are urged to cease their job search upon accepting an offer. They are highly encouraged, when provided with an offer, to ask the offering employer for time to consider the offer. If the offering employer is not the student’s “first choice” employer, the student is encouraged to contact any "first choice" employer(s) they have engaged and inform the “first choice” employer(s) that they have another offer.

When contacting a “first choice” employer about an offer from another employer, students are encouraged to indicate that they have another offer and inquire about their candidacy and the “first choice” employer’s timeframe. This inquiry might result in an offer for a student or advice for a student to take another offer. Students are also counseled that they can try to negotiate more time with employers to consider outstanding offers. Students and alumni should not accept an offer until they have made such contact and are satisfied working for the employer whose offer they choose to accept.

Winthrop expects any student or alumni accepting a job offer to honor their commitment to the accepted position and company. Our office will not tolerate reneging on offers, as this not only affects the individual student's relationship with the affected company, but also that of their classmates and the institution. As a result, students and alumni who renege on an accepted offer will be subject to a number of penalties, as deemed appropriate by the CDI.

Acceptance Expectation of International Students

International students are counseled to know that if they accept an offer for CPT via the CDI or the International Center and submit and application, initiating the Work Authorization process through the CDI and International Center, they will not be issued another authorization if they renege on an opportunity. Upon accepting an offer and securing Work Authorization, their job search is to cease.

Employer Branding & Recruiting

The CDI encourages employers to think of unique and exciting ways to engage students and build brand awareness on-campus. We are happy to work with you to maximize and customize your recruitment strategy.

Recruiting events are defined as any activity where company-specific information is provided including, but not limited to, details about company culture and opportunities. Events include tabling Policies/Procedures (pdf — 314 kb).

Career Fairs

The CDI invites employer organizations to register for career fairs and recruiting events provided they meet the following basic criteria:

The organization has or expects to have one or more bona fide internship, co-op, part-time, temporary/seasonal, or full-time opportunities of a professional nature.
The organization must meet all of the CDI’s employer requirements and must have an approved employer account in Handshake.
The CDI reserves the right to deny access and participation in career fairs and recruiting events to any organization.
All decisions concerning registration of companies and organizations are made at the CDI’s sole discretion.

Internships

The CDI, through its Handshake recruiting system, serves as a “clearinghouse” for collecting and distributing postings of all internships for the entire University in order to provide a fair and equitable way for all students to access opportunities.

Internships

The Employer Relations Team will review internship descriptions for the following criteria:

The experience must be an extension of the classroom: a learning experience provides for applying the knowledge a regular employee would routinely perform.
The skills or knowledge learned must be transferrable to other employment settings.
The experience has a defined beginning and end and a job description with desired qualifications.
There are clearly defined learning objectives /goals related to the professional goals of the student's academic course of study.
There is supervision by a professional with expertise, educational, and/or professional background in the field.
There is routine feedback by the experienced supervisor.
There are resources, equipment, and facilities provided by the host employer that support learning objectives/goals.

Additional Guidelines for Unpaid Internships

Employers providing unpaid internships may advertise on Handshake; however, the position description must adhere to U.S. Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division standards for Internship Programs under the Fair Labor Standards Act. The CDI equires an internship to be a minimum of 80 hours/5 weeks in length in a semester for consideration.

Virtual Internships

Many internships posted for Winthrop students are in-person internships. While the professional environment provides a unique and important learning experience for students, the CDI recognizes that there are some wonderful virtual opportunities for students to gain valuable experience and connections. With this in mind, if you are interested in posting a virtual internship for a student, the following criteria must be met.

The word “virtual” must be included in the job title. (e.g., “Virtual Research Internship”)
All position descriptions must meet internship criteria and standards specified by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) and the Fair Labor Standards Act.
The organization must be an established business or nonprofit. For proof of status, the organization should provide evidence of a physical location, website, history of offering paid employment, listed telephone number, tax ID number, etc.
A virtual space for managing projects, workflow and saving work product must be available to the student. This could be in the form of Google Docs or any other “cloud” computing software. The student should not save work material to a personal computer.
A regularly scheduled e-mail report (weekly, at minimum) which includes progress, hours worked, issues encountered and any questions for the supervisor.
Weekly virtual meetings via Skype or similar software. On the rare occasion when this is not possible, at a minimum, a phone call should be scheduled to accommodate the meeting.
If a hosting organization is not far from Winthrop University and the employer has posted a virtual internship, allowing the student to work from campus, the employer must meet with the student in a public setting throughout the course of the virtual internship. This meeting cannot occur in a private residence or secluded space.

Job Postings

The CDI allows employers interested in posting positions to recruit Winthrop students and alumni to post the following types of opportunities:

Full-time Jobs (both those requiring a degree and those not requiring a degree)
Part-time Jobs
Temporary and Seasonal
Internships (paid/unpaid)

Guidelines

Must have current or anticipated job openings for currently enrolled college students or alumni.
Must be a licensed business.
Must agree not to discriminate in any manner on the basis of sex, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, actual or perceived gender identity, age, national origin, physical or mental disability, political affiliation, veteran status, or genetic information, and will comply with all Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) and affirmative action laws, ordinances, and executive, administrative, or judicial regulations, orders, and decrees applicable to the employer or to the University.
Employers with virtual opportunities must define the working location of the student (refer to Exceptions Apply to Posting Opportunities below).
If the opportunity is a virtual internship opportunity, please refer to the Policy on Internships and Co-ops.
Multi-level or pyramid marketing opportunities will not be accepted.
All organizations, including start-ups, are required to have a brick and mortar location for centralized company operations. Co-working spaces will be accepted if the organization provides the address of the co-working space/building and it can be verified. Positions for which the work assignment is in a private residence or a residential or PO Box address is provided for the business and/or point of contact, will not be accepted.
Positions related to in-home care or in-home employment with private individuals will not be accepted (including babysitting, senior companions, housekeeping, yard work, etc.). Positions of this type will only be listed through a licensed and bonded business or agency.
Positions requiring students to pay money upfront or fees to be employed will not be accepted. This DOES NOT including professional licensure fees that may need to be covered by the employee (e.g., insurance licensing fees to sell insurance, etc.).
Positions that violate copyright or intellectual property guidelines will not be accepted.
Positions soliciting organ donations, blood donations, or clinical drug trials or studies will not be accepted.
Positions soliciting illegal or fraudulent activities will not be accepted.
Marijuana/Cannabis Industries: The CDI will not accept positions related to the use or distribution of recreational or medical marijuana. As the use of marijuana is illegal at the federal level, and Winthrop receives federal funds, we must comply with federal law. In addition, the use of marijuana violates the Drug-Free Schools and Campuses Act and continues to be banned on campus.
Third-Party Organizations recruiting for international positions, or International Third Party Organizations, will not be allowed to post opportunities in the system.

The CDI reserves the right to deny a posting, discontinue access, and terminate an employer account at any time.

Hiring International Students / Curricular Practical Training (CPT)

Curricular Practical Training refers to employment that is related to a student’s major field of study and is required as part of the student’s degree program, is necessary to fulfill a course requirement, or otherwise is an integral component of the student's curriculum for which academic credit is required. Curricular Practical Training (CPT) is only available to F-1 visa students who are enrolled as a full-time student for at least nine consecutive months. The only exception is for graduate students who must begin a required practicum or internship immediately upon entering their Program of Study.

CPT can be authorized for part-time employment (20 hours per week or less) or full-time employment (more than 20 hours per week). Students who accumulate one year or more of full-time CPT are not eligible for Optional Practical Training (a separate program), which is usually authorized after the completion of a degree program. Authorization for CPT must be renewed each semester a student wishes to continue employment. (Students are only allowed to work 20 hours/week when they are enrolled full-time.) Summer internships may be 40 hours/week. The physical location of employment may not exceed a radius of 1-1.5 hour(s) drive time from the University (except in summer).

The CDI requires 5 business days to review work authorization requests from the date the student accurately completes their submission in Handshake. The International Center will require an additional 5 business days (for a total of 10 business days) to review and approve a student's opportunity and issue a new I-20 or DS-2019.

To apply for CPT, a student will require a written job offer letter (on company letterhead) containing the prospective CPT employer’s name, CPT job title, semester start and end dates of employment, number of hours, and physical location of employment.

Student Right To Privacy (FERPA)

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA) applies to any school that receives federal funding. Students consent to make their resumes available to recruiters through Handshake and are intended only for the purpose of recruiting for approved positions by an employer.

Commission Based Jobs

Employers using the CDI’s services by posting opportunities in Handshake will offer hourly or base salaries for positions. A draw against future earnings does not constitute a salary.

Employers with commission-based opportunities must adhere to the following:

Employers offering various commission-based positions may post job listings through the CDI’s Handshake database provided the position is a full-time, post-graduate career opportunity.
Disclose that compensation is based partially or solely on commission in the “Salary Level” section of the posting and restate this in the job description. If compensation is partially commission based, the percentage MUST be included.
If no initial base salary is provided, the form of remuneration (or compensation) must be clearly stated in the job description posted through Handshake.
The position does not require that any part of the compensation be associated with recruiting others.
No commission-based part-time or internship positions will be posted that seeks to employ undergraduate or current students of Winthrop University.

P.O. Boxes, Private Residences and Domestic Positions Policy

An employer that posts opportunities and recruits with the CDI, must have a brick and mortar location. Employers who have P.O. Boxes or list their home address as their business location will not be approved to recruit or post opportunities with the CDI. If an organization is working in a co-working space, the organization must indicate this on the employer registration form in Handshake and update the CDI as to any change of locations status.

The CDI does not permit posting positions that require students to work out of a private residence. The student may do virtual work out of his/her own residence (see virtual policies and best practices), but the student cannot be required to report to his/her employer/supervisor’s private residence.

Exploding Offers and Best Practices For Student Offer Consideration

Winthrop University strongly encourages employers to consider recommendations from NACE and The Principles Committee when extending student offers, particularly internship offers, by providing a reasonable timeframe in which students can respond to offers. NACE and The Principles Committee “believe that providing sufficient time for students to evaluate the employment opportunities offered to them allows them to make the wisest decisions for all concerned, creating a positive experience for candidates and employers, and ultimately reducing renege and attrition rates” (NACE, 2017).

Third-Party Employers

According to the National Association of College’s and Employers (NACE) Principles for Professional Practice, third-party employers are defined as agencies, organizations, or individuals recruiting candidates for temporary, part-time, or full-time employment opportunities other than for their own needs. This includes entities that refer or recruit for profit or not for profit, and it includes agencies that collect student information to be disclosed to employers for purposes of recruitment and employment.

Third-Party Employer Services

Winthrop University's Center for Career Development and Internships policy states that third-party employers who contract to recruit on behalf of client organizations or for their own internal positions are permitted to utilize the following recruitment services offered by the CDI:

Approved third-party employers may post positions online in Handshake. All position fees must be paid by the employer, and no financial investment or payment may be required by student or alumni for employment. Third-party employers must disclose in Handshake the name of the organization and position(s) that is being recruited for; this information will be viewable by CDI staff only (not students or alumni).
- Third-party organizations recruiting for international positions, or international third-party organizations, will not be allowed to post opportunities in the system.
Approved third-party employers may participate in the on-campus interview program providing:
- You must submit an interview schedule through Handshake and link a job posting to the schedule
The use of on-campus recruiting space for interviews is only open to Winthrop students and alumni. Employers may not interview members of the public on campus.

If a third-party employer would like to register with the CDI, the organization must adhere to our guidelines, policies, and national best practices listed and described in the Center for Career Development and Internships Employer Policies Manual and NACE Principles for Professional Practice. Any organization that violates these principles will have their recruiting privileges revoked.