Office of Academic Services
Adviser Guide

CPO Box 2205
110 Lincoln Hall
Berea, Kentucky 40404
Phone: 859-985-3208
Fax: 859-985-3918 or 3921

Office Hours:
M–F, 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.

Contact:

The Labor Program
 

Every student holds a part-time job in some aspect of the College’s operations. Satisfactory completion of the labor assignment is as much a College requirement as is academic work. Each student is paid both directly by payroll check and indirectly through a labor grant credited toward the cost of a Berea College education.

The concept of work-learning is fundamental to the philosophy of Berea College, where the educational program is a life experience that includes the performance of work. Student labor has been a part of the Berea program since 1859, and is essential to virtually every aspect of the operation of Berea College.

It is central to the financial-aid program for students, the economics of the college, and the social and educational experiences of all students. The purposes of the Labor Program, as approved by the Faculty, are student-centered learning, service to the college and larger community, and doing necessary work well.

[See Tools: A Guide to the Berea College Labor Program for more information about the Labor Program.]

First-Year Student’s Labor Assignment

The learning that takes place in the first year at Berea is as important as the more advanced skills training and potential development available later in progressively more responsible jobs. First-year students are placed in jobs through the Labor Program Office based on qualifications submitted through the Job Assignment Questionnaire (JAQ). Many new students will work in basic campus service positions. In such jobs, students learn a good deal about self-discipline, attitudes toward serving others, ability to deal with others, the value of establishing a good work record, and much more. Each April after the initial placement, students are eligible to request a change in labor positions for the following year by submitting applications/resumes and interviewing for the new position, as they would in an off-campus setting.

General Labor Policies

Through work experience, students are expected to develop good work habits and attitudes, gain understanding of their own skills and interests, exercise creativity and initiative, and develop responsibility and confidence. Students are accountable for meeting work schedules, fulfilling contracted hours (10, 12 or 15 hours per week through the end of the term), and performing according to the standards and needs of their labor department. In addition to the contracted hours supervised at the department level, the Labor Program Office centrally monitors a probationary level of work. Students who fail to complete the indicated number of hours will be placed on labor probation for one full term, and may be suspended if performance does not improve during that time. Probationary cut-offs are as follows: 140 hours for Fall or Spring Term, 40 hours for Short Term, and 80 hours for Summer School. This cut-off represents a minimum standard of work, but students are expected to exceed the probationary level by working their required contract hours. This and other policies are outlined in detail in Tools: A Guide to the Berea College Labor Program. 

Advisers typically will have firsthand experience with the Labor Program as supervisors of teaching assistants and laboratory assistants. However, the variety of job content and work settings, both on and off campus, make it difficult for academic advisers to know about all of the opportunities available. Advisers are encouraged to learn more about these settings and their potential for providing enhanced educational experiences for their advisees.

Guidelines for Labor Overloads

To carry a labor overload, a student must have the approval of appropriate Labor and Financial Aid personnel, the adviser, and the present labor supervisor. A labor overload is defined as sixteen (16) or more hours of labor per week during any regular term and may not be approved retroactively. Labor overloads are limited to students classified as sophomores, juniors, or seniors who:

  1. are enrolled in less than five (5) course credits with no more than seven (7) preparations;
  2. have at least a 2.50 GPA, both cumulative and for the previous regular term; (Note: The required 2.50 cumulative GPA may be waived if a 3.00 GPA or better is earned during the previous regular term.)
  3. are not on probation of any kind; and
  4. are meeting the requirements for “Satisfactory Academic Progress.”

Approval criteria may be waived in cases where students are required to work an overload in order to receive housing or childcare assistance.  Permission for an overload may be revoked if midterm grades are less than satisfactory.

A student may not carry more than 20 hours without special approval of the above individuals, and the Student Admission and Academic Standing (SAAS) Committee. To be considered, the student must demonstrate clearly that he or she is meeting the criteria for “Satisfactory Academic Progress.” The student must have attained at least junior status; have a 3.00 GPA in the major, overall, and for the previous term; and be carrying less than five (5) course credits. All overload permissions are reviewed mid-year to determine continued eligibility.