Here are a few suggestions based on what has worked in the Cook, Kuhlman, and Strahl labs.

General Philosophy

Our philosophy is that work-study students should have plenty of work to fill their time productively, but not so much that their job is stressful.  Communicate well with students to find the right amount of work, given their allotted work-study time.

Scheduling

Almost without exception, work-study students succeed best when they have a set weekly work schedule (which can be adjusted later if necessary). Our experience has shown that students do not generally thrive without this basic structure. Set up an appropriate schedule for each student right at the beginning of each semester, ideally in time for students to begin working their normal schedules during the first week of classes. In part, this involves figuring the average number of hours they should work each week so they will use up all of their work study money by the end of the year.

Tell students that, as with any job, they should never be absent for a shift without communicating with their supervisor, the day before if possible. Make clear that sick days should be exceedingly rare.

Timecards

This may be the students’ first work-study job, or first job for that matter, so you may need to explain to them how to clock in and out. Instructions on how to use UNC’s Time Information Management (TIM) system can be found here. Anytime a student works more than 6 hours straight he or she must sign out in TIM for at least a 30-minute break; this is a human resources requirement. Emphasize to the students the importance of not missing time stamps because constantly correcting timesheets can be burdensome to their TIM supervisor.

Training Performing Specific Jobs

Invariably, work-study students work best if they have a clear-cut set of responsibilities that are clearly articulated. It may be helpful to list them specifically in writing. In the Cook, Kuhlman, and Strahl labs, initial training of new students is generally assigned to a senior undergraduate lab member who has already mastered the relevant tasks. The lab manager will facilitate this connection. Tell the students they should also take initiative in their training; if they don’t know how to do something, they should ask one of the lab members to show them.

In the Cook, Kuhlman, and Strahl labs, the lab manager does a second round of training, going over each student’s responsibilities carefully with them.  At this point, each student is certified by the lab manager to use the autoclaves and dishwasher independently.

Ongoing Supervision

Check in with the students periodically regarding their classes and exams. Let them know we can tweak their work-study schedules so we can help them succeed in the classroom. This is a very high priority. We will do anything reasonable to facilitate this.

Encourage students to get to know the other lab members as they work so that they feel fully integrated into their lab. Let them know that they are welcome to attend weekly lab meetings and other lab events.

This recommended Work Study Evaluation Form can be a helpful tool in the supervision of students. (If this link is broken, navigate to https://unc.studentemployment.ngwebsolutions.com/cimages/2019_WS_Eval_Form.pdf.)

Further Support

Letters of recommendation can be very helpful for students applying for a full-time job or graduate school. Consider offering this to the students doing a good job without them having to ask. Students can also benefit from LinkedIn recommendations or even just permission to list you as a reference for future jobs.

Let the students know that there are opportunities for advancement in our labs. This is, of course, not required; some students just need a place to earn their money. But a possible work-study career in our labs involves performing supporting tasks the first year followed in subsequent years by research at the bench, often in a research-for-credit course. Several of our students have earned secondary authorship on papers.  The Cook, Kuhlman, and Strahl labs have a record of supporting successful work-study students obtaining great post-graduate jobs, and admissions to graduate, medical, and dental schools.