Benefits 

There are many benefits to hiring Co-op Students.  Some of the biggest benefits include:            

• Quick access to qualified potential workers before they graduate
• Students are highly motivated, bright, and eager to see the practical side of what they have learned in class
• Their schedules are usually flexible
• They join the work force at relatively low cost
• If hired after graduation, they are already trained
• They free other employees to pursue additional tasks

Procedures

• Contact the Co-op Office.  Located in the Office of Career Development, they are the first point of contact for matters involving student employment.  The Cooperative Education Program administers the program, collects resumes, schedules interviews, and ensures regulatory compliance.
• You may also contact the academic department that offers the majors corresponding to your needs to identify students with specific skills.
• Submit a job description for approval. The job description must include the approximate number of hours per week, the duration, to whom the student will report, the specific tasks to be performed, the skills a student needs before starting the job, what new skills they will acquire, and their wages if applicable.  Co-op positions must be career-oriented, hands-on, professional development positions.  They can be either part- time or full-time, during the school year or over the summer. They must allow for the student to accumulate a minimum of 150 contact hours.   Routine clerical tasks, jobs with little or no responsibility, or jobs without a training or professional development component will not be approved for co-op positions.  Click Here to Submit a Job Description.
• Select the Candidate.  Once approved for co-op credit the Co-op Office will forward resumes of interested students and assist in scheduling interviews.  It is the student’s responsibility to register for the Co-op course, show up on time, and do a good job.  Halfway through the semester the Co-op Office will forward an evaluation to the student’s supervisor.
• Complete the Performance Evaluation.  Since students receive academic credit for their Co-op experience, and evaluation is required.  A sample form is included in the appendix of the Handbook.

Responsibilities and Terms of Employment

The employer, as a partner in the Co-op program assumes responsibility for the fair and ethical treatment of the students it hires. 

In order to sponsor a co-op student from Niagara University each employer must agree to the conditions below:

1. Select students and assign jobs without regard to age, race, sex, national origin, religion, handicap, color, or marital status;
2. Designate an individual to supervise the student and to serve as liaison to the university;
3. Provide the student an assignment for at least 150 hours;
4. Pay a salary where applicable, which is consistent with the employer’s practices and policies;
5. Provide training experience and supervision for the student in order to complete the duties as outlined in the job description;
6. Cover the student in its worker’s compensation policy, where appropriate;
7. Notify the college immediately of any possible changes in the student’s job duties, supervisor, and/or disciplinary actions;
8. Evaluate the student during the semester on a form to be provided by the university and forward it to the Co-op Office; **
9. Comply with  the university‘s sexual harassment policy as outlined below;
10. Not require/request the student to use their personal auto to transport “clients” or perform business-related services on behalf of the employer without compensating the student for mileage, and including the student’s personal vehicle in the company’s insurance coverage; ***
11. Not require the student or the University to sign a Non-Indemnity/Hold Harmless Agreement as a condition of employment without the opportunity to consult with the University’s Risk Manager and legal counsel.

**____ The Federal Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) requires that any assessment of student performance be made available to students.  Employers are reminded that since students receive academic credit for Co-op experience then they have a right to see the evaluation completed by their work supervisor.

***_____ Positions requiring the use of the student’s privately owned vehicle are reviewed on a case-by-case basis, and must be approved by the university prior to the start of work.

To agree to the terms of employment, submit an e-mail indicating your name, company, and contact information and a statement indicating your agreement.  Click here to e-mail your agreement.  You may also contact Bob Swanson at 716-286-8530 if you have any questions.