UConn Employer Participation Policies and Guidelines

Thank you for your interest in hiring UConn students!

The Corporate Partner Relations Team at the Center for Career Readiness and Life Skills aligns with employers nationwide to assist with their recruiting goals at UConn. Our team connects organizations to 30,000+ students through various campus-wide events, programs and collaborations. We see ourselves as partners in your recruiting initiatives and celebrate your successes.

Our goal is to sustain meaningful relationships with our employers, by understanding your talent needs, creating student awareness of your opportunities, and connecting you to talented and career-ready Huskies. Through these partnerships we create rewarding internships, co-op and full-time opportunities for students.

The Center for Career Readiness and Life Skills is based at UConn Storrs campus and is active at all regional campuses: UConn Avery Point, UConn Hartford, UConn Stamford, and UConn Waterbury.For any questions, feel free to contact us at recruiting@uconn.edu

In This Guide

Employer Eligibility for Participation

Employer eligibility requirements and the criteria used to evaluate and approve employer participation, internships and co-ops, and full-time job opportunities.

• Criteria for Employer Participation
• Criteria for Internship & Co-op Approval
• Criteria for Full-time Job Approval

Recommendations for Employers Regarding Offers

Guidance and best-practice recommendations for employers when extending offers to UConn students to promote transparency, fairness, and positive recruiting outcomes.

Reporting General Concerns

Procedures for reporting general concerns, including how employers can raise issues about students or other matters, and how students can report concerns about employers.

• Process for Employers Reporting General Concerns
• Process for Employers Reporting General Concerns About a Student
• Process for Students Reporting General Concerns About an Employer

Employer Eligibility for Participation

The Center’s employer partners are carefully screened to ensure they are reputable and provide legitimate, degree-related opportunities that foster professional growth. All employers recruiting on campus or posting positions are required to complete the Career Center’s approval process through 12twenty using UConn’s customized link: uconn.12twenty.com/hire.

For more clarification on eligibility, please refer to Appendix A.

Criteria for Employer Participation

The Center for Career Readiness and Life Skills works with and provides services to selected employers who meet the approval process and agree to comply with the following policies and procedures:

1. To abide by all local, federal, and state laws.
   
2. Opportunities must be open to all students; and employers will not unlawfully discriminate against candidate recruiting, interviewing, or hiring. Employers are prohibited from discrimination in education, employment, and in the provision of services on the basis of protected group identity (unless there is a bona fide occupational qualification related to employment) or any other unlawful factor. In Connecticut, protected class characteristics include: race; color; religion; ethnicity; age; gender; marital status; national origin; ancestry; sexual orientation; genetic information; disabled veteran status; veteran status; physical or mental disabilities (including learning disabilities, or past/present history of a mental disorder); and prior conviction of a crime.
   
3. In accordance with the provisions of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, The[BC20.1][ML20.2][BC20.3] Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Age Discrimination Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, and the Federal and State laws and executive orders pertaining to civil rights, the University of Connecticut Center for Career Readiness and Life Skills prohibits discrimination in education, employment, and in the provision of services on account of race, ethnicity, religion, sex, age, marital status, national origin, ancestry, sexual orientation, disabled veteran status, physical or mental disability, and other specifically covered disabilities. University policy also prohibits discrimination in employment based on criminal records that are not related to the position being sought, and complies with all state and federal civil rights statutes, whether specifically cited within this statement or not. The Center for Career Readiness and Life Skills assumes that prospective employers utilizing the services of the Career Center, including attendance at career fairs and participation in on-campus recruiting activities, acknowledge the principle of equal opportunity for all students and alumni. It is expected also that their employment policies comply with the letter and the spirit of the law affording equal employment opportunities.
   
4. Employers interacting with 12twenty must abide by its privacy policies, as stated during the employer’s account creation.
   
5. All employer representatives of an organization will conduct themselves in a professional manner at all times at all university events. Employer representatives will be knowledgeable of the University Code of Conduct and agree to abide by those parameters when participating in university-sanctioned events on and off campus as well as at employer-sponsored events on and off campus.  Information about the University Code of Conduct may be found here.
   
6. To abide by the National Association of College and Employers (NACE) “Principles for Ethical Professional Practice and Ethics.” Employer representatives will be knowledgeable of the NACE Principles and agree to abide by those parameters when participating in university-sanctioned events on and off campus as well as at employer-sponsored events on and off campus. Information regarding the NACE Principles may be found here.
   
7. Under no circumstances will student information be disclosed other than for recruiting purposes, nor will it be sold or provided to other entities outside of the client, or clients, for whom the résumé is intended. If it is found that an organization is in violation of this policy, it is grounds for immediate dismissal from 12twenty and other services and events.
   
8. That the Center reserves the right to sever employer partnerships based on the criteria outlined in this policy without reserve.
   
9. Employer representatives must be professional in their demeanor with all university representatives at all times. Inappropriate behavior, including, but not limited to, yelling, coercion, threatening, or belligerent behavior may lead to the loss of that employer representative’s eligibility for participation in any on- or off- campus university events.
   
10. To engage in reputable business practices. Should there be a question concerning business practices, an investigation will be conducted within the Center. An opportunity will be given to the employer in question to provide the Center with documentation in writing of its business practices. The Center reserves the right to evaluate both the student and employer documentation in order to make a determination of future business relationships.
    
11. To provide students with internships, co-ops, and full-time job opportunities that meet criteria requiring those experiences to be career-related or professional opportunities that require a college degree or the pursuit thereof. Consideration will be given to career-related opportunities in specific fields that provide professional experiences in which a four-year degree may not be required.
    
12. To inform the Center for Career Readiness and Life Skills of any and all changes in writing, including, but not limited to, changes in individual company representatives, address, telephone numbers, location, or any other relevant contact information.
    
13. That Center makes no guarantee and will not be held responsible for a student’s suitability or performance.

Back to Top

Criteria for Internship and Co-op Approval

The criteria outlined below define how internships and co-ops are evaluated to ensure that all opportunities meet UConn minimum standards.

1. The opportunity must be career-related and use elements from a student’s college education.
   
2. The student will perform professional related tasks to include projects, presentations, and/or training. The opportunity may not be more than 25% administrative/clerical in nature.
   
3. The student will be introduced to and engaged in activities that are primary responsibilities of a given profession.
   
4. The student will be given opportunities to learn skills that are requisite of a given profession.
   
5. The assigned tasks and activities will be developmentally appropriate and meaningful for the advancement of an individual considering that field or occupation.
   
6. The work environment will be conducive to learning. The supervision will include mentoring and constructive feedback, allowing the student to develop as a new professional.
   
7. Employers recruiting at UConn must comply with all applicable federal and Connecticut anti-discrimination laws. Discrimination in employment, education, or services based on protected characteristics is prohibited, except where a bona fide occupational qualification applies. Protected characteristics include, but are not limited to, race, color, religion, age, gender, national origin, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, marital status, genetic information, and prior criminal conviction. (Source: Connecticut Fair Employment Practices Act (CFEPA), Conn. Gen. Stat. §§ 46a-51 – 46a-104, enforced by the Connecticut Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities (CHRO).
   
8. The Department of Labor has set rules about defining an intern and a volunteer, and compensation. Please review theserules to determine your organization’s compliance with the Federal Labor Standards Act (FLSA). Though internship experiences can be paid or unpaid, all for-profit organizations are encouraged to find a way to offer a base hourly amount (at least minimum wage) or a stipend (a fixed sum of money paid periodically to defray expenses).  Unpaid internships in the U.S. are subject to scrutiny by the Department of Labor and the Courts. When a for-profit organizations plan to offer an unpaid internship, employers are to review the guidelines in the US Department of Labor, Fair Labor Standards Act (FSLA) or the 2nd Appeals Court (applicable to CT, NY, and VT), to ensure liability compliance.  NACE: Legal Issues: Internships provides guidance on this and other topics.

For more information, please visit UConn Employer Off Campus Internship and Co-op Guide.

Back to Top

Criteria for Full-time Job Approval

The criteria outlined below define how full-time jobs are evaluated to ensure that all opportunities meet UConn minimum standards.

1. The opportunity must be career-related and use elements from a student’s college education.
   
2. A college degree must be required. Consideration will be given to career-related opportunities in specific fields that provide professional experience for which a four-year degree may not be required.
   
3. The opportunity should exist for the job to serve as a building block for advancing in a given field by providing skills and experience requisite for that field.
   
4. There should be no expenses incurred by the applicant in order to be employed.
   
5. Opportunities must be open to all students. Employers are prohibited from discrimination in education, employment, and in the provision of services on the basis of protected group identity (unless there is a bona fide occupational qualification related to employment) or any other unlawful factor. In Connecticut, protected class characteristics include: race; color; religion; ethnicity; age; gender; marital status; national origin; ancestry; sexual orientation; genetic information; disabled veteran status; veteran status; physical or mental disabilities (including learning disabilities, past/present history of a mental disorder); and prior conviction of a crime.
   
6. The Center for Career Readiness and Life Skills reviews the web sites and job descriptions of all organizations participating in the Center’s programs or services. The Center reserves the right to contact the organization and request additional information to evaluate whether the opportunity meets the aforementioned criteria. If there are any questions regarding the validity of the criteria, the Center reserves the right to refuse the organization access to any program or service. Companies may appeal the decision by the section “Process for Reporting Concerns” outlined in section VIII.

Back to Top

Recommendations for Employers Regarding Extending Offers

The guidance and best-practice recommendations below promote transparency, fairness, and positive recruiting outcomes when employers extend offers to UConn students.

• The Center for Career Readiness and Life Skills requires that employers supply accurate information regarding their organization, employment opportunities, and compensation packages when extending an offer. Employing organizations are responsible for information supplied and commitments made by their representatives. Employers are also bound by individual state laws to disclose salary or salary ranges. See your individual state for specific requirements.
  
• The Center for Career Readiness and Life Skills does not have specific restrictions on when offers may be extended. We do ask that employers communicate decisions to candidates within a reasonable time frame and communicate that time frame to the candidates.
  
• Employers are expected to refrain from putting any undue pressure on candidates to accept a job (including, but not limited to, rescinding an offer if it is not accepted in less than a two-week time frame) and from rescinding an offer after it has been accepted. The Center reserves the right to end partnerships with organizations that rescind offers after student acceptance without extenuating circumstances, as defined by the Center.
  
• Employers may not offer anything of value in direct exchange for a student application or interview. Items of value shall be defined as having a market value in excess of $50. This shall not include costs associated with transportation or accommodations for an interview.

Back to Top

Reporting General Concerns

There are procedures for reporting general concerns, including how employers can raise issues about students or other matters, and how students can report concerns about employers.

Process for Employers Reporting General Concerns

The Department welcomes you to share with us any concerns you may have pertained to recruiting on campus. Listed below are the recommended steps to bring a concern to our attention. Please provide your concern via email to the Director, Corporate Partner Relations at recruiting@uconn.edu. Concerns should be outlined as concisely as possible so we may garner a full understanding of the issue.

The following actions will be taken to fully research your concern and address the issue:

1. The matter will be fully investigated by the Director, Corporate Partner Relations (CPR) and team associates.
   
2. After review, the CPR team will discuss the concern and possible means to address or resolve the issue. Depending on the complexity of the concern, the CPR team may decide to escalate the issue to the Executive Director and the Leadership Team of the Center, or if it is concerning a student, the Dean of Students.
   
3. As a determination is made, the CPR Director will provide to the employer in writing the decided course of action that was prescribed to resolve the concern.

Back to Top

Process for Employer Reporting Concerns About a Student

Employers have the right to direct concerns about a student to the Center’s attention. The following is the course of action that may be taken:

1. Employers must provide in writing any concerns about a student to the Director, Corporate Partner Relations. The matter will be fully investigated by the Director and the Corporate Partner Relations (CPR) team.
   
2. The student in question will be notified that a concern has been filed with the Center and will be asked to provide their interpretation of the circumstances in writing to the CPR Director for review. Due to FERPA and student privacy laws, the correspondence between the Center and student cannot be shared with anyone else.
   
3. After review, the CPR team will discuss the concern and possible means to address or resolve the issue. Depending on the complexity of the concern, the team may decide to escalate the issue to the Executive Director, Center for Career Readiness and Life Skills and/or the Dean of Students, if the student has broken a Code of Conduct within the University.
   
4. As a determination is made the CPR Director will provide to the employer and student in writing the course of action prescribed to resolve the concern.
   
5. Any decisions or actions taken by an employer during the student’s time of employment are up to the discretion and policies of the workplace, as agreed to by the student. This includes a student breaking workplace code of conduct, contracts, or policies.

Back to Top

Process for Students Reporting Concerns About an Employer

Students have the right to direct concerns about an employer to the Center’s attention. The following is the course of action that may be taken:

1. Students must provide in writing any concerns about an employer to the Director, Corporate Partner Relations. The matter will be fully investigated by the Director and the Corporate Partner Relations (CPR) team.
   
2. Depending on the severity of the complaint, the Center for Career Readiness and Life Skills reserves the right to block the employer immediately from programs, services, or events until an investigation occurs.
   
3. The employer in question will be notified that a concern has been filed with the Center and will be asked to provide their interpretation of the circumstances in writing to the Director for review.
   
4. After review, the CPR team will discuss the concern and possible means to address or resolve the issue. Depending on the complexity of the concern, the team may decide to escalate the issue to the Associate Vice Provost and Executive Director, Center for Career Readiness and Life Skills.
   
5. As a determination is made the CPR Director will provide to the employer in writing the course of action prescribed to resolve the concern.
   
6. The student who initially raised the concern will receive in writing the resolution to the concern from the CPR Director.
   
7. The Center reserves the right to deny employers access to programs, services, or events at any time should there be any reasonable doubt about the business or employment practices of any employer or representative of the employer. Depending on the severity of the student complaint, this revocation may occur prior to any investigation.

Back to Top

Appendix A: Employer Eligibility Matrix

Back to Top