General Description
Policy Summary:
Some University Sponsored Organization (USO) leaders receive payment for participation in one of six USO student organizations (Greek Council, Student Government Association, Student Programming Board, Trinity Diversity Connection, TU Student Ambassadors, and Trinity University Volunteer Action Committee). The primary duties of the student leader roles (elected or appointed leadership positions) are associated with the student’s participation in extracurricular activities as part of their broad educational experience at Trinity University. For FLSA purposes, these students are considered nonemployees. The descriptions for each compensated role are found in Appendix A.
Purpose:
This model intends to:
- Clarify the specific USO student leader roles that are compensated;
- State a formal nonemployee relationship between the student leader and the institution by providing information about the personal and professional leadership development components of the student leader role;
- Create a procedure and criteria for distributing non-wage stipends.
Policy Content
As a result of the work or duties performed by students in the following positions, the following student leader roles are eligible for non-wage stipends: See Appendix A.
- These roles include significant leadership responsibilities as key, high-level representatives of the organization(s);
- These roles meet weekly with a staff adviser for 1:1 meetings to review duties and progress toward goals;
- These roles receive direct mentoring from a staff adviser, including opportunities for or expectations of participation in professional development and regular feedback from the adviser as a mechanism for growth and development;
- These roles include the expectation of developing a resume and/or resume review by the staff adviser or by staff in the Center for Experiential Learning and Career Success;
- These roles participate in multiple trainings and/or conferences that support their personal and professional development as student leaders (e.g., collective USO student leader training once/year, organizational-specific training at least once/year, attendance at a regional or national conference);
- These roles meet on a monthly basis as a group to share insights, lessons learned, and to collaborate on initiatives or events.
- These roles must remain in good standing as defined by their respective USO or maintain a 2.5, or greater, GPA and not be in violation of the University’s student conduct policies (whichever set of expectations is greater). Each USO adviser is responsible for ensuring respective student leaders are in good standing during their tenure.
This section outlines the parameters for non-wage stipend payment:
- Payment will be made monthly in September, October, November in the fall semester and February, March, April in the spring semester. Payments will be considered Workday Period Activity Pay.
- Specific distribution dates will be established in collaboration with the Office of the Dean of Students and Payroll in the summer preceding each academic year.
- Students must complete Workday enrollment at least two weeks prior to the first distribution date in order to receive payment. This includes submitting I-9 paperwork to Human Resources (Northrup Hall 210) within three days of hire, completing direct deposit information, and providing a social security number, among possible other required paperwork items in Workday, as directed by Human Resources or Payroll.
- A staff member representing one of the USOs or administrative support staff in the Division of Student Affairs will be trained to set up student leaders in Workday to receive Activity Pay. This payment model mimics the process for the Trinity Americorps College Advisors.
- Stipend payment is subject to tax withdrawals; students receiving stipends will receive a W2.
- Stipends are typically considered a form of financial aid. In April of each year preceding their role, the Office of the Dean of Students will provide Student Financial Services with notice of the student leaders to receive a non-wage stipend and the specific amount.
- Non-wage stipends paid to students must be accounted for by the financial aid office. Receipt of such funds could impact other need-based aid if a student's financial need has been met through other sources.
- The total payment for each role within each USO varies by level of responsibility. The schedule for payments by semester is located in Appendix A.
- Payments will be paid directly from the Student Activity Fee (SAF) account or from individual USO accounts.
- The Student Leader Payment Model is retained by the Office of the Dean of Students and reviewed annually each summer by USO advisers, staff in Human Resources, and other relevant entities.
- Documentation related to the student leader experience (e.g., documentation of goals, resume on file, formal or informal performance review, training or conference agendas, etc.) is maintained in a shared Google folder. Each USO adviser is responsible for generating, documenting, and retaining the aforementioned documentation.
Terms & Definitions
Terms and Definitions:
|
Term: |
Definition: |
|---|---|
| University Sponsored Organizations (USO) | University Sponsored Organizations (USO): As defined in the FY2024-2025 Student Organization Handbook , “USOs at Trinity University are specifically charged by the University to advance goals aligned with the University’s mission and values or with purposes set forth in the University’s Statement on Student Rights and Responsibilities. Additionally, USOs have broad missions that address the needs of large groups of students. Because USOs support the University’s mission, the University hires full-time professional staff members to advise the groups and assure their sustainability over time. USO operations are funded with annual student activity fee allocations, and USOs receive tax-exempt status and legal protections based on their close relationship with the University. |
| Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) | The U.S. Department of Labor states that FLSA “establishes minimum wage, overtime pay, recordkeeping, and youth employment standards affecting employees in the private sector and in Federal, State, and local governments.” |
| Non-wage stipends | Non-wage stipends are a minimal form of payment to a student leader in relation to work or duties performed by students that are primarily for their benefit as a part of their participation in an extracurricular activity. As such, the student leaders are considered nonemployees. The practice of providing a non-wage stipend to student leaders in connection with their elected or appointed role is not uncommon at institutions of higher education. |
Revision Management
Revision History Log:
|
Revision #: |
Date: |
Recorded By: |
|---|---|---|
| v2.0 | 8/23/2024 3:50 PM | Pamela Mota |
| v1.0 | 8/14/2023 2:14 PM | Holly Warfel |
Vice President Approval:
|
Name: |
Title: |
|---|---|
| Andrew Wells | Vice President for Student Affairs |