Supervisor Resources

Summer Employment

This page brings together key information for summer employment, including hiring, student job posting, onboarding, payroll, pre-employment requirements, and common questions for both employees and supervisors.

At a glance

Summer employment window
Summer employment is expected to run between May 9, 2026 and August 25, 2026.
Summer employees
Summer employees are at-will and hold positions expected to work only between May and August.
Need a position beyond summer?
If the role will continue outside May through August, contact HR to review whether a different position type is more appropriate.

Ready to hire for Summer 2026?

Complete this form once the employee and pay rate have already been identified.

Hiring a summer employee
2026 Summer Staff Hiring Form

Types of summer positions

University student summer employee
Current undergraduate and seminary students may be hired for summer positions.
Incoming Fall 2026 students may also be hired as summer student employees.
Students graduating on May 10, 2026 should be hired as non-student summer staff.
Non-university student summer staff
This category applies to people who are not current Sewanee students.
Recent graduates also fall into this category.

Looking for summer work

Students looking for summer employment
Conference Services
Career readiness and student success resources for resumes and cover letters
Handshake for student job postings and applications
Department or professor outreach
Louis Rice at Abbo’s Alley
Friends and personal connections
Non-students looking for summer employment
Conference Services
Louis Rice at Abbo’s Alley
Grounds

HR does not maintain a seasonal employee pool.

Posting a summer student job

Start by preparing a job description that outlines the role and responsibilities. Once that is ready, post the opportunity using the link below.

Post a job opportunity

Important notes
After the posting deadline, a PDF bundle of applications will be emailed for review.
If you want a different method for receiving applications, contact Career Readiness and Student Success.
This process does not run through HR directly.
Questions about Handshake should go to Shanna Abramson in Career Readiness and Student Success.
If you want to post a non-student summer position, contact HR.

Pre-employment requirements

Prescreening
The University partners with Data Screening for prescreening requirements.
Prescreening costs are charged to the budget org listed in the hiring request.
All staff hires who have not worked for the University within six months of their start date must complete required prescreening.
Current University students usually do not complete prescreening, except where Protection of Minors requirements apply.
We cannot request background checks for anyone under age 18.
If a staff hire under age 18 requires a drug screen, a parent must accompany the minor.
University students are never drug screened.
Protection of Minors (POM)
Chris Smith in Risk Management manages the Protection of Minors policy.
The program director or manager is responsible for determining whether the program or position falls under POM requirements.
Background screening is always required for POM roles.
Drug screening is required if the employee will be alone with minors, unsupervised, or staying overnight with minors.
University students are not drug screened, but may still require background screening for POM roles.
ADA
Student Accessibility Services contact: Diane Dekker
Human Resources contact: Brian Evans

Onboarding for all summer employees

All summer employees must complete the following new hire forms with Human Resources before or on their start date:

W-4
Direct Deposit
Form I-9, sent by email through I9 Complete

Section 2 of Form I-9 must be completed in person in the HR office with required documentation.

Form I-9 acceptable documents

International summer students
International students in F-1 and J-1 status may work during the summer if they meet visa requirements. Before beginning work, they must complete tax documentation through Glacier, which helps determine their W-4 and tax status. Unlike the academic year, summer work is not limited to a specific weekly hour cap.

Barbara Schloss, Payroll Specialist, can help with international tax questions.

Pay and time

How do I get paid?
Make sure HR has the correct direct deposit information.
Submit your approved timesheet.
Keep an address on file in HR in case a check needs to be mailed.
If you are not submitting time in Banner, use a printed timesheet.
If you are entering time in Banner, use the time entry instructions.
You can also visit the payroll website for more resources.
Paying summer employees
Summer employees are paid on the bi-weekly payroll schedule.
Supervisors and hiring managers must approve hours on a paper timesheet or in Banner each pay period.

FAQs

How is overtime calculated?
Overtime is calculated on hours worked over 40 in a workweek and is paid at time and a half. If an employee works multiple summer jobs and their combined hours exceed 40 in a workweek, overtime is distributed proportionately across the positions’ budgets.
How do I know if a student is cleared to work?
Ask the student whether they have completed HR onboarding requirements, and verify work authorization through the secure student directory.
Where should new employees complete their new hire forms?
New hires should complete forms through Dynamic Forms using links provided by HR. They must also complete Section 2 of the Form I-9 in person in the HR office.
Is summer hiring a separate process, even if someone worked during the academic year or in the same position?
Yes. All summer employees must be hired for each summer season.
Can HR tell me what I can pay a summer employee based on my budget?
No. HR does not track departmental budgets and cannot tell you when you are approaching budget limitations.

Summer Hiring Contact

Leah Smith, C'26

HR Administrator

For questions regarding all summer employment, please contact Leah Smith at lesmith@sewanee.edu.