Allocation Process
During the Fall term, the Work College Program Office begins the allocation process for the upcoming summer and academic year. The Program Office reviews each department's utilization over the past three years and typically sends departments a preliminary placement based on that history. Departments can then review this placement and provide additional context or rationale if they need more students. Departments may also reduce their allocation if they believe they have more positions than needed.
In some years, the Program Office conducts a zero-based allocation instead. In these years, departments are asked to set aside their current allocation and start with the learning itself: reviewing the work-learning opportunities within their department and, from a learning-first perspective, determining how many roles are genuinely needed to support meaningful student development.
The Systems and Operations Coordinator performs preliminary calculations. The Dean for the Work College Program then reviews these calculations and meets individually with each divisional Vice President to discuss allocation requests and adjustments for the upcoming academic year.
Starting with the 2027-2028 allocation process, secondary allocations will no longer be available. Departments that have relied on secondary allocations to meet supplemental needs should plan accordingly, as this option will be phased out. This change reflects a shift toward a more sustainable, learning-focused allocation model, in which each student's primary position is the central and consistent site of their work-learning experience.
It is important to note that a portion of the total allocation is always reserved for community service-oriented positions. This reflects a core part of the program's mission and is also a requirement of the Federal Work Study Program and the Work Colleges Program.
Budget
The number of available positions each year is determined by anticipated student enrollment and the overall program budget. The College works to maintain an even ratio of students to primary positions, so that budgets can be managed effectively and positions can be reliably filled. Because of this ratio, additional positions cannot be added to one department without creating vacancies in another, and requests submitted after allocations are finalized are typically denied unless the circumstances are genuinely exceptional.
Flexible Support Team
Departments sometimes have short-term production or service needs that their regular student team cannot meet. In these cases, supervisors may request temporary support through the Flexible Support Team. This designation allows a student to work up to ten additional hours in another department for a short period, without interrupting their regular position. Students on the Flexible Support Team are paid from the receiving department's regular budget at $10.50 per hour.
Supervisors interested in using the Flexible Support Team should contact the Operations and Systems Coordinator before scheduling a student to work or reach out to the Program Office directly at workcollege@berea.edu.
Departments are also encouraged to collaborate informally by sharing students with similar skills during periods of heavier workload. This kind of informal work-sharing does not require additional paperwork, and hours are reported under the student's regular primary assignment.