Performance Support Plan

Monitoring of Hours

Students are responsible for monitoring their total hours worked throughout the term and for meeting the minimum 160-hour expectation. Students have real-time access to this information at any time through TRACY UltraTime.

TRACY UltraTime also sends automated notifications as a student reaches 50%, 70%, and 90% of their contracted hours, as described under Percentage Notification of Hours Worked. Supervisors can run a timecard report at any time for more detailed information, which can also be shared directly with a student to support a conversation about their hours.

The Work College Program also reviews hours throughout the term to identify students falling significantly behind, sending email notices and, in some cases, calling students in for a consultation. Students experiencing special circumstances related to an hour shortage, such as a medical situation or a death in the family, should come forward as soon as possible.

Failure to Meet the Hour Requirement

Failure to meet the weekly hour requirement should be addressed at the department level through regular discussions and through the student labor evaluation process. Students failing to meet the requirements of a 12- or 15-hour commitment may be subject to an hours reduction and/or a reduction in WLS level. The supervisor will determine any internal reassignment within the department.

The minimum expectation for each student is 160 hours per term. When students are more than 30 hours below the expectation during a term, they will be placed on labor probation. Lower evaluation scores can also be recorded anytime a student fails to meet his/her hours expectations. In order to not be placed on probation and remain in good standing in the WLS Program, students should not be more than 10 hours below the minimum expectation each fall and spring term. This is easily accomplished if students work in their primary assignments 10+ hours per week through to the end of the term as required by the position and arranged with the supervisor.

If enrolled in classes during the summer term, each student is required to complete no less than 80 hours for an (8) week class and no less than 40 hours of labor for a four (4) week class in a primary assignment by working 10-20 hours per week through the end of the summer school session as required by the position and arranged with the supervisor.

Mandatory Meeting Notices

The Work College Program may request a meeting with a student to discuss position performance or another related matter, and these requests should be taken seriously. The Student Handbook states that a student may be administratively withdrawn for "failure to meet administrative deadlines and/or to respond to notices or appointments, including failure to register or confirm registration or to take care of administrative record needs." A student's work and class schedules are considered when setting a mandatory meeting time, and notification is sent through campus email. It is the student's responsibility to contact the Work College Program if anything may prevent them from attending a mandatory meeting once notified.

Performance Support Action Form and Process

A performance concern must be documented and discussed with the student at the time it occurs. A student cannot receive departmental probation or be released from a position without documentation on the performance support plan form. This process serves three purposes: it reaffirms departmental expectations, it draws attention to the issue in the interest of improving performance, and it creates a clear history if further support is later needed.

Because the Work College Program is a learning environment, concerns should be raised with a student individually at the time of each incident, not collectively after the fact, and a student should be given a reasonable opportunity to address a concern before further action is taken. As a general guide, once a student has three documented concerns on file, the supervisor should bring the situation to the Work College Program Office so that staff can help determine the best path forward together with the department, whether that means additional support, an accountability agreement, or another appropriate next step. This checkpoint exists to bring in support earlier rather than later, not to signal that a student's position is in jeopardy simply because a number has been reached.

It is not appropriate to release a student without documentation of the performance concern or consultation with the Work College Program Office. Ideally, this documentation and conversation will be enough to improve performance so that no further action is needed. If it is not, a supervisor may seek to place the student on departmental probation. The Associate Dean can help a supervisor navigate this process.

Departmental Probation

Departmental probation establishes performance conditions that must be met for a student to continue successfully in a position or department. It is not centrally formalized or recorded, and it does not affect a student's participation in College activities. It does, however, formally warn the student that their standing in the department is at risk, and that continued issues could result in release or probation at the program level.

The Work College Program Office should be notified any time a supervisor is considering departmental probation, so an appropriate accountability agreement can be prepared, so appropriate interventions can be arranged.

Labor Probation

The decision to place a student on probation is made by the Associate Dean, in consultation with other Work College Program staff, based on a review of the relevant circumstances. Probation typically occurs when a student in a primary position has:

1. Failed, over the course of a term, to work a minimum of 10 hours a week.
2. Fallen significantly behind in hours during a term, with unsuccessful attempts at warning or counseling.
3. Falsified time or work records; in some cases, this may also be grounds for a judicial hearing.
4. Failed to meet the requirements of an accountability agreement.
5. Received a rating of "Does Not Meet Expectations" on one or more core questions of the Work-Learning Evaluation for their primary position
6. Failed to meet the department's expectations or needs during a term. (Documentation from the supervisor describing how the student did not meet expectations is required in this case.)

Probation is centrally monitored and recorded and can significantly affect a student's participation in College activities. A student on probation:

• Will be denied participation in international travel experiences, internships, independent studies, College-sponsored off-campus summer internships, and off-campus short-term exchanges; a student found significantly deficient in meeting their work obligation at mid-term may also be denied during the application process for these opportunities.
• Will not be eligible for an overload, or a leave of absence.
• Will not be permitted to hold a WLS Level 5 or 6 position, or certain unclassified positions (such as CAB Chair or Pinnacle Editor); a student already serving in one of these roles may be released if placed on probation.
• May be ineligible for certain program awards, scholarship and service awards, and membership in honorary societies (such as Mortar Board).
• May be ineligible to apply for a residence hall staff position.
• May be denied permission for an off-campus position.

Probation typically lasts one regular term but may be extended at the discretion of the Associate Dean, in consultation with the Dean for the Work College Program, depending on the circumstances.

Labor Probation—Immediate Suspension

The Associate Dean in consultation with the Dean for the Work College Program may elect to place a student on Labor Probation—Immediate Suspension. This “last chance” designation involves the development of an accountability agreement between the student and the Work College Program, violation of which results in a recommendation of immediate suspension by the Associate Dean. 

Suspension within a Term

Non-performance as a student colleague can lead to suspension within a term. In cases where a student has been placed on labor probation and continues a pattern of non-performance the Associate Dean or the Labor Program Council in consultation with the Dean for the Work College Program may elect to develop an accountability agreement and place the student on Labor Probation- Immediate Suspension. Accountability agreements outline clear expectations that- if not met- are grounds for immediate suspension within the term.

Work College suspension is a serious matter. It appears on the student’s academic transcript for the duration of the suspension, and results in a designation of “not in good standing” which often prevents admission to another institution. At the end of the suspension period, the language is removed from the transcript and the student is once again in good standing. While the student may apply for readmission to Berea College, it is not guaranteed

Suspension

The Work College Program uses a progressive approach when a student is not meeting expectations, giving the student every reasonable opportunity to correct course before facing the most serious outcome. That path generally looks like this: a performance concern is documented and discussed with the student, the student may be placed on departmental or program-level probation to address the concern directly, and if the conditions of that probation are not met, the student's status changes to pending immediate suspension, one final opportunity to correct course. If the student still does not meet what is required during this time, suspension follows.

A serious violation, such as one described under Judicial Matters, is referred to Student Affairs and handled in accordance with the Student Handbook, rather than through this progressive process.

When a suspension follows this progression, it is typically administered following the conclusion of the final pay period of the term. The length of a suspension varies based on the circumstances and is not fixed to a single term; in some cases, a suspension may extend for a full academic year.

Appeal

A student who wishes to appeal a suspension has 72 hours from the date of notification to submit their appeal in writing, whether appealing to the Dean for the Work College Program or to the Labor Program Council. An appeal should identify one or more of the following grounds:

• New information that was not available at the time of the original decision;
• A procedural error that occurred during the original review; or
• A suspension that was disproportionate to the circumstances.

If the student appeals to the Council, the Council reviews the written appeal and may ask the student to briefly appear before the group before rendering a decision. Normally, three members of the Council constitute a quorum for hearing an appeal, and no individual from the Work College Program serves as a voting member.

Judicial Matters

Issues occasionally arise within a department that may violate the Community Judicial Code, such as theft of goods or falsification of time. These issues should be carefully documented and reported immediately to the Work College Program Office.

A matter involving the falsification of time or the theft of funds is referred to Student Affairs and handled separately in accordance with the Student Handbook and its judicial processes, since this involves accountability for theft of College funds and time, distinct from the student's standing within the Work College Program.

At the same time, the Work College Program addresses the matter within the program itself. A student found to have falsified time, for example, will typically be released from their current position, reassigned, and placed on probation, following the process described under Suspension. These two processes, the judicial referral and the Work College Program's internal response, run alongside one another rather than one waiting on the other.

Community Service for Unmet Hours (Graduating Seniors)

The Work College Program is a required and integral part of a Berea education, as outlined in the Enrollment Agreement each student signs upon entering the College. A graduating senior who fails to meet the Program's minimum hours requirement in their final term will have their transcripts withheld, both academic and Work College Program, until they complete a required number of community service hours. The Associate Dean determines this number based on the hours not met and the student's past work-learning performance.

1. The number of service hours typically equals the student's total hour shortage for the final term, though it may exceed that amount if the student showed substantial performance concerns during the term, including a poor evaluation score.
2. The graduate is responsible for locating and securing an unpaid community service position.
3. Before beginning the work, the graduate must submit written details to the Work College Program, including the community service organization and agency contact information.
4. A sponsor from the organization must oversee the service work.
5. The sponsor should contact the Associate Dean before the work begins, to review expectations and procedures.
6. Upon completing the work, the graduate must submit a timesheet showing hours worked, signed by the sponsor.
7. All documentation should be on official organization letterhead or email.
8. The Work College Program uses this information to verify and approve the position.
9. Once verified, the graduate's transcripts are released to the student.

Note: This policy is not intended as a way for a graduating senior to avoid the consequences of not meeting their requirement. Since work-learning is a core educational obligation of enrollment, a student who fails to complete the requirement during their final term remains subject to all formal actions described elsewhere in this handbook, including suspension prior to graduation.