Overview

LAUNCH, the Student-Run Business Nonprofit Division, in collaboration with Lakeland University’s cooperative education department, will provide local nonprofit agencies with temporary and/or long-term staff at little to no cost. The goal is to increase the effectiveness of local nonprofit organizations by providing outstanding students to fill administrative and professional roles or assist with customized projects or events.

Collaborative funding

Lakeland University is committed to being an effective and valued community partner and is pleased to make student employment wage relief is available to any Sheboygan County 501(c)(3). For the first 416 hours of a wage relief collaboration partnership with a non-profit, Launch: Lakeland Student-ran Businesses will pay 100% of the student’s wages. However, in order to share wage relief with as many organizations as possible, we ask for some collaborative funding after this period of 416 hours. The exact percentage of shared wages that non-profit will have to collaboratively fund after this period will be determined by Launch but will never exceed 30% of the total wages.

In order to assist as many nonprofits as equitably as possible and to comply with federal work study guidelines, we have instituted the grant funding guidelines below. We will fund:

• one position per nonprofit per funding cycle,
• 16-hours of work per week (40-hours of work per week in Summer),
• fund for summer and/or fall semester, and applicants can re-apply for spring (if an applicant only applied for summer employment, they can apply for fall).

Note: Lakeland institutional HR policy allows students to work 18 hours per week during the school year, but 40 hours per week during the summer. Student wages are paid through Lakeland University payroll.

Timeline

Launch will work with each individual employer to fulfill their collaborative job on a timeline that works best for the employer. Typically, this would involve posting job positions in August (for the fall semester), December (for the spring semester), and in April (for the summer). However, this is not a fixed timeline for funding opportunities and job placements.

Application timeline:

Flexible Start

We recognize that organizations may have needs that are developed/created during times of organizational growth and may not always be able to follow the timeline suggested above. If your hiring needs occur at mid-points in a term, please understand that we will still do our best to provide candidates of interest.

Benefits to the Nonprofit

As a partner Lakeland University will provide the following:

• fill important operational needs at little to no expense;
• promotion of your organization to a growing student population on our main campus;
• access to posting jobs/opportunities within Handshake, our online job board – lakeland.joinhandshake.com; and
• resumes of students for consideration and coordinated scheduling/space accommodations to conduct interviews as needed.

Promise by the Nonprofit

As an employer, your organization agrees to the following:

• students working for your organization are considered your organization’s employees and should be fully immersed into the company culture;
• provide a report of hours of student work completed as requested;
• provide feedback on student performance as they work with your organization;
• accurately describe responsibilities, requirements and employment conditions in position postings;
• comply with federal, state and local laws or regulations;
• designate a supervisor(s) who will be directly responsible for the student(s); and
• allow a program site visit upon the request the Lakeland faculty/staff.

Create A Position Description

While you have yet to be approved for funding, this is a good time to be sure the position job description is ready to go. How you present your organization’s position to students is incredibly important. Lakeland University provides a variety of ways you, the nonprofit employer, can attract talent and present your value to the university, specific programs of study and to the students.

• What are your project needs?
• What parts of the project could a student assist with?
• Who in your organization is going to mentor/supervise student?
• What skills does a candidate need in order to be successful in this role?
• What type of training and development can you provide a student to be successful?
• What types of hours are required or is there scheduling flexibility?

To download sample job descriptions, visit Lakeland.edu/co-op

Online Job Board

Lakeland University utilizes Handshake, an online platform to connect students to co-op, internship and career placements. Additionally, Handshake will connect your organization to more than 9 million students from more than 500 colleges and universities. If you are new to hiring a Lakeland University student, you need to start by creating a Handshake profile. Once you create a profile, you can upload the job description, start accepting resumes, review/download resumes and set-up interviews. Students utilize Handshake to search for co-op jobs and see descriptions of opportunities. Once approved, we will share information about getting started in Handshake.

Interviewing

Resumes, portfolios and other credentials of Lakeland University students will be available through Handshake. Organizations are welcome to conduct interviews on-campus for maximum exposure. We can assist in scheduling days/times that will for you and the students.

Extending the Offer

The employment offer is an agreement between the employer and the student. Lakeland asks that the employer is clear when working with the student on the start date, required hours and schedule. Students may have limited experience in the hiring process, so the employer should communicate any and all details. Many companies follow-up an initial offer with a formal acceptance letter. Lakeland University sets the pay.

Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action

The employer shall comply with all applicable equal opportunity and affirmative action laws including, in accordance with federal, state, and local laws; including Executive Order 11246, as amended; Section 402 of the Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Assistance Act, as amended; Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended; and the regulations at 41 CFR Parts 60-1 through 60-50.5, 60-300, and 60-741. The affirmative action clause and regulations contained in the preceding sentence are incorporated by reference in the Agreement which will be sent when a student is hired.

Limitation of Liability

In no event shall Lakeland University or the Lakeland University Foundation, including but not limited to all divisions, operations, affiliates, employee benefit plans, plan sponsors, plan administrators, plan fiduciaries, directors, officers, trustees, agents, employees and their predecessors, successors, and assigns be liable for any indirect, special, incidental, or consequential damages or expenses for any negligence, breach of contract, or any other act arising out of or relating to this agreement or the activities covered herein.

Disclaimer

We reserve the right to refuse services to any organization whose business is of a nature that is not appropriate for our students or consistent with the mission of the University. Lakeland University shall not be held responsible for any errors in performance of duties assigned its students. Lakeland does not guarantee placement of a Lakeland student for your organization.

Lakeland University Contacts

Jeffrey Sachse, sachsej1@lakeland.edu