The Missouri State University-West Plains Career Services Office adheres to the NACE Principles for Ethical Professional Practice and expects employers to do the same. These principles are available on the National Association of Colleges and Employers website.
Missouri State University-West Plains' Career Services Office works closely with employers
to maintain a positive, collaborative working relationship to help them meet hiring
needs. Services offered include posting jobs or internship opportunities, participating
in career events, career fairs, on-campus interviews, host career events, and connecting
with students in campus organizations. Employers are invited to connect with Missouri
State University-West Plains Career Center through Handshake.
Missouri State University-West Plains' Career Services Office has outlined policies
and procedures for employer to ensure that there is a mutual understanding of expectations
with job postings, services offered to employers and to ensure smooth operation of
on-campus interview visits, providing the job and company information and data requested,
providing hire data as requested, complying with the legal obligations of recruiters,
and maintaining the confidentiality of student data as outlined in the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).
Employers are expected to abide by the Equal Employment Opportunity guidelines, and
the National Association of Colleges and Employers Principles for Ethical Professional
Practice.
Sections
Service guidelines
- Career Services invites employers to promote jobs or internship opportunities through
the Career Center’s online job board, Handshake.
- Career Services reserves the right to refuse service to any employer who violates
the National Association of Colleges and Employers Principles of Ethical Professional
Practice or any Career Center policy. Lack of important information from the employer
will result in declining employer approval and job approval requests; especially when
requested multiple times by Career Services.
- Career Services works with Third Party Recruiters and allows Third Party Recruiters
access to Handshake and post jobs under limited circumstances. Third-party recruiters
will abide by our Third-Party Recruiters Guidelines as described below:
- Identify themselves as a third-party recruiter on their employer profile and all job
announcements (Must specifically state their Third Party Recruiter status on their
contact profile in Handshake).
- Charge no fees to the candidate.
- Identify, upon request, the name of the actual employer they represent and permit
verification of this information (job postings, career fair recruitment, etc.)
- Provide a position description for valid openings.
- Operate in accordance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act. Release candidate information provided by the University exclusively and only to
the identified employer; assuming the student has provided permission to disclose
their information. Re-disclosure of candidate information is not permitted.
Note: The Career Services Office will respect the confidentiality of the actual employer
information and will not publish it in any manner.
- The Career Services Office reserves the right to refuse service to any employer if
a review of the specific opportunity or nature/status of the company suggests that
it is inappropriate for our service population; if students are injured or exposed
to unsafe working conditions; if the employer discriminates; or if Career Services
receives student complaints about discrimination, harassment, threats, unsafe working
conditions, or any other questionable circumstance.
- Employers without a website will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis; however, preference
will be given to an employer website that seems transparent and easy for students/alumni
to connect with the employer by easily locating career opportunities and viewing team
members of the organization. Career Services reserves the right to not serve the employer
until the website is operational.
- The Career Services Office will not provide service to any employer requiring upfront
payment of any kind or the purchase of products or equipment/tools (with the exception
of safety equipment such as steel-toed boots).
- Career Services does not recommend or select candidates for employers. Faculty and
staff of Missouri State University will not recommend nor select candidates for the
employer either. This does not comply with equal employment opportunity guidelines.
- An employer account provides a limited, terminable right to access and use the Career
Center job search site only for internal business use to seek candidates for employment
and scheduling interviews.
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Job postings
- Job postings must be actual, current openings for internships, cooperative education
assignments, and/or traditional, W-2 or 1099 full- or part-time employees.
- Job postings or emails must contain sufficient detail to convey clearly to the user
the nature and basic requirements of the job opportunity.
- Career Services will review the employer's website and each job description (whether
a job listing or for an on-campus interview) for appropriateness.
- Job postings or email communications may not contain anything that is sexually explicit,
obscene, libelous, defamatory, threatening, harassing, abusive, or hateful; or anything
that is embarrassing or offensive to another person or entity.
- Job posting or email may not be used to post advertisements or solicitations for employment
requiring personal information at the time of application (such as bank and social
security numbers); misrepresentation, whether defined by dishonest information or
absence of information; fraud; harassment of Missouri State University students, alumni
or staff; breach of confidentiality as required by FERPA; failure to adhere to Career
Services employer guidelines; any violation of Missouri State University rules and
regulations; any violation of local, state or federal laws.
- Missouri State University-West Plains Career Services Office will not accept companies
or positions involved with the use, production, testing, or distribution of recreational
or medical marijuana.
- In the event that a Missouri State University-West Plains student experiences any
harassment or actual or potential harm at the workplace during an internship or job,
the employer’s recruiting privileges will be suspended pending a resolution of the
situation that is satisfactory to university and the Missouri State University-West
Plains Career Services Office.
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Internships
As defined by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE), an internship
is a form of experiential learning that integrates knowledge and theory learned in
the classroom with practical application and skills development in a professional
setting. Internships give students the opportunity to gain valuable applied experience
and make connections in professional fields they are considering for career paths,
while giving employers the opportunity to guide and evaluate talent. Internships are
learning-based opportunities that assist with career skill development and include
a training component. Internship positions can be part-time or full-time, and paid or unpaid.
Unpaid internship considerations
The legal considerations are addressed through six criteria for unpaid interns for
the service they provide to “for-profit” private sector employers articulated in the
Fair Labor Standards Act (see FLSA Fact Sheet #71). If the six criteria are met, the Department of Labor (DOL) considers there to be
no employment relationship. The six criteria established by the DOL are:
- The internship, even though it includes actual operation of the employer’s facilities,
is similar to training that would be given in a vocational school.
- The internship experience is for the benefit of the student.
- The intern does not displace regular employees, but works under the close observation
of a regular employee.
- The employer provides the training and derives no immediate advantage from the activities
of the intern. Occasionally, the operations may actually be impeded.
- The intern is not necessarily entitled to a job at the conclusion of the internship.
- The employer and the intern understand that the intern is not entitled to wages for
the time in the internship.
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Compensation and fees
- Employers offering paid positions must pay at least the Missouri State minimum wage
or the applicable local minimum wage if higher (calculated over any time scale such
as hourly, weekly, semi-monthly, monthly or annually).
- Cryptocurrency, bitcoin, tokens, fiat or equity are not acceptable forms of payment.
- Organizations only offering stipend, unpaid or volunteer positions must meet the organizational
definitions and requirements that allow them to do so legally, and they must clearly
state the pay status when posting their opportunities on Handshake.
- Commission Sales Positions: If no initial base salary is provided, the form of remuneration
should be clearly stated in the employer's job descriptions and at the time of the
initial interviews.
- Recruitment for positions requiring monetary outlay by candidates for equipment and
training is strongly discouraged and potentially unlawful. Students and recent graduates
will be reluctant to apply for such positions. This includes fees for certain federal
and state licensing requirements, e.g., real estate, securities, etc. If fees are
involved, this information must be explicitly included in the position description.
- Postings that request donations, application fees, or investments cannot be listed
on Handshake.
Career Services reserves the right to remove job listings on Handshake or decline
further service to those employers who do not abide by these compensation/fee guidelines.
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Résumé access
- Career Services will not give account access or forward résumés to home-based businesses.
- Career Services will not send résumés to personal email accounts. Exceptions may be
made on a case by case basis.
- Career Services will not send résumés or give any employer passwords to corporate
"student ambassadors" or "student campus recruiters". It is a violation of professional
standards to provide a student's résumé to a fellow student for review and decision-making.
- Career Services will not send résumés to Third Party Recruiters.
- Career Services reserves the right to not allow employers "résumé access" if the employer
uses the résumé data inappropriately or abuses this service. The Career Services Office
will evaluate and act accordingly to student/alumni complaints about employers.
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On-campus recruiting/interview scheduling
- Employers interested in setting up a table in academic buildings on campus must reserve
the table through Career Services using the Handshake recruiting database. The employer
must adhere to the campus/building guidelines for visitors/vendors.
- The tables must be located in designated areas only, and Career Services will not
allow employers to leave their table to solicit to students who have not shown an
interest in their organization. If the Career Services Office learns from other campus
departments that an employer is soliciting and harassing students while visiting campus,
the employer will not be allowed to visit campus again—even if there has been a change
in recruiters for that organization.
- Cancellations: Employers that cancel interview schedules once the student sign-up
window has opened are responsible for contacting students who were invited to interview
to inform them of the cancellation.
- Space available: During peak periods, the Career Services Office may limit the number
of interview rooms available for a given employer. Employers with a history of reserving
more schedules than they can fill will be limited to one more room than was filled
in the prior year.
- Extra space/“room only”: If you will need additional space for tests or administrative
purposes, please request a “room only” at the time you request interview space, as
same-day requests often can‘t be accommodated.
- Missed deadlines: Career Services will make repeated efforts to contact employers
who miss on-campus recruiting deadlines. However, should the employer fail to acknowledge
reminder calls or emails, the Career Services Office reserves the right to determine
whether to change the schedule from pre-select to qualified open or to cancel the
interview schedule.
- Schedule timing: Employers should consider travel implications before interview schedules
are finalized—or at least before student sign-up begins—to minimize conflicts on the
interview date. The Career Services Office will gladly accommodate employers’ schedule
preferences when stated in advance. Please note that all interviews (and tests) should
be planned to start no earlier than 8:30 a.m. conclude by close of business at 5 p.m.
- Intern housing: Co-op and intern employers should clearly specify the nature of any
housing or relocation assistance in their interview information and company profile.
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Student privacy issues
- Photos or videos should not be used as part of the selection process. Exceptions will
be made for use of video conference facilities on campus for those employers unable
to conduct on-campus interviews.
- Social security numbers should not be used during the hiring process.
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Exceptions to policies and guidelines
Career Services reserves the right to make exceptions to these policies and guidelines
as warranted by special circumstances, i.e., in certain situations deemed to be acceptable
and beneficial to our students, the Career Services Office, the University, or recruiters
using our services. Such exceptions will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Any
exception made does not constitute a change in policy, nor is there a guarantee that
this same decision will apply in the future.
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Missouri State University non-discrimination policy
Missouri State University is a community of people with respect for diversity. The
University emphasizes the dignity and equality common to all persons and adheres to
a strict non-discrimination policy regarding the treatment of individual faculty,
staff, and students. In accord with federal law and applicable Missouri statutes,
the University does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin
(including ancestry, or any other subcategory of national origin recognized by applicable
law), religion, sex (including marital status, family status, pregnancy, sexual orientation,
gender identity, gender expression, or any other subcategory of sex recognized by
applicable law), age, disability, veteran status, genetic information, or any other
basis protected by applicable law in employment or in any program or activity offered
or sponsored by the University. Sex discrimination encompasses sexual harassment,
which includes sexual violence, and is strictly prohibited by Title IX of the Education
Amendments of 1972.
This policy shall not be interpreted in a manner as to violate the legal rights of
religious organizations or of military organizations associated with the Armed Forces
of the United States of America.
The University maintains a grievance procedure incorporating due process available
to any person who believes he or she has been discriminated against. Missouri State
University is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action/Minority/Female/Veterans/Disability/Sexual
Orientation/Gender Identity employer. Inquiries concerning the complaint/grievance
procedure related to sex discrimination, including sexual harassment and sexual assault,
should be addressed to the Title IX Coordinator, Carrington Hall 205, 901 S. National Ave., Springfield, Missouri 65897, TitleIX@MissouriState.edu, 417-836-4252, or to the Office for Civil Rights. All other inquiries concerning the grievance
procedure, Affirmative Action Plan, or compliance with federal and state laws and
guidelines should be addressed to the Equal Opportunity Officer, Office for Institutional Equity and Compliance, Carrington Hall 205, 901 S. National Ave., Springfield, Missouri 65897, Equity@MissouriState.edu, 417-836-4252, or to the Office for Civil Rights. (Res. Board Policies No. 70-11; Bd. Min. 10-28-11.)
