The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
University Updates/Resources Related to COVID-19
Student Employment Update
MEMORANDUM
Date: March 31, 2020
To: UTRGV Student Employees
From: Office of Human Resources
Subject: Student Employment Update
UTRGV is committed to a robust student employment experience and we realize that the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in many changes to student employee assignments. We appreciate the patience and the flexibility you have shown during these quickly changing times. Some of your assignments can be completed remotely while others continue to require you to work on-site while observing appropriate social distancing. On Friday, March 20, 2020, UTRGV issued guidance to student employees’ supervisors, who were responsible for discussing several important issues with their student employees, including:
- Whether students are still able to perform their job duties at their normal work location or remotely.
- If the student is willing to continue working, remotely or on-site, but the supervisor is unsure of an appropriate assignment, supervisors were instructed to identify opportunities for productive work that can be performed by the student from a remote location or provide the opportunity for on campus assignments.
- Student employees who opt out of fulfilling their work assignment during this time can do so but supervisors must be clear that students will not be paid for non-productive time.
- Supervisors should reach out directly to their students to communicate how and/or where students are to perform their work while the university operates with an “essential staff”.
The issues arising from the COVID-19 pandemic are many, fast moving and worrisome to all employees, but particularly our student employees. While the university remains open and staffed by employees with roles designated as essential, we are hearing that many student employees are either unsure if they are able to perform their job from home, or whether they still have a job at all with UTRGV. If this is your current experience, please reach out to us at hrpartners@utrgv.edu. We want to hear from you, and we are working with colleges and departments across the institution to identify productive work our student employees can perform during this time in order to remain in a paid status. We understand the importance of student employment and its many positive effects. UTRGV is committed to keeping you engaged, enrolled and productively working in this current reality and beyond.