Obligations as a Cooperative Education Employer

An employer works in partnership with School of Environmental and Biological Sciences faculty to provide meaningful work experiences that combine genuine usefulness for the firm or agency with "education-in-action" for the student employees. The positions should be such that when a student demonstrates a readiness to assume increased responsibilities, these opportunities will be provided. Supervisors should guide students towards productive growth and will be asked to evaluate their work performance during each semester of employment.

Student employees maintain the same hours as regular employees working either part-time (16 hours a week or more) or full-time (32 hours a week or more), earning the going rate for the positions they hold, and are expected to work the full term agreed upon (at least 10 weeks). A minimum of 160 hours must be offerred to the student.

You should be aware that every Cooperative Education student signs an Ethical Conduct Agreement (66k PDF), as well as a Consent Form requiring them to register for cooperative education credits during each semester in which they hold the cooperative education position (up to a maximum of 3 semesters).

4-H Agent Laura Bovitz goes over work with Co-op student Vyctoria Durnye at the Rutgers New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station Cooperative Extension of Middlesex County Middlesex County office.