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Announcements
June 2008
Revised I-9
The newest version of the I-9 Employment Eligibility Verification form is available at www.uscis.gov/files/form/I-9.pdf   .
Please note, by law, older versions of the form cannot be accepted.
The older versions of any blank I-9 forms or master copies can be destroyed.
Student Financials Transaction Posting Access
This reminder is intended for staff who post transactions for students via PeopleSoft Financial Aid. Staff will not be allowed to post any student transactions in Student Financials (bursar system). This is to ensure proper internal controls and to reduce the administrative burden for staff in determining the appropriate item types for financial aid support.
Please be sure that the necessary changes have been made in your department to accommodate this guideline. Please contact Jim Rohan  if the student charges are fees associated with special programs or classes.
Staff who will be posting aid/support via Financial Aid need to sign up for training as soon as possible at http://stars.sas.cornell.edu/training/schedule.php .
Cornell Travel Transition
Monday, June 9, 2008 will be the last day the Cornell Travel Office staff will handle any new bookings. American Express Business Travel will take on the remainder of the travel booking services that have not already transitioned to them.
Summary of changes as of June 10:
New online reservation tool: The new online reservation service is called American Express Intelligent Online Marketplace (AXIOM®). If you had established a profile in the previous tool, you should have received an e-mail on May 28 with instructions about logging in and verifying that your profile information copied over. See http://www.travel.cornell.edu for orientation and training on AXIOM.
For direct bill air reservations placed online or by phone, the pre-trip accounting process will be handled in American Express software. You will need to know the first 3-digits or 7-digits of your account code before placing a reservation. The tool will send an e-mail to your department’s designated administrator in order to complete the accounting process.
New telephone number for reservations: 1-888-656-0432
Payment method for rental cars: Direct billing will no longer be available for rental cars. The traveler will need to pay by credit card and apply to Cornell University for reimbursement.
Ticketing fees that were put in place in March are $5.00 for reservations placed online and $20.00 for telephone reservations.
Training on the AXIOM tool and pre-trip accounting process is in preparation. Several guides are already available at www.travel.cornell.edu .
For questions about reservations that were made with the Cornell Travel Office staff prior to June 10, please contact American Express.
American Express provides best-in-class travel services with competitive rates. Since the travel industry has undergone such dramatic changes in recent years, this is the best way to provide a high level of service to Cornell travelers without incurring high administrative costs. The university also benefits from negotiated discounts on airfare and better information tools for risk management.
FICA Data Change
On June 2, Payroll did a batch change to active student jobs in the SE Client. A FICA status change row was added - effective 06/02/2008. This row returns the student back to FICA eligible, which means individuals will be assessed FICA tax for summer earnings.
1) There will be a FICA status change back to FICA exempt in August. During the academic year, full-time registered student employees are exempt from the FICA tax.
2) If any data or pay rate changes after a FICA row is entered, and an effective date was added prior to that FICA row, another adjustment to the job may be needed to carry the change forward beyond the FICA row.
When an action is inserted, effective prior to an existing action, the insert will not change data on that existing action.
To carry the new data forward, a new action must be entered again, effective on the same date as the existing action.
If any job actions are entered on or after June 2, and an effective date is added prior to 06/02/2008, please double check the data on the job and make corrections as needed.
May 2008
Cornell Travel Office Announcement
The development of the enhanced online reservation tool from American Express is ahead of schedule. It will become available on June 10, 2008, and as previously announced, the transition of all booking services to American Express should be available by June 30.
A welcome e-mail will be sent on May 20, 2008 with instructions on how to register for the new tool. Your profile information will have been brought over from Cliqbook. Take this time to review and update your profile information only, such as: frequent flyer info; preferences for air, hotel, travel arrangers, etc. You will then be ready to use the tool when it is available on June 10.
Here are some of the benefits of the new tool, American Express Intelligent Online Marketplace (AXIOM®):
- Time-savings and lower costs in booking Cornell travel
- Book all of your air, hotel, and rental car reservations
- Capability to insert reservation details into your calendar, and then update your calendar if your plans change
- Notifications via phone, e-mail, text message, and/or fax if your flight is cancelled or delayed
I-9 Processing
Please review the new requirements to assist the Student Employment Office with processing I-9 forms as quickly as possible.
- NEW HIRES
- May students have an I-9 on file.
- Check the SE Client/Personal Data tab for a date in the I-9 field.
- If the I-9 field is blank, an I-9 is required.
- If the I-9 field contains a date (yyyymmdd), an I-9 is on file. Please do not complete another I-9.
- COMPLETING THE FORM
- All fields must be complete.
- The student's signature and date signed is required.
- The student must indicate citizenship, and if the student is a foreign national, an employment authorization date is also required along with the Alien # or Admission #.
- A staff signature and date signed is required.
- The date of the student's first day of work is required.
- I-9s will be returned through campus mail if signatures, dates, or documentation are missing. Including the Alien # or Admission # required for foreign national students.
- Please write the student's CUID or NetID at the top of the form.
- Do not attach copies of documentation to the I-9.
- Use only the latest version of the I-9 form [Form I-9 (Rev. 06/05/07) N] which is available at http://www.uscis.gov/files/form/i-9.pdf .
- Copy your supply of I-9 forms on white, cream, or light pastel colored paper.
- SENDING THE FORM TO STUDENT EMPLOYMENT
- Either fax or mail a copy of the completed original.
- Keep the original in at the department level for audit review.
Student Employment Blackout Reminders
The blackout period for processing federal work-study (FWS) hires is 05-02-08 through 05-07-08. The blackout period does not apply to non-FWS (object code 4712) hires. These can be processed as usual. Mass Change is effective 05-08-08. The account distribution for academic year FWS jobs will automatically change to 100% department funds starting May 8.
Jobs stay active unless manually changed by the department to a leave of absence or a termination. There is no mass termination. Non-FWS jobs (object code 4712) are unaffected. These also stay active unless you change the job status.
Best Business Practice
If student employees are not working through the summer, those jobs should go on a leave of absence until the students return for the fall semester.
Summer Work-Study
Summer FWS eligibility is noted in the SE Client on the Personal Data tab. Be sure to check FWS for all your continuing student jobs and new hires.
Dates for Summer FWS eligibility are May 8 - August 13, 2008.
Summer FWS is available only through the DYO program or summer financial aid.
DYO FWS is awarded to a student for a specific job. DYO FWS funds must be pre-approved (i.e., employer and student complete a funding request form).
Summer funds are available. If summer students have not yet applied, application materials and information can be found at www.career.cornell.edu/jobsandinternships/DYO/default.html . Summer students who are taking six or more summer credit hours and have a summer financial aid package may also have summer work-study eligibility.
Before using FWS eligibility, check with the student to see if they are DYO approved for other jobs, or if they have summer financial aid. If they have summer financial aid with FWS eligibility, you can hire them as work-study student employees (object code 4742). If they have FWS through the DYO program for a different job, then you cannot use that FWS, and they must be hired at 100% with department funds (object code 4712).
Job Postings
Advertise summer jobs by completing an online posting form at http://finaid.cornell.edu/ ,
then choose "Employees," and "Advertise A Job." Jobs stay active for 1 month.
Student Paychecks
Student paychecks will be mailed to the same address to which the most recent paycheck was mailed. If this will not be your address on or before May 12, be aware of the following:
- For students who edit their mailing address via Just the Facts/Student Center, the address should be edited by May 7. The paycheck address file will be created on May 8.
- When submitting a change of address, you do have the option to select and effective date; submit your change of address by May 10 (May 12 at the latest!!!); checks will be at the post office on May 12
- When submitting a change of address, there is the option to select an effective date; checks will be at the post office on May 12.
- There are two Ithaca Post Office locations and an online option https://moversguide.usps.com
213 N. Tioga St.
775 Warren Rd.
To use the online option you will need a valid credit/debit card in your name as there is a one-dollar charge for the online service. The charge is used to verify your identity.
SPECIAL NOTES:
Please note the address used to mail your paycheck is selected in the following manner:
- University Assigned, if present it will be used; if not the process looks for the next address type.
- Student Local, if present it will be used; if not, the process looks for the next address type.
- Home will be used.
- If students will be receiving another paycheck; University Assigned address types will be terminated on or about May 15.
- The 2008 W-2 file will use the HOME address type as the mailing address.
- Students living in a residence hall must make sure to leave a self-addressed, stamped envelope with their student center.
March 2008
I-9 Special Request
Please include the student's Cornell "Emplid#" or NetID at the top of the form before sending to the Student Employment office.
The new student employment client no longer allows searching by social security number, and the Student Employment staff is finding it difficult to process I-9 forms for students who have common last names.
An Emplid# is a seven-digit number on a student's Cornell ID card. If the student provides the ID card as a form of documentation, please note the Emplid# as an identifier in the documentation section.
If a Cornell ID is not offered as a form of identification or documentation, please ask the student for his or her NetID, and note that number on the top of the form.
If you have any questions, please contact your UBSC Support Team.
SES Client Software
If you use the student employment system (SES), a new version of SES software has been developed to work with the STARS student implementation. The SES client will no longer be available via Runway-SALSA. uPortal-BASIL will be the only way to obtain the new version of the SES client. The installation of BASIL can happen at any time.
BASIL software can be obtained by installing the infrastructure portion of BearAccess 2007 from www.cit.cornell.edu/bearaccess/software.html .
Please do not uninstall or remove any existing versions of BearAccess that are currently on your user workstations. They will continue to need this older version of BearAccess infrastructure.
There will be future notification on when to begin installation of the new SES client after the Student Records conversion and validation has been completed. This is expected to be complete by March 17, 2008. Users will be able to use the new SES client starting on Thursday, March 20, at 7:00 a.m.
Between 5:00 p.m. Friday, March 14 and 7:00 a.m. Thursday, March 20, 2008, SES will not be available for use.
Cornell Travel Procedures
Cornell University Travel Office (CUTO) is partnering with American Express Business Travel to take advantage of the conveniences developed in terms of the profiles travelers have already entered and direct billing to department accounts.
The first phase involves shifting telephone bookings to American Express while we work with them to develop an enhanced online reservation system. To encourage use of the existing online booking tool CUTO is lowering the fee from $30.00 to $5.00.
Phase I Effective Wednesday, March 5:
Fee reduction on airline tickets booked with the current CUTO Cliqbook online system from $30.00 to $5.00. You may pay by credit card or direct bill to a department account. Access the online booking service at www.travel.cornell.edu . You may book international travel this way, but itineraries that involve multiple destinations should be booked through CUTO.
Clients calling the main CUTO number (255-4284) will be forwarded automatically to an American Express reservation center. Ticket fees for phone orders through American Express will be reduced from $35.00 to $20.00. You may pay by credit card or direct bill to a department account.
Inquiries submitted by e-mail to CUTO will be handled by CUTO staff, and normal service fees apply, starting at $35.00 per ticket. You may pay by credit card or direct bill to a department account.
For complex international reservations or direct-bill Hertz rental car reservations, please contact CUTO staff by e-mail. Normal service fees apply. You may pay by credit card or direct bill.
Phase II Beginning July 1, 2008:
All travel requests, will be handled by American Express Business Travel. CUTO’s activities in planning travel services will transition to the Office for Supply Management Services. Travel Office staff will transition to new responsibilities.
A new, enhanced online booking solution will be implemented. It will include all the current options for paying by direct billing or credit card, with no disruptions. It will include Cornell-negotiated discounts, plus American Express Business Travel contracts with major service providers. Low ticket fees and overhead processes will bring savings to travelers and the university.
Phase III From July 2008 – July 2009
CUTO will engage the campus community in creating a proposal to address advanced travel issues and stewardship for the university, including end-to-end process enhancements from bookings to reimbursements, risk management, and positively impacting the carbon footprint related to Cornell travel.
Student Employee Recognition Luncheon
On April 9, 2008, Cornell University will celebrate National Student Employment Week with an Employee/Employer Recognition Luncheon in the Memorial Room of Willard Straight Hall.
In appreciation of staff and faculty who supervise student employees, the Office of Student Employment Services (SES) cordially invites supervisors to join this celebration!
SES also encourages you to invite your student employee(s) to join you at the luncheon as an expression of thanks for their enthusiasm, dedication, and hard work.
The complimentary buffet luncheon is offered between 11:45 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. Seating is limited to the first 270 responses, so please confirm your attendance by Friday, March 28, 2008 to sesemp@cornell.edu .
At the luncheon, SES will acknowledge five exceptional student employees and five exceptional supervisors, who have been selected by a reading committee from the pool of nominations received.
Nominations can be completed online through the Office of Minority Education Affairs and sent electronically. If you wish to nominate more than one student, please submit a separate form for each individual.
The nomination deadline is March 12.
February 2008
I-9 Procedures and Reminders
Procedures for New Student Employees
- The I-9 process must start by the end of the first day an employee starts work.
- The employee must complete the first section of the I-9 form on the first day of working, and must provide the supporting documents within three days of the date of hire.
- If the documents are not presented, the employee must be removed from the payroll.
- If the student already has an I-9 on file, do not complete a new I-9.
- Employment eligibility expiration dates are listed in the SE Client I-9 field. (Those dates start with "E")
- For example, an I-9 date listed as E20071231 indicates that the student's employment eligibility expired on December 31, 2007. That student needs to be recertified.
- If the student has an F1 visa status, the recertification can be done at the department level.
- Students with visa status other than F1 must recertify at the International Students and Scholars Office (ISSO) in Caldwell Hall.
Retro Hires, Audit Issues, and Work-Study Charge Backs
- If the I-9 is not completed within three business days of the hire date, that hire is subject to audit review.
- Work-study funds will not be allowed for retro hires and the work-study share of earnings for the retro period will be charged back to the department.
- A student can start work as soon as the I-9 is completed, even if it hasn't yet reached Student Employment for processing.
I-9 Form Processing
- The Department of Homeland Security issued a new I-9 form in 2007. Please dispose any old forms and use the form with "(Rev.06/05/07)" in the lower right corner. You can download a copy of the new I-9 form at www.uscis.gov/files/form/i-9.pdf along with instructions and a list of accepted documents.
- Originals must be on white or light colored paper for imaging processes at the student employment office. Other colors will not image, and you will need to resubmit the I-9 on lighter paper.
- Always keep a copy of the original I-9 in a secure location in your department.
Documentation
- Do not attach copies of the student's documentation to the I-9. Send only the original I-9, with no attachments.
- To avoid identify theft, do not send identity documentation through campus mail.
- Please send tax forms directly to the payroll office.
- Student Employment strongly recommends that you do not make or file copies of any documentation.
Procedures for Corrections
- Do not use white-out on I-9 forms. If a correction is needed, cross off the incorrect information, write in the new information, and initial the change.
Fines and Penalties
- The Department of Homeland Security penalizes I-9 violations in the private sector and in colleges and universities.
Resources
2007 Year-end Balances Available in EPay
YTD totals are now displaying on advices in epay for the last pay date of the year 2007.
For security purposes, all but the last four digits of the checking/savings account numbers under the Net Pay Distribution section of checks in epay are displayed.
January 2008
W-4 Forms
Please be aware that all new student hires should be completing all hiring paperwork, including the W-4 form, at the department level. Students should not be sent to Student Employment for this paperwork. The completed form should be sent to the Payroll Office.
Any hiring paperwork, such as a completed job application form or hiring confirmation form, should be kept filed within the hiring department, as Student Employment does not keep these forms on file.
W-4 forms may be downloaded from the Payroll Office Web site at www.payroll.cornell.edu  .
I-9 Forms
When downloading and copying the new I-9 forms, please do not copy those forms on dark green paper.
Please use only light colored paper, as dark paper produces a black image which the Student Employment Office cannot print and send to the auditors.
Student Employment Announcement
The Student Employment office is actively working to complete the new Mass Termination process for hourly student jobs. This new termination process will look for and terminate old student jobs that have had no pay activity within a specified date range. Typically, the university will roll out additional implementations of Student Tracking Administrative Records (STARS). STARS involves financial aid, admissions, registrar, and bursar. During the implementation, the Student Employment (SE) Client will be unavailable for your use.
The Student Employment office is developing an online training manual for new student employees. Please feel free to provide them feedback on the information you think should be included in the manual.
Send departmental student job openings for advertising by completing the online posting form at http://finaid.cornell.edu under Student Employment / Employers. Between January 21 - February 10 student jobs are active only for one week. If you don't fill the job within a week, contact our office to request a repost. Simply e-mail that request to us at sesemp@cornell.edu , and include the posting ID number (listed at the bottom of each posting), or note the contact, job title, and department.
New student employees should be encouraged to read "Student Employee Requirements, Rights, and Responsibilities ."
Students registered full-time in a degree-seeking program, with no registration holds, who have an I-9 Employment Eligibility form on file in Student Employment are employment eligible.
Students who are withdrawn, on university leave, on EX-MU, graduated, missing I-9 forms, not fully registered with both the University Registrar and their college; or who have registration holds such as bursar, deans, medical, judicial administrator, etc; are not employment eligible.
Individuals who are not eligible should be hired into non-student jobs until fully registered. Remember to confirm employment eligibility by checking the SE Client before allowing a student to work.
Students should use Just the Facts to verify their registration status and identify specific registration holds, as well as which office to visit to have the hold removed.
Foreign national students whose visa status is not F1 (e.g., J1, J2, H4, etc.) must complete their I-9 form at the International Students and Scholars Office in Caldwell Hall before being allowed to start work!
Foreign National students should also complete the "Foreign National Questionnaire" on the Payroll Web site.
To avoid frustration for your new student employees and for returning employees who haven't yet signed up, please encourage those individuals to register for Direct Deposit on the Payroll Web site.
The academic year employment term ends on Wednesday, May 7,2008.
The mass change of student hourly jobs will run effective Thursday, May 8, 2008.
Graduating students may work on the hourly payroll through commencement, but the job must terminate effective Wednesday June 4, 2008. To work beyond that point, those individuals must be hired into non-student jobs as temps, casuals, or regular staff via HR OnLine.
New I-9 Form
As of December 26, 2007; the federal government has issued a new, revised Employment Eligibility Verification I-9 Form .
The Student Employment Office can no longer accept the old form and will be returning them for completion of the new form.
Please review the list of acceptable documents available in the Handbook for Employers .
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