Student Employee Code of Conduct

It is the purpose of the IT Help Center, as part of Boston University’s Information Services & Technology Department, to deliver the highest quality of service we can deliver; the quality of service we would ourselves expect to receive.

To this end, our student hires agree to adhere to the following Code of Conduct for IT Help Center Student Employees, in addition to all other University guidelines and policies applicable to our community. Please review the Code of Conduct and ask any questions before signing. Your signature shall indicate that you clearly understand what it contains and will always adhere to this Code.

Dress Code:

IS&T aims to create a friendly, welcoming environment in which students from diverse backgrounds can thrive, providing outstanding support to faculty and staff while ensuring their own safety and the safety of others. In support of these goals, IS&T asks that student employees: 

Do: 

  • Wear your IT Help Center Attire (ITHC polo)  
  • Wear clean, daytime clothes that make you feel confident and comfortable and allow you the range of motion necessary to perform your tasks.
  • Wear shoes that enable you to move quickly around a room if needed and protect your feet from any dropped equipment.
  • If you wear a hat, make sure it doesn’t obscure your vision or others’ ability to make eye contact with you. (This rule does not restrict religious or cultural headwear.)

Please: 

  • Consider the norms of the specific unit, program, or type of shift you are working in.
  • Avoid words and symbols that may be derogatory toward other members of the university community 

Note: We do recognize that there are times when you will be doing maintenance or manual labor and wearing the ITHC polo may not be feasible.  Please check with your supervisor for approval to wear more suitable clothing when performing these tasks. 

 Students wearing clothing that does not comply with the above guidelines may be sent home to change.
 

Attendance & Punctuality

Consistent attendance and punctuality from every student employee are required for the IT Help Center to deliver quality service to our clients.  Repeated violations of attendance policies will result in disciplinary action up to and including termination of employment.

Do:

  • Arrive on time for your scheduled shifts.  This means that you should be clocked in and wearing your proper attire name badge at your assigned area when your scheduled shift begins. You can clock in no earlier than 10 minutes before your shift begins.
    • SPS Event Techs:
      • Be at your call location and ready to work at the start of your call time.  In the event that you will be late to your shift, please call or text one of the other techs on the shift and let them know you’re running late. If you can’t get ahold of any of them for some reason, please call or text a member of the management team.  
      • In the event of an emergency that would prevent you from attending your shift, please call or text on of the other techs on the shift and let them know you will be absent as soon as you are able. If you can’t get ahold of any of them for some reason, please call or text a member of the management team. 
  • Check your BU email address daily. It is required that you read and respond to (when necessary) emails from management within 24 hours, except for personal emergencies.
  • Call your department and notify a staff member as soon as you know you may arrive late. Email the ITHC Student Management Team (ithcsm@bu.edu).
    • Acceptable excuses are limited to the following scenarios.
        • A scheduled class ran late
        • Illness
        • Family Emergency
  • ITHC Student Production Services need to notify another staff member to cover the shift.
  • Time Off Requests 
    • CS&S: Email ithcsm@bu.edu and submit requests via Sling at least 2 weeks in advance and include a reason for the request in the “Comment Section” field. If you work at a CTS field location or LETS, please also cc your direct supervisor(s) on the email to ithcsm@bu.edu.
    • SPS: Submit time off requests via Track Smart at least 1 week in advance.
        • *IMPORTANT:  You must ALWAYS make any Time Off requests via the standard protocol for your group. The only exception would be if you are simply running late for a scheduled shift (see above).  However, any last–minute illness or emergency should also be followed up with a Time Off Request via Sling. This last step is not necessary for SPS shifts.

        NOTE: Homework, projects, and exams are not acceptable reasons to be excused from a shift without two weeks’ notice (1 week for SPS). By working at the IT Help Center, you are expected to manage your time appropriately and plan ahead. If you are having difficulty with a semester workload, please contact your supervisor to discuss the issue. We are here to help.

        Submission of Hours:

        You must submit any hours via StudentLink you worked for any given week by the following Sunday at midnight OR by any Early Payroll Deadline that we communicate to you via email.

        General Conduct

        Do: 

        • Be respectful and kind to all clients, instructors, your co-workers, and your staff supervisors. 
        • Keep conversations quiet and work-focused. Conduct all conversations as if clients can hear what you are saying. 
        • Limit food consumption during your shift to necessary snacks – take a break if you need a meal. 
        • Keep your work area free from clutter and non-work distractions. 
        • Notify your crew lead or supervisor immediately if you are sick or injured, and go home or to Student Health Services (whichever is more appropriate). 

        Don’t: 

        • Conduct public displays of affection with a significant other while on duty/at the workplace.
        • Hang out with friends during your shift.
        • Speak negatively to or about clients.
        • Access Facebook or other social media sites that are not related to work during your shift.
        • Play video games or watch online videos (e.g., Netflix, YouTube, etc.) during your shift.
        • Do homework during your shift.
        • Access or view inappropriate content at work.
          • If you think it may be inappropriate, it is best not to view it.
        • Use profanity or sleep during your shift.

        Three Strike Rule:

        Multiple violations of the aforementioned policies may culminate in the termination of your employment. The IT Help Center reserves the right to terminate any student employee after multiple warnings and violations of the Code of Conduct.

        Illegal Activity/Serious Misconduct

        The Dean of Students has established a series of policies that support an environment for individual exploration, accomplishment, and community. Our standards value personal freedoms, respect for others, and the pursuit of truth and learning. Our community is at its best when all members observe our standards of conduct.

        All University students are bound by these policies and sub-sections, such as the University Lifebook.

        All University student employees are also required to adhere to all Student Employment Office (SEO) policies and procedures as documented on their site.

        Any violation of these criteria will result in immediate termination. The Three-Strike Rule does not apply to any violation of these criteria.

        The BU IT Help Center reserves the right to change these terms and conditions at any time without prior notice. In the event that any changes are made, the revised terms and conditions shall be posted on this document immediately. Please check the latest information posted herein to inform yourself of any changes.

        Revision History

        Version Date Author Summary of Changes
        1.0 9/01/14 Student MGMT Creation of Document
        2.0 7/22/15 Student MGMT Updated Attendance Policy
        3.0 4/1/16 Student MGMT Updated changes:

        • Addition: You are required to respond to any communications from ITHC Student Management within 24 hours, the exception to this rule is if you are dealing with a personal emergency.
        • Addition: You are required to submit any hours via StudentLink you worked for any given week by the following Sunday at midnight OR by any Early Payroll Deadline that we communicate to you via email.
        • Addition: The time­off request process has been updated. Service Desk students please make note as this directly affects you.
        • Change: A modification has been made to the policy on non­-work-related activities
        • Addition: References to SEO policies and the Dean of Students’ Lifebook have been added to the illegal activity and serious misconduct section.
        4.0 9/10/19 Student MGMT
        • Addition: The time off request has been updated
          • Change: Students are now expected to submit time off requests through Sling
        5.0 8/14/20 Student MGMT
        • Change: Made changes to reflect expectations of Classroom Moderators, specifically
        5.1 8/25/20 CS&S Leadership
        • Change: Clarified language related to Back2BU and Dress Code guidelines
        6.0 9/4/20 IS&T Leadership
          • Change: Revised language related to Dress Code and General Conduct. 
        7.0 7/20/22 Student MGMT
          • Change: Removed Back2BU and moderator language.  Modified Dress Code and Attendance/Punctuality/General area to incorporate ITHC SPSS language.
        7.1 8/28/23 Student MGMT
        • Updated Student Link to MyBU Student.
        • Minor bullet point organization changes for better flow.
        • Changed “Back2BU” to “BU Public Health” for generalization.
        • Separated time off requests into its own section.