Hunter Library receives Best Student Employee Program Award
Western Carolina University’s Hunter Library has been chosen recipient of the Best Student Employee Program Award for the 2018-19 school year.
The award is presented by WCU’s Division of Undergraduate Studies and includes a one-time stipend of $2,500 that library officials plan to use for the further advancement of its employment program.
Each award nominee was reviewed by a panel of three judges on specific criteria, including philosophy of student employment and professional development, intentional improvements the department has made to its student employment program, successes the department has observed as a result of intentional improvements, and description of supervision and/or communication style with student workers.
Hunter Library’s student employment units work hard to not only provide WCU students with the skills they need to successfully use the library’s many resources, but they educate, support and recognize student workers, said Razzaghi Farzaneh, dean of library services. Those opportunities include a meet-and-greet with the dean, treat bags given to students during fall semester finals week, and the honoring of graduating students with a small gift and an honorary book.
One of the many resources that WCU’s employers have available to provide the best possible environment for their student employees is the university's Hire Advantage Supervisor Program. While joining the program is optional and not necessary for campus department’s to nominate themselves for the award, it gives the departments the opportunity to develop enhanced educational experiences for their student employees.
Hunter Library is one of the many units on campus that has used the program to its advantage, said Theresa Cruz Paul, director of WCU’s Center for Career and Professional Development.
“Hunter Library has incorporated what they have learned through the Hire Advantage Supervisor Training Program into a truly meaningful experience for students,” Paul said. “Their student employment program offers students the opportunity to gain real-world skills through hands-on experiences.”
