It is Bates College’s policy to admit qualified students and administer all educational, athletic, financial, and employment activities without discrimination based on race, color, gender, national origin, religion, age, sexual orientation, disability, or any other status protected by applicable federal, state, or local law unless allowed by law and deemed necessary to the administration of the College’s educational programs or operations. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment as well as all academic, athletic, and other educational admissions, enrollment, participation, and programming.

The Bates Center for Purposeful Work expects that any employer or third-party organization representing an employer that posts a position through the Bates Center for Purposeful Work or uses the College’s facilities for the purpose of full-time, part-time, temporary, or intern positions adheres to this policy and complies with federal and state equal employment opportunity laws in its recruiting and hiring.

The Bates Center for Purposeful Work maintains its websites as a service to Bates students and alumni for their career development and job search efforts.

The presence of job announcements on any site maintained by the Bates Center for Purposeful Work does not indicate an endorsement or recommendation by Bates College or the Bates Center for Purposeful Work. Students and alumni are solely responsible for taking all necessary precautions when applying to, interviewing for, or accepting internships or jobs, as well as checking the credentials and integrity of a potential employer.

Compensation, working conditions, and all terms and conditions of employment for internships or jobs are agreements between the student/graduate and the employer. The Bates Center for Purposeful Work will not become involved in any such agreements, nor will Bates College or the Bates Center for Purposeful Work be responsible for any actions or inactions of the employer that arise out of or are related to an internship or job opportunity listed on a website maintained by the Bates Center for Purposeful Work.

The Bates Center for Purposeful Work websites also contain links to other websites not controlled by Bates College or the Bates Center for Purposeful Work, and neither party is responsible for the contents of any linked site, including the accuracy of any information, services, or materials provided by these sites or any third parties. The Bates Center for Purposeful Work provides these links only as a resource to support the career and professional development of students and alumni.

In addition, the Bates Center for Purposeful Work website and Handshake contain links to other websites as a convenience to our students. The Bates Center for Purposeful Work is not responsible for the content of these sites. The opinions and views associated with these linked sites are not necessarily those of Bates College or the Bates Center for Purposeful Work.

Bates College is a member of the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) and adheres to NACE’s Principles for Ethical Professional Practice. Bates does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, natural or ethnic origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, marital or parental status, or age or handicap in the recruitment and admission of its students, in the administration of its educational policies and programs, or in the recruitment and employment of its faculty and staff.

We expect employers and recruiters to be familiar with NACE, and we encourage membership in NACE should employers and recruiters find their resources valuable to working with colleges and universities.

Additionally, we expect employers and recruiters to be familiar with guidelines established by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, and other applicable federal and state laws. Bates reserves the right to prohibit employer access to any and all recruitment activities.

Campus Recruiting Offer Policy

The intention of the campus recruiting offer policy at the Bates Center for Purposeful Work is to allow students ample time to carefully consider all of their options in order to make informed decisions about their employment. We educate students on evaluating and negotiating job offers and discourage them from hasty decisions that may lead to reneging, which we strongly discourage.

We strongly recommend that employers review and consider the guidance set forth by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) on setting reasonable deadlines for job offers, which focuses on ensuring that students have a sufficient amount of time to consider offers of employment thoroughly and thoughtfully without undue pressure — positive by way of incentives or negative by way of offer rescission — to accept or decline.

In order to better meet student and employer needs, while recognizing the variation in recruitment and hiring timelines across industries and organizations, we have the following guidelines in place:

Offers and Deadlines

Full-time offers from summer internships (conversions):

• Employers extending full-time offers to previous summer interns should allow students until October 15 to accept or decline OR a minimum of 4 weeks after the date of the written offer, whichever is later.

Full-time offers from fall recruitment activities:

• Employers should allow students until November 1 to accept or decline OR a minimum of 2 weeks after the date of the written offer, whichever is later.

Full-time offers from spring recruitment activities:

• Employers should allow students a minimum of 2 weeks after the date of the written offer to accept or decline. If employers set a deadline of 1 week, we strongly encourage them to consider student requests for extensions beyond that deadline.

Internship offers for next summer:

• Employers should allow students — whether new or returning interns — until November 1 to accept or decline OR a minimum of 2 weeks after the date of the written offer, whichever is later.

Bates College values employer interest in recruiting and hiring our students for internships.

While Bates posts both paid and unpaid internships for student applications, we expect for-profit private sector employers to familiarize themselves and comply with the U.S. Department of Labor’s Guidelines for Internships Under The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), outlining the seven specific criteria an internship must meet in order to qualify as unpaid. If analysis of the situation reveals that an intern is actually an employee, then they are entitled to both minimum wage and overtime pay under the FLSA. While Bates may decline the posting of unpaid internships that do not appear to be in compliance with government policies, it is ultimately the responsibility of each employer to understand and comply with FLSA regulations.

Regardless of for-profit or not-for-profit status, we have been moving away from unpaid opportunities, especially given the equity and access issues associated with unpaid work — particularly the inability for low-income and first-generation students to reasonably consider unpaid roles without financial concerns. We recommend that all employers review the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) position statement with regard to unpaid internships. We recommend that all employers consider providing stipends and/or other forms of compensation, most notably housing (which is the most significant cost when opportunities are hybrid/in-person), so that talented students can reasonably consider opportunities that may set them up for success.

Additionally, while some employers may reference the option of college credit, such credit is not a form of compensation at most institutions, especially small liberal arts schools. Such credit will not count towards degree requirements or completion.

Provided that employers are not asking for students to volunteer more than 20 hours a week, we will still consider approval for unpaid opportunities, though 10 hours or fewer a week is significantly more reasonable, especially if students need to take on additional paid roles on- or off-campus.

Bates College is a member of the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) and adheres to NACE’s Principles for Ethical Professional Practice. Bates does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, natural or ethnic origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, marital or parental status, or age or handicap in the recruitment and admission of its students, in the administration of its educational policies and programs, or in the recruitment and employment of its faculty and staff.

We expect Bates students to conduct themselves professionally at all times during recruitment events and activities. If you have any questions about recruiting policies and/or professional conduct, please consult with a Bates Center for Purposeful Work staff member.

Your Rights and Responsibilities as a Job Seeker 

The office holds its staff as well as employers and third-party recruiting organizations recruiting Bates students and alumni accountable to NACE’s Principles for Ethical Professional Practice to ensure that:

• Students and alumni can openly, freely, and objectively select employment opportunities, making these choices based on their assessment of the best use of their abilities, their personal goals, and all other pertinent facts;
• The recruitment process is fair and equitable to students and employers; and
• Support is available for informed and responsible decision-making by students and alumni.

Interview No Show Policy

The interview no show policy applies when a student does not appear for a scheduled interview through the Bates Center for Purposeful Work and no communication has been made with the interviewing organization or the Center staff prior to the no show.

Upon a first offense, the student will:

• Lose full access to the Bates Handshake system and not be allowed to participate in any on-campus interviews through the Bates Center for Purposeful Work until they attend a meeting with the Director for Employer Engagement; and
• Write a letter of apology addressed to the interviewer, to be reviewed and approved by the Director for Employer Engagement before being sent via email to the interviewer.

Upon a second offense, the student will:

• Not be allowed to participate in any on-campus interviews through the Bates Center for Purposeful Work for the remainder of the academic year.

Acts of Misrepresentation

Falsifying data such as your GPA, dates of graduation, major/minor/GEC, work experience, eligibility to work in the United States, or other information is unethical. If you falsify documents or misrepresent yourself to any employer, whether via our recruitment activities or in your independent job search, The Bates Center for Purposeful Work has the right to rescind your privileges to use our services. Additionally, employers have the right to withdraw an offer or terminate your employment for misrepresentation.

Reneging on Job or Internship Offers 

Once you accept a job or internship offer, whether via our recruitment activities or in your independent job search, you are expected to withdraw completely from the job or internship search process. If you are uncertain as to whether you should accept an offer, please consult with a Bates Center for Purposeful Work staff member.

Reneging jeopardizes Bates’ reputation in the employment community as well as your own. Should you renege on an offer, The Bates Center for Purposeful Work may block you from participating in any additional on-campus interviews.