Policies & Principles for Employer Representatives

To provide the highest level of professional and ethical service to our students, alumni, employers, employer contacts, and other constituents, Iowa State University requires all representatives of employers that recruit at ISU to abide by the following Professional Employment Practices Agreement.

Equal Employment Opportunity, Discrimination and Harassment

Iowa State University provides equal employment opportunity and is committed to assuring that its programs are free from prohibited discrimination and harassment based upon race, ethnicity, sex, pregnancy, color, religion, national origin, including citizenship status and immigration status, physical or mental disability, age, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, status as a U.S. veteran (disabled, Vietnam, or other), or any other status protected by university policy or local, state, or federal law. Any reported violations of equal employment opportunity laws or this policy are investigated. Recruiting privileges at ISU are only granted to organizations that agree to abide by the Non-Discrimination and Anti-Harassment Policy of Iowa State University and all applicable state and federal laws through all aspects of recruiting, hiring, and employment of students

Iowa State University Career Fair Inclusivity Statement

Iowa State University aspires to be the best land-grant university in the country in creating a welcoming and inclusive environment for all of our students, faculty, staff and visitors. In 2005, our student government began to formalize the six ideals that Iowa State uses to create a welcoming community called the Principles of Community. The Principles of Community are Respect, Purpose, Cooperation, Richness of Diversity, Freedom from Discrimination, and Honest and Respectful Expression of Ideas.

As you can imagine our students bring a plethora of life experiences and a variety of social identities such as being the first in their family to attend college, different abilities, different race and ethnic backgrounds, varied social economic standings, nationality, diverse gender and sexual identities, rural or city raised, speaking multiple languages, practicing different religions, etc., all which influence their strengths, skills, emotional intelligence and adaptability. As our partners, we ask that you honor our Principles of Community as you interact with our best and brightest during career fairs, networking events, interviews, etc.

Job Postings and CyHire Access

Iowa State University operates an electronic job board called CyHire. University policy requires that all professional employment opportunities (co-ops, internships and post-graduation) made available to our students be posted in the system. This helps to ensure that all students have an equal opportunity to learn about positions and apply if qualified. Position postings must conform to all applicable university policy and state and federal law. The ISU Career Services Council and its representatives reserve the right to refuse any position that does not support the interests of the students and university or violate policy or law. Once posted in CyHire, employers are free to work with faculty, student organizations, etc. to further spread the word about their employment opportunities.

In accordance with the equal employment opportunity provisions, job postings that are in violation of any state or federal laws are prohibited. Additionally, postings are prohibited that require a student to make a financial investment or pay a fee prior to employment, or that raise a safety concern (such as providing personal information, posting a video or other information to a public site, etc.) Additionally, position descriptions that include profanity or other inappropriate language will be denied for posting.

CyHire users must have an individual account and agree not to provide login, password or account information to anyone, or allow any other person or system access to their CyHire account.

On-Campus Recruiting Events

All recruiting-related events associated with Iowa State University must be co-hosted or administratively managed by a career services office, open to all interested students, and promoted through CyHire to help ensure fair and equal access. A recruiting event is any event where the focus is on promoting or filling the employment opportunities of one or more employers (i.e talking about specific employment opportunities, collecting resumes, etc.) Employers are encouraged to engage with student organizations, but the focus should be on technical and professional development activities. These interactions will increase name recognition and result in informal networking opportunities, which will have a positive impact on recruiting efforts.

Participation in the Classroom

Career Services encourages and supports interaction between campus recruiters and instructors. Organizations wishing to participate in classrooms should recognize that any material presented in such forums is required to correspond/complement the classroom curriculum. Company “commercials”, where the bulk of the material covered is focused on marketing the organization and its job opportunities, are not allowed. When reaching out to instructors, employers should plan to prepare presentations that will support the material of the course. For campus recruiters who wish to promote their company, hosting an information session marketed via CyHire is recommended. Student organizations may also be a venue for presentations. It should be mutually agreed upon by the organization and the company that the presentation will NOT primarily promote the firm. Additionally, any recruiting activities (i.e., resume collections, sharing of job postings, etc.) should be coordinated with Career Services and posted on CyHire. Engaging in recruitment activities in classroom situations which might be outside of standard recruitment practices may jeopardize the employer’s compliance with EEO and/or DOL obligations.

Protection of Student Information in Accordance with FERPA Regulations

Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) was designed to protect the student’s educational record and status as a student. A student has the right to control the release of their information and FERPA also limits the subsequent disclosure of the student information by a third party. Therefore individuals or organizations will not transfer or allow any other person or system to transfer any student or alumni information or data obtained from the CyHire system to any third party, or to any system operated by a third party Application Service Provider (ASP) without the expressed, written permission of the student or alumni.

Professional and Ethical Recruiting Practices

Organizations and individuals must use professional and ethical recruiting practices as stipulated by the NACE (National Association for Colleges and Employers) Principles for Professional Conduct. These practices include but are not limited to providing accurate and complete information about employment opportunities, and not using deception, pressure or intimidation to collect student information or secure commitments.

Reporting Reneging on Employment Acceptances

Reneging on acceptance of employment is rare at ISU, especially when students are given adequate time to explore opportunities and make informed decisions without undue pressure. When reneging does occur, we encourage employers to inform the student’s career services office so corrective action can be taken. We view this type of behavior as unprofessional and unacceptable, so the individual’s access to CyHire is suspended until he or she has met with career services to discuss ethics and professionalism.

Recruiting International Students

Career Services strongly encourages employers to include international students in their recruiting efforts. Most international students are in the U.S. on an F-1 visa (nonimmigrant, student) or J-1 visa (nonimmigrant, cultural and educational exchange). These visas permit students to accumulate a certain amount of work experience related to their major both while a student and following graduation. When hiring an international student, employers experience no additional cost or paperwork and the process is the same as making any other college student hire. It is the student’s responsibility to complete the required paperwork and follow all related employment regulations.

It is important that all employers understand that discrimination based on an applicant’s citizenship or immigration status is expressly prohibited by federal law. Employers may generally ask if a student now or in the future will require sponsorship for employment visa status. Other questions regarding citizenship, native language, nationality, green card status, etc. are prohibited. For more information see U.S. Employer’s Guide to Hiring International Students (pdf) prepared by ISU’s International Students and Scholars Office (ISSO).

Third-Party Recruiters

The Iowa State University Career Services Council defines third-party recruiters as those that are hiring individuals for other firms or organizations. ISU career services offices provide support to direct hire employers solely in the college recruiting hiring process. Career services offices do not provide career services support to third-party recruiters. If documentation is provided that indicates there is a contractual relationship between the hiring employer and the third party, services may be extended. Third parties that are hiring individuals who will be direct hires and on the payroll for the third party may also be extended recruiting services. Priority for career event attendance will be given to direct-hiring firms.