Policies and Procedures
Employing organizations, universities, and students in the recruiting process have a responsibility for adherence to principles of professional conduct. Any unprofessional or unethical conduct can have serious repercussions for all parties, resulting in the reduction of opportunities for all candidates.

1. As a registrant of the Walton College Career Services (WCS) and University Offices of Career Connections (OCC), I agree to:

• Accurately present my qualifications and interests
• Thoroughly research the company prior to my interview to include attending company information sessions
• Honor interview commitments
• Not share my username and password
• Communicate professionally and respectfully at all times with employers and recruiters. Failure to do so may result in loss of all career center services. In addition, you may be found in violation of the University of Arkansas Student Code of Conduct.

2. All registrants are required to follow the Interview, Cancellation and No-Show policies listed below.

• I will only apply for jobs and interviews with companies that are of genuine interest to me. Applying for interviews or positions that are of little or no interest to me can result in lost opportunities for other students and presents an unprofessional image of our campus to recruiters.
• Failure to show or making a late cancellation (within 24 hours of the interview) for a scheduled interview will result in:
  • Restriction from using the Handshake job posting system and/or other career center resources.
• After your first no show or late cancellation, in order to avoid being restricted from using from using Handshake or other career center resources, a letter (written or email) must be sent to the company recruiter within three business days (72 hours) explaining the reasons for the missed interview and a copy must be given to either WCS or OCC. Your access to Handshake will be denied until a copy of your letter or email is received by the OCC or WCS (email recruit@uark.edu or careerservices@walton.uark.edu).
• After two no-shows or cancellations, you must meet with a WCS or OCC Director to determine your eligibility to continue to participate in career programs.

3. After accepting an offer from a company, the following will be completed:

• I will notify the WCS or OCC of my placement information.*
• I will stop interviewing through the on-campus interview system.
• I will notify employers actively recruiting me that I have accepted an offer.
• I will fulfill my commitments made in the job offer accepted.
• I agree not to renege or decline a previously accepted offer or use an accepted offer as leverage for another offer elsewhere.
• I understand and agree that reneging on an offer of employment of any kind is grossly unprofessional, not in line with the values and expectations of UA students, and reflects poorly on the University of Arkansas, WCS, and the OCC . I understand that engaging in such behavior will preclude me permanently from further utilizing the services offered by WCS and OCC.

Note: if, after accepting a job offer, the employer should rescind the offer, I can immediately re-activate my job search through the WCS or OCC.

*Reporting salary offer and job acceptance information to the WCS or OCC is critical to the University of Arkansas for our ability to benchmark successful outcomes in national rankings and recognition. All information will remain confidential. Salary and placement information are only reported in statistical format (average salary, percentage of graduates placed, etc.)

Using Handshake through the University of Arkansas certifies that I have read and voluntarily agree to the policies and procedures stated above. I also understand that Handshake is one method for finding a job. It is important that I utilize several job search methods and not rely solely on Handshake.

In an effort to teach professionalism, the Offices of Career Connections has created an Event Cancellation and No-Show policy. All Offices of Career Connections event registrants are required to follow the Cancellation and No-Show policy listed below:

Events will be categorized as Tier 1, Tier 2, or Tier 3, depending on the event's visibility, required resources, and importance to our relationships with employers/recruiters. Late cancellation (within 1 day of the event) or failure to appear for an event will result in a violation of the event policy. The offenses are divided into three tiers which correspond with the tier level of the events.

• Tier 1 Event: The student will be required to write a letter of explanation to Offices of Career Connections staff. This letter should be submitted within 5 business days of the event.
• Tier 2 Event: The student will be required to write an apology letter to the employer(s) at the. This letter must first be approved by a Offices of Career Connections staff member. The student may also lose certain career service privileges. This letter should be submitted within 5 business days of the event.
• Tier 3 Event: The consequences of this offense will vary case-by-case and may include some form of suspension from a career service activity, event, or service provided. Tier 3 offenses may be subject to a meeting with a career development center staff member, an apology letter to appropriate parties, or another action deemed appropriate by the career center staff. The timeline for these consequences will be communicated to the student on a case-by-case basis.

If a student violates the Tier 1 policy 3+ times without a letter of explanation, the next offense will be bumped up one tier. If a student violates the Tier 2 policy 2+ times without a letter of apology, the next offense will be bumped up one tier.

Explanation Letter Template

Hello [STAFF MEMBER]

[In this letter, you should mention which event you did not attend and apologize for having missed it, regardless of your reason. You should then explain why you missed the event. You should acknowledge that resources might have been expended for your attendance. Finally, you should close by stating that you understand that future late cancellations or no-shows may result in restriction from participation in future Offices of Career Connections events and/or usage of Handshake.]

Sincerely,

[YOUR NAME AND CONTACT INFORMATION]

Apology Letter Template

Hello [EMPLOYER]

[In this letter, you should mention which event you did not attend and apologize for having missed it, regardless of your reason. You should then explain why you missed the event. You should acknowledge that resources might have been expended for your attendance. Finally, you should close by stating that you are grateful that they partner with UA to make opportunities available to students and that you hope your no-show/late-cancellation did not reflect poorly on UA.]

Sincerely,

[YOUR NAME AND CONTACT INFORMATION]

The U of A Offices of Career Connections provide opportunities and resources for University of Arkansas students and alumni to develop job-search skills and identify potential employment. The Offices of Career Connections do not guarantee job placement for students nor for alumni.

The Offices of Career Connections serve as a referral source for jobs and other opportunities and generally cannot make specific recommendations regarding off-campus employers. The Center makes no guarantees about the positions listed by the Center.

The Offices of Career Connections are not responsible for safety, wages, working conditions or any other aspects of off-campus employment. While we expect employers to adhere to ethical standards, we are not able to research the integrity of every organization or individual that lists a job with us. Students and alumni are urged to ask good questions and use common sense when applying for any job or internships, particularly with respect to employment in a private home or other opportunities not affiliated with an established public or private sector organization. We encourage you to research prospective employers using resources made available by the Offices of Career Connectionss, as well as company websites. This short video contains pointers to help you avoid employment fraud.

Please contact the university Offices of Career Connections with questions or if you believe any employer listing jobs or internships has misrepresented opportunities or has otherwise engaged in unethical conduct concerning recruitment or employment practices.

The Offices of Career Connections advise caution in dealing with third-party recruiters. For more information on how to evaluate whether to work with a potential third-party recruiter, we recommend you review these guidelines published by the National Association of Colleges and Employers.

As UA enrollment increases, so does the request for personalized, one-on-one appointments with career counselors. When a student fails to attend a scheduled appointment, they have not only lost an opportunity for professional development themselves but have also made it so another student could not benefit from the opportunity. The Offices of Career Connections's appointment no-show/cancellation policy exists to instill professionalism into all students.

First No-Show

After the first appointment no-show, a warning email will be sent to the student. This email will reiterate the Offices of Career Connections Appointment No-Show Policy, emphasizing the consequences of a second no-show appointment.

Second No-Show

After the second appointment no-show, the student will be required to write an explanation letter to their career counselor about why they were not at their scheduled appointment. The student will receive an email regarding the explanation letter; the email will also reiterate the Offices of Career Connections Appointment No-Show Policy, emphasizing the consequences of a third no-show appointment.

Third No-Show

After the third appointment no-show, the student will not be permitted to schedule any appointment with the Offices of Career Connections or utilize Handshake Link for 4 months; s/he will also be asked to write an explanation letter to the Offices of Career Connections. The student will also receive an email reiterating the Offices of Career Connections Appointment No-Show Policy.

Note

• No-show definition: any appointment in which a student fails to attend or does not cancel within 24 hours of the appointment.
• No-shows will be reset/cleared on August 1st of each year. They will not be carried over year to year.

Career fairs and events provide an excellent opportunity for students to network with employers to explore career paths and career opportunities. The Offices of Career Connections (OCC) has outlined specific employer policies for career fair and event participation. Please note that the OCC reserves the right to refuse participation to employers based on industry representation and space availability, including but not limited to the information below.

Employer Eligibility

• Employers must be an approved employer in Handshake at the University of Arkansas in order to register and attend recruiting events.
• Organizations whose account is not paid in full will be required to pay for all past outstanding fees and pre-pay (via phone) for the current fair(s) they wish to attend. Employers with any outstanding fees will not be permitted to attend the fair(s) and their registration will remain pending until their account is paid in full. To pre-pay, please contact the Employer Relations Coordinator at 479-575-2804.

Refund/Cancellation Policy

Once your organization has been notified that your registration has been approved, the following cancellation policy is in effect:

• Payment is due upon approval of your registration. No refunds or credits will be issued less than 14 days prior to the event. Cancellations received in writing at least 14 days before the event will receive a full refund minus $35.00 to offset system and financial charges.
• All cancellations must be submitted in writing by email to the Employer Relations Coordinator (recruit@uark.edu) and include:
  • Event Title
  • Contact Name
  • Reason for Cancellation
• Confirmation of the cancellation request will be provided upon receipt of the written request.
• If a registration is paid in full, but cancelled less than 14 days prior to the event, or if your recruiters do not show up for the event, the registration fee as well as any other applicable charges based on the original registration request (extra tables, electricity, additional representatives etc.) is non-refundable.
• If a registration is NOT paid in full, and cancelled less than 14 days prior to the event, or if your recruiters do not show up for the event, full payment is still required. Future registrations will not be allowed until this balance is paid (See Employer Eligibility section).
• Virtual career fairs and events will be subject to the same cancellation and refund policies as in-person events. In addition, there will be no provision for refunds or future credits in the event of user error, firewall issues, or other technical or connectivity issues on the part of the employer. While the OCC will provide support prior to and during events, registered organizations are responsible for ensuring their devices, networks, etc. will allow access to all features of the virtual platform in advance of the event.

Hazardous Weather and Emergencies

• In the event of hazardous or inclement weather, the OCC will not host career fairs or scheduled events if the University of Arkansas is closed.
• In the event of any emergency, natural disaster, or public health crisis, the OCC will not host career fairs or other scheduled events if conditions are deemed to be unsafe.
• If an event is cancelled, the OCC will notify career fair registrants via email no later than 3 hours prior to the scheduled start time and will attempt to reschedule for a later date or provide a comparable virtual alternative.
• If the organization chooses to participate on the rescheduled date, all fees, as well as cancellation policies will apply.
• If the organization cannot attend the rescheduled event, a full refund or an event credit will be applied to the registered organization. Event credits must be used within one calendar year from the original event date.
• In the event an employer is unable to attend due to inclement weather or emergency in their geographic area, no refunds will be offered; however requests for compensatory registrations at an upcoming event will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.

Delayed Start

If the University has a delayed start the day of an event due to inclement weather, the event will have a delayed start matching the time the University has announced opening and will run until the scheduled ending time.

For example, if the University announces a delayed start time of 11:00am, the STEM Fair will run from 11:00am - 3:30pm. If lunch was to be provided for an event, it will still be provided.

Please consult the following for official news regarding the event status/schedule:

• www.uark.edu
• www.career.uark.edu
• Offices of Career Connections at 479-575-2805 or 479-575-2804
• Employer Relations Coordinator at recruit@uark.edu

Questions about career fairs and events not answered by this policy should be directed to the Employer Relations Coordinator (479-575-2804 or recruit@uark.edu).

A primary objective of the University of Arkansas Offices of Career Connections (OCC) or Walton Career Services (WCS) is to support employers in their efforts to recruit and hire UA students. View the policy to learn about the University of Arkansas' job posting approval process in Handshake.

• Handshake Posting
  Approval Policy

We ask that all employers adhere to our hiring guidelines and policies when extending offers to students.

• Offer Guidelines
  & Policies