The Labor Program Council
The Council serves as the advisory and governance body for the Work College Program, ensuring the integrity, effectiveness, and educational value of the student work experience. It advises and assists the Dean for the Work College Program in interpreting and applying the vision for the program, and holds comprehensive responsibility for major programmatic changes affecting experiential, non-credit learning, with specific responsibility for evaluation, assessment of goals and outcomes, and recommendations for program improvement based on assessment data.
Addressing Workplace Concerns
When concerns arise in a student's work-learning assignment, the Associate Dean reviews and investigates the concern and makes a decision, keeping the Dean for the Work College Program informed throughout. The Work College Support Coordinator assists with this process and addresses certain routine concerns directly, working in collaboration with the Associate Dean, whose role is directly connected to this work.
Concerns related to discrimination are handled separately through the College's Title IX Coordinator and are not part of this process.
In cases involving theft or falsification of time, the matter is also submitted to Student Affairs following the program's review and decision, where it is adjudicated according to the Berea College Community Judicial Code.
Appeals
If a student disagrees with a decision or believes it to be unfair, the student may appeal in writing to the Dean for the Work College Program, as outlined in the program's appeals process.
If a student is suspended for program-related reasons and wishes to appeal that suspension, the student has two options:
- Appeal to the Dean for the Work College Program, or to another College administrator if the Dean was directly involved in the case and cannot fairly review the appeal; or
- Appeal through the Council.
The choice between these two appeal paths belongs to the student.
Membership
Council membership includes:
- A representative from the Work College Program Office responsible for training and assessment
- A representative involved in the allocation of student work positions
- A representative from Human Resources responsible for training and evaluation
- Four working supervisors from diverse work areas, elected by the General Assembly (two from the College Faculty Assembly, and two non-teaching members of the General Assembly, preferably one exempt and one non-exempt)
- A Student Director appointed by the Work College Program Team
- A representative from the Office of Internships and Career Development
- Two students, appointed by the Student Government Association, whose work experiences reflect a range of departments
The Dean for the Work College Program and the Provost or the Provost's designee serve as ex-officio members. Elected members serve three-year terms, and the Council may invite additional voices as needed.