Supervising Students
Career Success has collected and created a variety of resources designed to help you best support your student employees. Supervising student employees can be a highly transformative experience for both the supervisor and the student.
Supervision toolkit
We encourage you to review our supervision toolkit. This toolkit is designed to provide supervisors with an in-depth guide to best practices and approaches for supervision.
Best practices for mentors in experiential learning opportunities
Some experiential learning opportunities require students to partner with a staff or faculty mentor. Career Success recommends the following best practices regarding the responsibilities of supportive mentors:
- Meet with students before the program begins and establish a communication plan.
- Hold regular meetings to help students reflect on their experience and provide support or guidance when needed.
- E-mail check-ins are encouraged. Students and mentors should be reasonably responsive to each other (within 24 business hours).
- Mentors should help students identify their strengths and areas for growth and highlight the benefits of the student’s experiential learning opportunity.
- If applicable, mentors should approve student timesheets promptly.
- Celebrate! If at all possible, mentors are encouraged to attend any celebratory event that may be held at the conclusion of the experience.
Professional development
Access webinar recordings and presentations designed to support our on-campus supervisors of student employees.
How to hire students
- Student Employment Subsidies & Posting a Job in Handshake (24/25) – Access Recording, Access Presentation
- Effectively Hiring & Onboarding Student Employees (23/24) – Access recording
- Writing Effective Job Descriptions for Student Employees (22/23) – Access Recording
- Employment Misconduct Disclosure Q&A (24/25) – Access Recording, Access Presentation
- Student Hiring Updates Fall 2025 – Access Recording, Access Presentation
Supervision
- Best Practices in Supervision (22/23) – Access Recording
- Adapting your Supervisory Style for Students (23/24) – Access recording
- Encouraging Professional Development for Students (22/23) – Access Recording
- Evaluating Student Progress – Incorporating Career Readiness into Performance Evaluations (22/23) – Access Recording
- Supporting LGBTQIA2S+ Students (24/25) – Access Recording, Access Presentation
- Supporting Student Employees with Disabilities & How to Provide Reasonable Accommodations (23/24) – Access Recording, Access Resource List
- Off-boarding your Employees (23/24) – Access Recording, Access PPT
Performance concerns
- Supporting Student Employees That Are Not Meeting Site Expectations/Goals (23/24) – Access recording, Access RetroBoard, Access Presentation
- Conflict Resolution (23/24) – Access Recording, Access PPT, Access Resource List
- Performance Improvement Plans – How to Support Students When Improvements are Needed (22/23) – Access Recording
Contact our team
General Questions: csuccess@ucsc.edu
Phone: (831) 459-4420
Student employment inquiries: ucscel@ucsc.edu
