Recruiting Policies

These recruiting policies and guidelines have been developed to contribute to a positive and successful experience at the University of Puget Sound. We seek to support the mission of the college and the staffing needs of all employers and organizations in an environment of teamwork and cooperation.

Working with the office of Career and Employment Services, employers and their representatives respect and follow the guidelines when connecting with students, faculty, staff, or any other member of the Puget Sound campus community. The office of Career and Employment Services is responsible for coordinating arrangements for all recruiting activities, including but not limited to campus visits; event participation; communications with students, faculty or staff; and marketing activities.

The office of Career and Employment Services (CES) maintains sole discretion regarding which opportunities and employers may be represented to Puget Sound students through its programs, events, services and activities. Employer attendance at events (such as career fairs, campus visits, promotional tables, or group information sessions) and use of the Handshake job-posting system are subject to approval by CES. We reserve the right to remove any posting or ask an employer to leave campus if, at any time, through our professional judgment we determine that an organization or opportunity does not align with Puget Sound’s mission and policies. Decisions regarding employer representatives and opportunities provided for Puget Sound students will be made based on factors including, but not limited to: student interest; industry and geographic balance; Puget Sound alumni connection; employer position within its industry; feedback from students or past employees; and space availability. An organization’s presence on campus does not represent college endorsement of the organization, its products, services, or mission.

Students who serve as representatives for employers recruiting Puget Sound students are subject to these recruiting policies.

In accordance with the NACE Principles for Professional Practice, recruiters work within a framework of professionally accepted recruiting, interviewing, and selection techniques. If offering unpaid internships, please visit the Department of Labor page describing Internship Programs Under The Fair Labor Standards Act.

The University of Puget Sound makes its facilities and services open only to employers who comply with all applicable local, state, and federal non-discrimination laws and executive orders, including those prohibiting unlawful discrimination in hiring and in the workplace.

Employers are required to fully disclose organization information when recruiting Puget Sound students for any position. This includes but is not limited to: name of organization; type of organization; description of organization; available position title(s) and description; method of remuneration; and contact information.

In general, employers requiring candidates to pay a fee as a condition of employment, unless such fees are required in accordance with applicable State and Federal laws, may not use facilities or services of the University of Puget Sound. Fees include, but are not limited to: program or training fees; financial investment in organization; purchase of merchandise.

Similarly prohibited from using facilities or services of the University of Puget Sound are organizations that involve selling goods or services through individuals (often called distributors), where those distributors make money though sales they generate while also profiting from sales generated by others they have recruited.

Hourly rates of pay must be in compliance with minimum wage requirements. If you are outside of Tacoma, please consult with your local governance.

Contract recruiters, search firms, resume referral firms, and employment agencies may recruit on campus provided they adhere to these policies and guidelines. Additionally, third party recruiters are required to disclose to the staff members of the office of Career and Employment Services information on the client or clients represented and the types of positions and employers for which the third party is recruiting. Third-party recruiters that charge fees to job-seekers are not permitted.

In 2012, Washington State passed Initiative 502 legalizing marijuana use for adults 21 years of age and older. The Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board has developed rules regarding production, processing, and sale of marijuana in this state.

This initiative has created conflicts in federal and state law. While cannabis is now legal within Washington State, it remains illegal within the United States. And, as a federally-funded institution, the University of Puget Sound will follow federal law with respect to the sale, possession, and use of marijuana or marijuana-infused products.

The production, distribution, sale, possession, and use of marijuana or marijuana-infused products are prohibited on campus and during university-sanctioned activities.

We recognize that this is a dynamic industry and legal interpretation of the law is also evolving. We will not engage in job recruitment-related activity that could put valuable institutional funding at risk.

The following is a statement from Career and Employment Services:

The University of Puget Sound is cognizant of the growing industry surrounding the sale of legal marijuana in Washington State and the industry’s interest in cultivating talent for this emerging field. While cannabis is legal in Washington State, it remains illegal on a federal level, and thus provides a conflict for the university when considering the employers allowed to recruit on-campus and the career-related opportunities off-campus within this industry. The federal Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act disallows the unlawful possession, use, and distribution of illicit drugs, including marijuana. If the college fails to comply, it could become ineligible for federal funding, including financial aid programs for students.

Until there is clear resolution of the conflict between state and federal laws, the Career and Employment Services office at the University of Puget Sound will not allow cannabis-related employers to participate in on-campus recruiting activities or career events held off-campus, with the exception of regulatory, compliance, oversight, or research organizations. Select employers will be allowed to post opportunities on Handshake (our online job board) provided the organization is not involved in the sale, production, or distribution of cannabis products. More specifically:

  • CES will not host or sponsor any job shadow opportunities within the marijuana grow, production, distribution, retail, promotion, or tourism industry.
  • CES will not post or promote any internships (for credit or not) within the cannabis industry other than those within cannabis regulation, compliance, oversight, or research where students will not have access to product.
  • CES will post jobs that center on compliance, regulation, research & development. We will not post positions with marijuana growers, retailers, or promoters.

The University of Puget Sound maintains sole discretion regarding which opportunities and employers may be represented to Puget Sound students as outlined in the Career and Employment Services Recruiting Policies.

Use or possession of cannabis or cannabis products is strictly prohibited on campus and as part of any university program.

In accordance with the University of Puget Sound solicitation policy, use of the campus directory by employers or their representatives to contact any member of the campus community relating to prospective employment is prohibited. Employers and their representatives coordinate with the office of Career and Employment Services on targeted communications to groups, individuals, or departments.

Career and Employment Services reviews all promotional flyers and distributes them across campus for employers. Employers supply 20 flyers to Career and Employment Services for review. If approved, CES will stamp flyers with a “Permitted by Career and Employment Services” notice and post them on behalf of employers.

The University of Puget Sound is subject to the Solomon Amendment and Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) regulations relating to the release of student information. In general, the University of Puget Sound will not release to any third party, except with the written consent of the student, data pertaining to the student’s educational record. Under no circumstances can student applicant information be disclosed by employers and their representatives for anything other than recruiting purposes nor can it be sold or provided to other entities.

Employers are requested to communicate recruitment decisions to the office of Career and Employment Services.