Recruitment Policies

Notice of Non-Discrimination, Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action

The University of Delaware does not discriminate against any person on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, genetic information, marital status, disability, religion, age, veteran status or any other characteristic protected by applicable law in its employment, educational programs and activities, admissions policies, and scholarship and loan programs as required by Title IX of the Educational Amendments of 1972, the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and other applicable statutes and University policies. The University of Delaware also prohibits unlawful harassment including sexual harassment and sexual violence.

Employers must abide by the University of Delaware’s Non-Discrimination Policy Statement. The Career Center at the University of Delaware will work solely with employers that abide by the University’s equal opportunity standards.

The University of Delaware non-discrimination policy states that the University does not discriminate against someone because of their religion. As such, any positions that discriminate based upon religious affiliation, will not be approved.

Professional Conduct Statement

Employers that utilize the services provided by the UD Career Center and employment professionals who work at or represent those employers shall:

• Supply accurate information on their organization and the employment opportunities available at their organization
• Refrain from any practice that improperly influences or affects job applicants

The UD Career Center honors students’ prerogatives to consider all types of career opportunities and does not endorse specific organizations that may post jobs in Handshake or participate in UD’s on-campus interviewing program. All discussions concerning particular positions or the terms and conditions of employment are conducted directly between the student and the employer. By offering its services to facilitate discussions between students and off-campus employers, the UD Career Center makes no representations or guarantees regarding the qualifications, credentials or suitability of the students that utilize Handshake.

Career Center Job Offer Policy

The UD Career Center firmly believes that allowing candidates adequate time to make an informed decision whether or not to accept an offer is in the best interest of both candidates and employers. Candidates feel more secure in their choices after they have analyzed all the information available to them, and employers can feel more confident that candidates have accepted their offer with every intention of honoring their commitment. Conversely, if candidates are not provided adequate time to consider an offer, the Applicant Conduct and Privacy Policy, to which students are required to agree, becomes difficult to enforce.

The UD Career Center asks employers to provide fair and reasonable time periods for candidates to evaluate employment offers prior to making a decision that will affect their future careers and personal lives. The UD Career Center will work with both the candidates and employers when and if these guidelines are not followed. The guidelines are in place to help the UD Career Center determine a course of action on a case-by-case basis.

Candidates are to be given adequate time to make informed decisions when comparing and responding to job offers. This policy shall be applied to both full-time and summer internship offers thereby establishing overall fairness to all participating parties. The below referenced time frames shall assist employers in planning their recruitment strategy and allow both employers and candidates the opportunity to participate fully during the recruiting season.

• Any and all full-time and/or internship offers extended to candidates during a summer or adjacent fall semester will remain valid for a minimum of three (3) weeks (21 days) or through October 15—whichever date is later.  Any and all offers made during a spring semester for that adjacent summer or end of graduation start date will remain valid for a minimum of two weeks (14 days).

• Students should review this Job Offer Policy for employers to understand the timing around offers and acceptances. If you have a question about your job or internship offer, please email the UD Career Center at udcareers@udel.edu or Lerner Career Services Center at lernercareerservices@udel.edu.

Candidates may accept an offer prior to an offer deadline. Employers may extend offers with deadlines beyond the aforementioned time frames.

The UD Career Center’s recruiting policy is informed by the Reasonable Offer Deadlines Guideline as set forth by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE).

Updated June 2024

Third-Party Recruiting Policy

The University of Delaware utilizes the NACE Principles for Third-Party Recruiters.  For organizations who wish to post third-party opportunities with the UD Career Center Handshake database, the organization must agree to the following terms and conditions:

• Third-party recruiters operate in congruence with the University policy of Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action and do not discriminate on the basis of age, race, color, religion, sex, handicap or national origin. An employer or agency using the services of the UD Career Center understands that compliance with all related federal and state statutes and regulations is required for initiation or continuance of the UD Career Center.
• Third-party recruiters will abide by the Principles for Ethical Professional Practice as described in the NACE Principles for Professional Practice.
• Third-party recruiters must agree to disclose the name of the employer, as well as the position description. The client's name should appear in the title of the position.
• All positions posted by third-party recruiters without the client name will be deleted from the system.
• Students and alumni will not be charged a fee for the third-party recruiter's services.
• The third-party recruiter can be listed as the contact for student and alumni cover letters and resumes.
• Third-party recruiters are eligible to participate in a career fair ONLY IF they are recruiting for their own respective organization OR they explicitly state the company they are representing at the time of the fair.

Definition of third-party agencies:

Third-party agencies are organizations or individuals that recruit candidates for part-time or full-time employment opportunities for other organizations rather than for their own organizations’ internal hiring needs.

Updated July 2024

Job Posting Guidelines

The UD Career Center reserves the right to refuse or revoke services to any organization at any time, including the right to determine posting eligibility and delete job postings deemed unsuitable for students and alumni seeking full-time and internship positions.

When submitting postings, please ensure they meet the guidelines below:

• Full-time positions require an education level of bachelor's, master's or doctoral degree
• Organizations and positions which require a charge to the student will not be approved
• Job description provided is detailed, clear and comprehensive
• Compensation is indicated with base salary
• Company or organization must have an active website and company email address
• Internships must meet the standards under the Fair Labor Standards Act (U.S. Dept. of Labor)
• Postings must adhere to UDCC policies - link to tile 1 policy page

Handshake job postings should not include the following:

• Positions that do not meet the policies mentioned in this agreement
• Positions whose application process asks students to use or submit their social media profile or release this type of information to the employer
• Positions involving franchise, network marketing, club membership, distributorship or sales representative agency arrangements
• Positions requiring recruitment of other members, sub-distributors or sub-agents
• Positions that require an up-front or periodic payment; no fees (application or other) may be charged by the employer before an offer of employment is made
• A job listing with a company the name of which is unknown or not identified
• Positions in private homes, including part-time or summer jobs, such as, but not limited to, child care and home maintenance. Employers are encouraged to utilize QuadJobs.com, SitterCity and Care.com when looking to hire individuals for home based-positions (e.g., babysitting, nanny, caretaker, tutor, pet care, etc.)
• The University of Delaware non-discrimination statement states that the University does not discriminate against someone because of their religion. As such, any positions that discriminate based upon religious affiliation, will not be approved.

Marijuana/Cannabis Industries Job Posting Policy

The UD Career Center will not accept positions related to the use or distribution of recreational or medical marijuana. As the use of marijuana is illegal at the federal level and UD receives federal funds, we must comply with federal law. In addition, the use of marijuana violates the Drug-Free Schools and Campuses Act and continues to be banned on campus.

By completing your employer profile in Handshake and/or participating in recruitment services or events with the UD Career Center, you agree to the aforementioned terms.

This policy is subject to change without prior notice. All employers are still subject to the terms of this policy.

Updated July 2024

Internship Best Practices

The UD Career Center has adopted the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) criteria for an experience to be defined as an internship.

To ensure that an experience—whether it is a traditional internship or one conducted remotely or virtually—is educational, and thus eligible to be considered a legitimate internship by the NACE definition, all the following criteria must be met:

• The experience must be an extension of the classroom: a learning experience that provides for applying the knowledge gained in the classroom. It must not be simply to advance the operations of the employer or be the work that a regular employee would routinely perform.
• The skills or knowledge learned must be transferable to other employment settings.
• The experience has a defined beginning and end, and a job description with desired qualifications.
• There are clearly defined learning objectives related to the professional goals of the student’s academic coursework.
• There is supervision by a professional with expertise and educational and/or professional background in the field of the experience.
• There is routine feedback by the experienced supervisor.
• There are resources, equipment and facilities provided by the host employer that support learning objectives.
• If these criteria are followed, it is the opinion of NACE that the experience can be considered a legitimate internship.

Unpaid Internships

The UD Career Center adheres to the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) Position Statement on Unpaid Internships. If your organization does not intend to provide compensation for internships, we recommend that you familiarize yourself with the Fair Labor Standards Act as it relates to Internship Programs.

Internships for academic credit

Academic credit may legitimize an unpaid experience, some employers may require students to enroll in our experiential internship course, UNIV 364, to gain credit as part of the internship experience.

Updated July 2024