POLICIES AND GUIDELINES

Villanova University Career Center: Message to Employers and Recruiters

As a visitor to the university, we look forward to welcoming you in the spirit of our institution and kindly request that any videos or other materials displayed or distributed during your visit respect Villanova’s mission and values.

Villanova is a Catholic Augustinian institution of higher education, and, as such, we recognize diversity as an integral component of the teaching and learning experience and as an essential element of the ongoing intellectual, social and spiritual development of every member of our community. 

We commit ourselves to cultivating an academic environment marked by genuine curiosity about different perspectives, ardent receptivity to knowledge generated through intercultural connections and a genuine sensitivity to the variety of human experiences marked by domestic and global differences.

We stand firm in the belief that "with respect to the fundamental rights of the person, every type of discrimination, whether social or cultural, whether based on sex, race, color, social situation, language, or religion, is to be overcome and eradicated as contrary to God's intent" (Vatican Council II, Gaudium et Spes No. 29).

Consistent with the Career Center’s recruiting policies and the NACE Principles for Ethical Professional Practice, we expect employers to maintain equal employment opportunity compliance and follow affirmative action principles in your recruiting activities at Villanova University.

For Employers Attending a Villanova University Recruiting Event:

You agree your organization could provide a Certificate of Insurance evidencing general liability and automobile insurance naming Villanova University, its officers, employees and agents as additional insureds, as well as workers’ compensation insurance to cover their employees for any injuries they may sustain in conjunction with the event. The failure of Villanova University to secure the required Certificate of insurance prior to the event shall not relieve the exhibiting organization from its responsibility to obtain and maintain the above required coverage. 

Villanova's Commitment to Inclusive Recruiting:

Prior to attending a campus event (in-person or virtual), the Career Center recommends you review our Commitment to Inclusive Recruiting for suggestions on how your organization can communicate your commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion when recruiting at Villanova.

• Provide accurate information on majors, minors, GPA, and employment eligibility.
• Provide current and reliable contact information for the Career Center and employers.
• Respond appropriately to communication from the  Career Center and employers.
• Adhere to schedules. Thoroughly research organizations prior to interviewing and accepting positions.
• Notify the Career Center immediately if you encounter questionable practices or irregularities in the employment process.
• Notify the Career Center upon acceptance of a job offer. Withdraw from the interview process and notify all employers with whom you are interviewing.
• Consider acceptance of employment as a commitment to that employer.
• Reneging an acceptance is not condoned by the Career Center and will result in loss of service to you.

• Maintain a recruitment process that is fair and equitable to candidates and employing organizations.
• The staff will, without imposing personal values or bias, assist individuals in developing a career plan.
• The Career Center staff will provide students with information on a range of career opportunities and types of employing organizations. They will inform students of the means and resources to gain access to information which may facilitate their decisions about an employing organization.
• The Career Center staff will provide employing organizations with accurate information about Villanova University and its students and about the policies and services of the Career Center.
• Maintain confidentiality of student information.

Villanova University’s Career Center is a centralized center for Villanova’s undergraduate and graduate students, as well as for alumni. We use Handshake for posting full-time, part-time and internship positions.

The University’s Career Center reserves the right to determine the eligibility of a posting and to delete postings deemed unsuitable for our students.  We will not post jobs that appear to discriminate against applicants on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, age, national origin, veteran status, sexual orientation, disability, or gender. All positions requiring a fee for training or participation in a work experience or for any other reason are unacceptable and will not be posted. Any position that does not support the interests of the University or our students will not be posted.

The Career Center strongly encourages employers to compensate interns in order to create a more competitive applicant pool. Otherwise, you may prevent some of our highly qualified students from applying. Companies positing unpaid internships must make it clear that the position is unpaid, or may be eligible for academic credit.

Third Party Staffing firms must provide the name of the client within the job description and choose the appropriate functions/tasks in the Job Function area when entering the position description. Third Party Staffing firms must also agree and adhere to our Third Party Recruiting Guidelines which will be provided at the time of the Handshake request. Student information must not be provided to any other employer or used for any other reason than the original recruiting purpose. Third-party recruiters charging fees to Villanova students will not be permitted to post positions or have access to any Career Center services. 

The Career Center would like to allow organizations in the cannabis industry who legally operate within pertinent state laws to recruit Villanova students and alumni through university services. This includes educational and advocacy organizations, healthcare organizations, pharmaceutical organizations, financial services organizations, and consulting organizations. Similarly, we would like to allow students to earn academic credit for internships with organizations like these and to be eligible for funding for such experiences (provided that the donors do not object to such use of the funds). To comply with the University’s Policy on Drug-Free Schools and Drug-Free Workplace, the Career Center will not permit employers to post or recruit for retail positions that would have students involved directly with the possession, use, or distribution of cannabis, medically or recreationally. Cannabis-based companies interested in recruiting with Villanova University are required to agree and adhere to our Cannabis-Based Company Recruiting Guidelines confirming that the positions for which they will recruit will not have students involved with immediate possession, use, or distribution of cannabis with the exception of controlled research environments that do not involve human use. These guidelines will be provided at the time of the Handshake request.

Villanova University cares deeply about the safety and well-being of Villanova students and families in our community. With respect to job placement, childcare positions involve particularly sensitive vetting of both job candidates and potential employers, including some new background check requirements under Pennsylvania law that may apply.   

Villanova University's Career Center believes that Villanova students and community families will be best served by using other placement services that are specifically designed to address these sensitive childcare job placement needs.   

Such services include, without limitation:

• Sitter City
• Care

Employers are asked to adhere to the following:

The National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) Principles for Professional Practice

U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)

Only currently enrolled Villanova undergraduates and graduate students are eligible to participate in the Campus Recruiting Program. Employers are expected to maintain the confidentiality of student information, regardless of the source (including personal knowledge, written records/reports, social networking websites and computer databases).

If a student fails to sign up for an on-campus interview time, the student loses their interview time. Their account will be locked until they meet with a member of the Recruiting team. An alternate will be notified to sign up for the open slot.

If a student doesn’t show up for their interview, they will be ineligible to participate in the campus recruiting program or resume referral programs  until they meet with a member of the Recruiting team. A letter of apology must be sent to the company recruiter. 

A student will lose their recruiting privileges if they have two offenses during the academic year.

For the most up-to-date information, call the University main snow number at (610) 519-4505. Announcements are also posted on the Villanova University website.

• When classes are canceled: No on-campus interviews will be held. Please call the Career Center (610) 519-4061 for messages regarding recruiting and rescheduling. For those staying in nearby hotels, please be sure to leave your telephone number and where you are staying when leaving a message.
• When there is a two-hour opening delay: It is difficult to gain access to the campus because of snow removal prior to 10 a.m. The first on-campus interview will then begin at 10:30 a.m. The interviews scheduled before 10:30am will then be rescheduled for a later time that same day.

Villanova University supports the National Association of Colleges & Employers (NACE) Advisory Opinion on Setting Reasonable Deadlines for Job Offers. We understand that evolving market conditions demand new solutions and we applaud innovation in recruitment. When it comes to the new practice of early recruiting, we encourage you to consider the following: the earlier in a student’s academic career that you begin recruiting, the more information and time you should provide them to learn, consider options and respond to offers.

The following recruiting guidelines have been created for employment offers given to Villanova students from both on-campus and off-campus recruiting efforts and include full-time jobs, internships, CoOps, externships and leadership programs. They aim to ensure overall fairness to all participating parties. These timeframes should assist employers in planning their recruitment strategy and allow both employers and students the opportunity to participate fully during the recruiting season.

• Employment professionals will maintain equal employment opportunity (EEO) compliance and follow affirmative action principles in recruiting activities
• Exploding offers, those made with undue pressure and insufficient time to respond, are strictly prohibited. All bonuses or other incentives are to remain in full effect for the entire duration of the offer period
• The written offer should clearly state all appropriate terms and conditions, including but not limited to: position title/description, location, start date, end date (if applicable) and compensation (salary, bonuses, benefits, etc.)
• FULL-TIME, INTERNSHIP AND CoOp OFFERS: Employers should allow a minimum of three weeks from the date of the written offer, but preferably longer, for students to accept or decline
• EXCEPTION: Accelerated recruitment opportunities where offers are extended nearly one year prior to the position commencing:  September 1 or three weeks (whichever later)
• Employers should be flexible in granting offer extensions on a case-by-case basis if the circumstances warrant it. The Career Center encourages students to make decisions on employment offers within a reasonable timeframe and to be sensitive to employer needs. The Career Center does not encourage students to wait to decide unless there is a specific reason for doing so

The Villanova University Career Center defines an exploding offer as any offer which does not conform with the offer guidelines listed above. Students should not be pressured to accept offers “on the spot” or "early,” whether this is based upon a shorter timeframe for consideration overall and/or due to any special diminishing incentives attached, e.g.,  tiered or expiring bonuses, reduced options for location preferences, etc. The Career Center expects all employers to refrain from such practices when recruiting Villanova students.

Reneges are never permitted or condoned by the Career Center. Reneging on an offer is a serious violation of The Career Center’s policy, and will result in immediate suspension of all recruiting privileges and the student’s Handshake account is deactivated. Violators will be required to meet with a representative from the Career Center, their Academic Chairperson and/or Dean. Future recruiting privileges will be determined after this meeting.