Recruiting Guidelines & Internships

Texas State Career Services adheres to the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) Principles for Professional Practice. 

Recruiters are expected to conduct themselves in a manner that is consistent with NACE principals. Any recruiter attempting to place “improper influence” on a student during his or her employment decision will be in violation of the NACE principles. By participating in recruiting activities at Texas State University, either virtually or on campus, employers acknowledge and accept the recruiter policies, as outlined herein.

General Guidelines

• Firms are expected to abide by both the letter and spirit of these guidelines.
• A “recruiting contact” includes:
  • A social event of any kind or size (e.g., receptions, meals, etc.). This includes contact by current students who have already accepted employment offers.
  • Private oral or written communications to a specific student(s) that either (a)express an interest in employing the student(s), or (b) encourage the student(s) to seek employment at the recruiting organization.
• A “recruiting contact” does not include:
  • Career Day, classroom, or student organization (e.g., Beta Alpha Psi, Accounting Club) presentations with a significant educational component
  • Private oral or written communications of an administrative nature (e.g., verifying a mailing address, confirming an interview date, inviting a student to an authorized recruiting event, arranging accommodations).
• The following activities are prohibited:
  • Recruiting activities between Friday 10:00 PM and Sunday 5:00 PM.
  • Making alcoholic beverages available to students at any recruiting event.
  • Office visits during the last two weeks of a semester
• In arranging interviews, recruiters will accommodate students’ course schedules. Missing class to interview is not a legitimate academic excuse.
• The Accounting Department will encourage students to observe standard protocol in their dealings with recruiting organizations, including timely response to invitations, reasonable requests for information, and declining office visits absent an intention to seriously entertain an internship offer.
• In order to allow students to properly prepare for final exams the following “no contact” dates will be implemented:
  • Fall 2024-December 6, 2024, thru December 12
  • Spring 2025-April 29, 2025, thru May 6

Guidelines

Employers must put employment offers in writing. The offer letter must include the salary or wage associated with the position and the start date. The letter should clearly specify what is included in the terms of employment and that no further commitments have been made. If the offer of employment is conditional (e.g., upon a medical exam, or upon acceptance of the offer within a specified period), the condition(s) should be clearly stated. The start of the required offer timeline is determined by the date of the written offer letter. We request that employers notify The Accounting Department once students have accepted an offer.

Texas State Career Services, McCoy College of Business, Department of Accounting and NACE prohibit "exploding offers" resulting from on-campus recruiting. An exploding offer requires a student to accept a job offer within a very short period of time or face having the offer rescinded or markedly diminished. This places undue pressure on a student and is viewed as inappropriate conduct.

If a student reneges on a written acceptance of employment, please notify The Accounting Department. We recognize the importance of integrity in accepting an offer and want the opportunity to follow up with the candidate to review their personal situation that caused the action.

Internship Offers:

• Offers made any time for Spring 2025 and Summer 2025 internships must remain open a minimum of 2 weeks after the written date of the offer.
• Offers made during Fall 2024 for Spring 2026 or later internships must remain open a minimum of 2 weeks after the written date of the offer or until November 1, 2024, whichever is later. Offers made during Spring 2025 for Spring 2026 and beyond internships must remain open a minimum of 2 weeks after the written date of the offer.
• By agreeing to extend your offer to this deadline, an employer is assisting students with the proper evaluation of various offers to ensure they select the most optimal firm for their internship experience. However, a student may accept an offer any time before the required deadline if they so desire, and in doing so, will remove themselves from the inventory of candidates. The student must inform all other interested employers they have accepted an offer.
• The length of internships must be a minimum of 160 hours for 3-hour course credit or 320 hours for 6-hour course credit. Internships for course credit must comply with the curriculum requirements as set forth by the Accounting Department.
• Both the number of weeks and minimum hours per week must be met for the student to receive course credit but may be extended beyond the required time if mutually agreed to by student and employer.

Full time Offers:

Offers made to candidates who have recently completed an internship or who are otherwise eligible for full time employment must remain open for a minimum of 2 weeks after the written date of the offer.