Complementing the need to leverage resources is the academic community's role in providing both academic and workplace learning opportunities and financial assistance to students--who traditionally work part-time, receive lower salaries, and generate fewer overhead costs than their full-time staff counterparts. It is not surprising, therefore, that IT departments have a long history of hiring students. The department, institution, students, and users benefit most from this practice when student employees are woven into the fabric of the IT community as full participants. How can an IT department inject community building into all phases of a student employment program? This article offers several suggestions on how IT departments can successfully manage student employment programs. (Contains 6 endnotes.)