Official says 2-percent rise not quite enough to call it a trend

Lauren Crist | Daily Kent Stater Sache Ross, junior nursing major, works at Jazzman’s Café in Eastway Market and Deli. Ross usually works two days a week for a total of 10 hours.

Credit: DKS Editors

Sache Ross, junior nursing major, has her school days figured out. She wakes up, goes to class, goes to work and studies after, if there’s time.

Ross works two days a week at Jazzman’s Café in Eastway Market and Deli. She takes orders and makes drinks, such as espressos and smoothies.

“It’s not much money, but it helps with everything else,” said Ross, who’s held the position for three semesters.

But recently, more students have been picking up campus jobs on top of classes and extracurricular activities.

Between fall 2008 and now, student employment on campus has increased 2 percent, said Ami Hollis, associate director of Career Services Center. Hollis added that they are experiencing a 2.5 percent increase in students getting more than one job.

“I would have expected a decrease from the state of Ohio cutting our budget,” Hollis said. “A 2 percent increase is not huge – not what we would call a trend.”

Dining Services director Richard Roldan said he definitely sees the increase in employment. Dining Services, the largest employer on campus, currently has 781 student employees. Dining Services hired 60 more students this year, Roldan said in an e-mail.

Roldan stressed that student employment is important and ties into the university’s “Excellence in Action” slogan. And because their employees are students with class schedules and exams, Roldan said they offer flexible hours.

Since the start of the semester, Roldan said they have received more than 1,000 applications.

Betsy Joseph, director of Residence Services, the second largest employer on campus, said they have also noticed an increase. In the past year, applications have risen from 55 to 79. Security Manager Brian Hellwig, in an e-mail to Joseph, said there are 42 security guards currently working, and there has been an increase in the number that applied.

“Working on campus is actually a good thing,” Joseph said. “It’s good to have a little money in your pocket and not having to ask mom and dad.”

Alex Shokles, sophomore speech pathology major, works at Campus Copy Connection on the third floor of the University Library. She works three days a week, and one of the days she doesn’t have class.

Shokles said she works for “fun money.”

“It gives me something to do,” she said. “I need structure.”

Besides being paid for her job, Ross said she has fun at Jazzman’s.

“It’s a good experience working with different people,” she said.

Students can work no more than 32 hours a week in one department, according to the Career Services Web site.

“Students have to weigh how much personal time they want to have,” Hollis said. “Schoolwork comes first, and they will have to work around the schedule.”

Contact news correspondent Kaylee Remington at [email protected].