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On-campus
jobs offer students new opportunities as well as money
By
Laura Pipe
Skiff Staff
Walking through the entrance of Brachman Hall is a pleasant
experience, as you come upon a friendly face sitting behind
an office desk. The pleasant experience is a standard
in every residence hall on TCU’s campus, as the halls
depend on student workers to help run the building.
Many of the buildings on campus are in similar positions.
The Mary Couts Burnett Library and the Recreation Center
both depend on student workers to keep the buildings open
in the evening and on weekends.
Student-employees reap benefits from working on campus
as well.
“All the studies show that students who work do better
in school, than those who don’t,” said Bill
Stowe, associate director of Career Services.
The Student Employee Handbook supports Stowe’s claim,
listing the benefits of a higher GPA, building networks,
learning to set priorities, gaining self-confidence and
building organizational and time management skills.
The most economical place for a freshman to have a job
is on campus. TCU employs about 1,300 student workers
a year. The jobs range from clerical and customer service
positions, such as jobs in Government Information in the
library, to jobs with professors around the campus.
Students are encouraged to seek jobs in their interest
areas, giving them an opportunity to gain experience within
a field. The best way to find a job is by contacting faculty
within the department of interest. If a student has an
interest in physics, they should contact the physics faculty
to possibly locate a research job. Another good resource
is the TCU Career Services Web site, which can be accessed
from TCU’s homepage. The Web site lists hundreds
of on campus and off-campus jobs. Career Services can
also help students to locate jobs on campus.
The first two weeks of school are a great time to find
an on campus job. Most departments are looking for work-study
students, but those who are non work-study should not
be discouraged. Stowe said many jobs that were work-study
only, open up to everyone after about two weeks of classes,
because departments need the student help.
The reasons for hiring a work-study student are economical.
The Federal Work-Study program is a need-based program
provided by the United States Government. The program
allots students a certain amount of Federal money, which
will be paid to them in return for working on campus.
After being hired, the student should consider class commitments
before taking the job. Stowe suggests starting work at
10 hours a week, until the student-employee has a sense
of class commitments and extra-curricular commitments.
“Before considering getting a job this year, I looked
to see how much schoolwork I would have and the amount
of time it would I would have to spend on that. I also
looked at whether I would be able to have any free time
for myself, if I did decide to get a job,” said James
Boone, a freshman pre-business major.
Stowe said freshmen are encouraged to get an on-campus
job. He sites a number of reasons why an on-campus job
is effective for first year students: already being on
campus, not needing large blocks of time and students
can get to know the campus, as well as the people who
work here at TCU.
“I like working on campus because it helps networking
options and getting connected to TCU faculty and staff,”
said Laura Israel, a freshman vocal music education major.
On campus pay is generally minimum wage, while off-campus
jobs offer a higher pay. Some departments will increase
pay rates if a student returns to the job the following
school year.
Advantages to on-campus jobs out-weigh the disadvantages
for many students. The biggest advantage is scheduling.
Off-campus jobs require about a five hour block of time,
where on campus jobs can schedule a couple hours between
classes and around holidays.
When asked why she took an on-campus job, freshman theatre
major, Laura Smith, replied, “I thought an on-campus
job would be a little more understanding of the fact that
my classes come first and work easier with my schedule.”
Students are not required to work on holidays when the
university closes. The university also allows students
to have time off during exam week.
For most students, a job is a great way to get extra money
while broadening their work experience. But for the university,
student-employees are a necessity in the day-to-day operation
of the campus. |
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and filing mail is only one of several jobs students
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