CSB+SJU Student Employment rates seeing a steady decline

Approximately 1,650 students had an on-campus job last academic year, with jobs branching over 200 different departments. But with the development of businesses in St. Joseph and various opportunities outside of campus, students are faced with weighing the value of an on-campus job versus those within the community. This, along with other factors, have led St. Ben’s and St. John’s to see a decline in students working an on-campus job this year.

Angie Mareck, Director of Student Employment at the College of St. Benedict and St. John’s University, shared some insight into this trend, stating that compared to this time last year, there are about 100 fewer students working on campus.

While jobs like baristas and fitness instructors are seamlessly filled, custodial and culinary positions are more difficult to attract and retain students.

“Areas like dining often feel the impact the most because they employ a large number of student employees,” Mareck said via email.

Carmen Welinski, executive director of Culinary Services, stated there are approximately 50,000 student hours to fill on the schedules between both campuses.

“It can be difficult to keep high standards in our operations when we are significantly short staffed,” Welinski said via email. “We have been looking to hire off-campus temp staff to help ensure we have the support needed to run effectively and efficiently. “

Factors like job flexibility, scheduling conflicts, job appeal and pay all go into determining whether a student can and wants to take on any given job. Required work hours and pay through financial aid correspond to expected weekly hours (e.g. a $4,000 offer requires roughly 10-12 hours per week, while a $2,000 offer requires 5-6 hours per week).

With increasing costs of college and daily living, such as groceries and gas, this money simply isn’t substantial enough for some students, causing many to opt for higher-paying jobs off-campus or job-stacking.

Mikali Johnson, a junior at St. Ben’s, is one of many students who balance both an on-campus and off- campus job. According to Johnson, her off-campus job as a barista pays three to four dollars more than her job on-campus as a tutor. But these aren’t the only perks.

“My boss at the coffee shop is super flexible with hours, prioritizes my sports, football games and activities I want to do,” Johnson said. “My on-campus job here I see the same four people every day. It gets kind of boring.”

Cindy Gonzalez, CSB Campus Ministry director and Bennie alumna, holds the unique perspective of having been a student worker during her time as a student on campus and now a director in the position of hiring student workers.

“As a Bennie, I worked on campus through student employment all four years and never really considered looking for a job off campus,” Gonzalez said via email. “That said, St. Joseph didn’t have nearly the same number of businesses and employment opportunities that it does today.”

While businesses like Gary’s Pizza, Bo Diddleys and the local bars have remained steady through the years, new businesses have been popping up in St. Joseph. Emily Darsow, a 2021 Bennie alumna, was a student worker at Sexton on the SJU campus for all four years of her undergrad, before becoming a barista at the Local Blend and recently joining the CSB staff as office coordinator for Campus Ministry.

“I really enjoyed my student work experience and the other students I worked with,” Darsow said via email. “For me, it was fun working in dining services but on a smaller scale.”

Darsow says that the Local Blend gets a fair amount of students who apply and express interest in working there, and for the last four years she has been there, there has always been at least one current Bennie student working there. With her experience working on-campus and within the community, Darsow says that one is not better than the other.

“On campus and off campus jobs each have their own pros and cons, it just depends on the students’ preferences,” Darsow said.

Mareck believes that student employees remain vital to the school.

“Nearly every area of campus relies on student help,” Mareck said. “Last year the colleges paid almost $4 million in student wages.”

Welinski shared some of the benefits students gain from working in the culinary department, including the opportunity to earn money while remaining on campus, varied shift times, opportunities to connect with peers and meals provided during shifts.

“We want students to see campus dining and retail employment not only as a way to earn money, but also as an opportunity to gain valuable experience and develop skills they can use throughout their careers,” Welinski said.

Mareck also shared a list of reasons why students should consider working on campus, including being exempt from Social Security and Medicare taxes on earnings during the academic year.

“On campus jobs also help students build valuable resume and career skills, connect with new people and become more engaged in the campus community, all while earning money,” Mareck said.