Starting next year, students who hold an RA position on campus will no longer be allowed to hold another job in addition to the RA job they hold.  While this may seems to only apply to RA’s, it affects many across campus.  This change in policy for RA’s also applies to any student obtaining two jobs on campus.    

With more than 1,400 students eligible for Federal Work study, Ashland University was in need of change according to Dr. Stephen Storck, Vice President for Business Operations. Months ago, President Finks and his cabinet sat down to discuss the amount of money that the University was spending on student employment and the impact it has to help students obtain their work study allotments.  

Some students qualify for Federal Work Study, a need-based form of financial aid.  

Those who don’t qualify for a federal work study award and wish to hold an on-campus job, are paid by what is called “regular student employment.”  Between the Federal Work Study and regular student employment, the University spends well over $1 million each year. 

One of the issues that the board hopes will be solved by this proposal is the issue of wage ranges.  According to Dr. Storck, the University “had a whole range of wage rates”, that had no consistency.  With the amount of money being paid to students through on-campus jobs, Dr. Storck wants to promote equity and fairness across the board for students seeking on-campus employment.

Stephen Howell is the director of financial aid for the University.  One of his concerns for students was that they may not be able to work for the money they are receiving through their Federal Work Study awards and their Financial Aid.  He realizes that parents are counting on their child to make the money given to them in order to pay for tuition.  

Several times over the spring and summer of 2014, a committee, including both Dr. Storck and Stephen Howell met to discuss the large numbers of wage rates on campus for student employment.  The committee was able to bring the number wage rates from 12 down to only three.  Other members of committee included what Dr. Storck describes as “the super users on campus”, or those who employ a large number of students.  Those members include advisors from IT, the Rec Center, and Auxiliary Services, among others.

Dr. Stephen Storck acknowledges that some RA’s are, “hard working individuals” who would work a second job outside of their RA job.  In order to efficiently and fairly distribute the money that is used towards both work study and regular student employment, those holding an RA position will be not be able to hold a second job, starting in the Fall of 2016.

By eliminating the availability for students to hold two on-campus jobs, the University saves no money, but rather fairly distributes the money to all students who are in search of an on-campus job.  According to Dr. Storck, many students find themselves searching for a job but never getting one, something this policy change will attempt to combat.