Editorial
Viewpoints: Jobs in are in jeopardy, but student workers aren’t expendable
October 27, 2024
At the University of Wisconsin-River Falls (UWRF), student employees play essential roles across campus. They check out your textbooks, edit your essays, fix your computers, answer your questions, clean your facilities, direct your tours, and much more. Whether they work in Chalmer Davee Library, the Disability Resource Center, the Math Help Center, or another department, student employees are not only beneficial for the university but, we believe they are integral to university life; they are essential. Yet, despite their importance, UWRF’s budget decisions indicate otherwise. In the wake of recent budget cuts, many of these jobs are being reduced or eliminated—sending a message that undermines the value of these positions.
In recent years, UWRF has faced significant budget reductions, and student workers have been among the first casualties as student employee budgets have been slashed in many departments. The impacts are widespread: from Custodial Services to DoTS, and the Chalmer Davee Library, student worker hours and positions are being slashed.
According to Steven Meads, the director of DoTS, these cuts have had a drastic impact on staffing. “The budget reduction within DoTS did affect our numbers,” Meads said. “We almost halved the student staff [from] 30 [to] 16.”
Similarly, the Chalmer Davee Library has reduced its operating hours, now closing at 10 p.m. on weekdays—two hours earlier than in previous semesters. These changes represent only a fraction of the growing trend of reduced student employment across UWRF.
The elimination of student custodial staff across campus, with the exception of areas like the Falcon Center and University Center, illustrates the severity of these cuts. For student employees, the uncertainty about their jobs is mounting. Many now worry not only about low pay and limited hours but whether their roles will exist at all next year.
Some departments continue to hire full-time positions even after they have slashed their student staff budgets, and student workers are often the first on the chopping block when cuts are discussed. This choice reflects the harsh reality that it is easier to replace multiple part-time student workers than a single full-time employee. Unfortunately, this trend may continue.
Despite these widespread reductions, some departments have managed to shield student workers from the worst of the cuts. For example, Textbook Services and the Math Help Center have maintained their student employment levels.
“The budget cuts haven’t affected our student workers very much,” said Christy Boyer, Access Services Manager at Chalmer Davee Library. “We have been able to provide them with their requested number of work hours per week and payrate hasn’t changed.”
However, even departments that have preserved student jobs are feeling the ripple effects of reduced funding. Boyer noted, “We only had room to hire four student workers. We’ve also had an uptick in students asking how they can get a job at the library and expressing frustration when they learn we don’t have any open positions.” The increased demand for on-campus jobs indicates growing financial stress among students and highlights the shrinking opportunities for those seeking work.
While some administrators sympathize with student workers and oppose these cuts, the financial realities at UWRF leave them with little choice. For them, it may be unfortunate but necessary, and many are navigating the cuts as best they can. “A lot of effort went into a program review based on services offered, ticket numbers, [and] new reduced hours,” Meads said of DoTS. “...The program continues with a smaller student staff, but also with an emphasis on a quality experience for our student staff.” Thus, it can hardly be said that administrators believe student workers to be expendable. One would hope this to be true, of course.
However, in the departments where cuts have been carried out, it is unlikely that the damage will be reversed any time soon. Even if cuts are gradual, they will, over time, erode many student worker positions. And this affects all of UWRF’s students, and staff as well.
The shrinking number of student workers affects not only the employees themselves but the broader UWRF community. For example, reducing the library’s evening hours limits a vital resource for students who need a quiet space to study at night. And with fewer students available to provide services, other departments may also struggle to meet the needs of the campus.
If more cuts are carried out, more and more students will feel the loss. In 2022, UWRF tried to outsource custodial services, including student custodial workers, but the proposal faced significant backlash. A petition signed by more than 800 members of the campus community demanded that the university respect its employees and treat them with dignity. Ultimately, UWRF reversed its outsourcing decision, but the episode revealed the strength of support for student workers.
As Boyer pointed out, competition for remaining jobs is fierce. “We had 84 applicants for the fall semester,” she said. “Last year, we had 55.” The surge in applicants highlights the growing need for campus jobs, even as the number of available positions shrinks. If these cuts continue, the university may struggle to meet the needs of its students—both those seeking employment and those relying on services provided by their peers.
When forced to reduce student staffing, departments have limited options for managing the workload. First, they can ask remaining student employees to take on additional responsibilities. However, without increased pay to match the added work, this approach risks overburdening students and diminishing the quality of their experience.
Second, departments can reduce the hours they offer services, as seen with the earlier closure of the Chalmer Davee Library. While this option may be less taxing on the remaining student workers, it restricts access to essential resources for the rest of the student body.
The third option— have full-time employees take on the increased workload. Faculty and staff are already experiencing low morale, and reducing student worker hours would only make this worse. In addition, many departments may not have the employees necessary to do this.
Some departments cannot afford to make any cuts at all, to either student employees or full-time employees. The Disability Resource Center “worked to meet a 10% budget reduction strategically, which has not had an impact on our current staffing within our office,” said Alicia Reinke-Tuthill, the Disability Resource Center Director. “However, I do think it is important that the student body recognize that our office historically has had very low staffing over the years to begin with, thus there is nothing further that can realistically [be] cut from our budget.”
Beyond their practical importance, student jobs provide several benefits for those who hold them. In addition to earning money, student workers gain valuable experience, build relationships with supervisors and coworkers, and become more connected to the campus community. These connections foster a sense of belonging that can be hard to find in college, especially for new students. And these relationships often extend beyond the workplace. Another, related benefit, and one that is simple but powerful, is feeling less isolated in college.
The word ‘belonging’ has been thrown around in university marketing material to the point where it has lost much of its meaning, but a campus job can offer that, or at least offer a fulfilling experience. These benefits can be seen in the retention rate of UWRF student employees, as student employees tend to have a higher retention rate than the average UWRF student. At DoTS, for example, the retention rate is over 90%, according to Steven Meads. “We continue to see our students go out [and] do amazing things with their careers and lives,” he said.
UWRF promotes itself as a student-centered university committed to student success. The Student Voice believes that supporting its student employees, or, at the very least, not getting rid of them, would be an effective way to back this claim up. Actions speak louder than words, of course.
As Boyer pointed out, restricting access to campus jobs could have broader consequences. “I’m concerned that retention is going to take a hit if students have work-study funding but can’t use it because they couldn’t get a job on campus,” she said.
Even from a purely financial perspective, investing in student employees makes sense. Student workers are a cost-effective way to provide essential services across campus. Yet despite these benefits, some departments have chosen to cut student jobs instead of seeking other budget solutions.
The Student Voice urges UWRF administrators to carefully consider the long-term consequences of reducing student employment. As financial pressures continue to mount, departments will undoubtedly face difficult choices. However, whenever the possibility of cutting student jobs arises, decision-makers should weigh not just the immediate savings but the lasting impact on the campus community.
Budget cuts are an unfortunate reality for many universities, but how these cuts are implemented speaks volumes about an institution’s priorities. Student employees at UWRF are not expendable—they are vital to the university’s operations and student life. Cutting these jobs may provide short-term financial relief, but it risks undermining the very foundation of the campus community.
Supporting student workers aligns with UWRF’s mission of fostering student success. It ensures that students not only receive the services they need but also have the opportunity to earn an income, gain experience, and build lasting connections. As UWRF navigates its financial challenges, the university must keep these values in mind. Decisions made in budget meetings today will shape the future of the institution—and its students—for years to come.