Student employees make up nearly 40% of the university’s workforce, according to recent data from the Office of Human Resources and Student Employment Services (SES).
BGSU relies on the 1,492 students who work in 100 different departments across campus, many of whom play a vital role in maintaining the university’s operations—all while still attending classes.
SES said many of BGSU’s student employees gain not only critical hands-on experience as they prepare for post-graduate life, but also said the convenience, financial aid opportunities and relevant work experience make on-campus jobs a valuable part of their college journey.
Kylie Niekamp, a sophomore Supply Chain Management major who works in both the Package Pickup Center and the university’s Purchasing Department, said she applied for both of her jobs because she viewed them as opportunities for professional development and career growth in her area of study.
“Being a Supply Chain major, I thought the Package Center would be a really good place to start because that has to do with the supply chain. Also, getting to work with the Purchasing Department, I get to work directly with different roles that can be in my future, so that’s really exciting,” she said.
Niekamp said her decision to work on-campus instead of off-campus due to the convenience of working close to her dorm, as the university requires students to live on-campus for their first two years.
“Starting my freshmen year, it was definitely more convenient to work on-campus versus off-campus, and they provide a lot of different opportunities,” she stated.
Falcon Outfitters employee and sophomore Human Resources/Management student, Morgan Brenneman, said she also enjoys the convenience of both working and living on-campus, and she likes being able to meet and connect with fellow students while doing her job.
“My favorite part is you get to interact with a lot of new people. You pretty much see everybody that walks into campus. The store is pretty busy, so it’s very easy to meet people. My least favorite [part] is probably seeing a lot of people that I don’t want to see,” she added.
Miriam Irick, a junior Criminal Justice major, is a tutor at the Learning Commons who has worked at the library since her freshman year.
She said she enjoys the ease of being able to walk to her job from her dorm room and the extra financial assistance working as a student can provide.
“I think that the opportunities for students are a lot better with on-campus jobs, because for me, I live on-campus, so as a residential student, it’s a lot easier to get to my place of work if I can simply walk there. Also, for students who are on financial aid, Federal Work-Study is available through our university, and I think that’s a great program, as well,” Irick stated.
Federal Work-Study is a financial aid program designed to help college students earn money while attending school, according to Federal Student Aid, an office of the U.S. Department of Education.
She noted one drawback of working on-campus can be downtime during shifts that not a lot of tutees show up to.
“Some of the downfalls can be that there’s a lot of downtime working in this position. I work a lot of the late shifts, so as a student employee, I’m here all the time, even when people don’t need me. That can be a benefit, but it can also be kind of a con,” Irick said.
She expressed she also enjoys the impact her work as a student employee has on other students and views on-campus jobs as beneficial towards student employees’ futures.
“I think that the skillset that students learn and apply in a university are crucial in any career outside of the university itself because it prepares for those real-world instances of having to work together with people you’ve never met before and having to collaborate on opportunities that you wouldn’t acquire in your typical day-to-day life,” Irick said.
The contributions of student employees extend across campus, according to Dawn Frieson, the director of SES.
Frieson said on-campus student employment enriches the personal and professional lives of students working on-campus jobs by giving them relevant experience and networking opportunities that can lead to internships or full-time jobs after graduation.
