Wright State announces changes to student employment

Wright State Career Services announced Tuesday changes in the amount of hours students could work on campus that will go into effect May 3.

Student employees will be capped at 28 hours a week regardless of the time of year or GPA under the changes. This year, students who had a 3.0 grade point average could work up to 30 hours a week during the academic calendar. Also, students could work up to 40 hours a week during the break.

Students who had GPAs below 3.0 were capped at 20 hours of employment at WSU. The changes will allow students with below 3.0 GPAs to work up to 28 hours.

Associate Director of Career Services Kim Gilliam thought the new policy would impact more students positively.

“The policy was if your GPA was below 3.0, you could work 20 hours which is the majority of students on campus,” Gilliam said. “The majority of students are getting a benefit from this because they now don’t have that GPA restriction.”

The new rules to cap hours were made due to a prevision in the Affordable Care Act mandating employers to provide insurance for employees working 30 hours a week said Gilliam. If students were to average 30 hours a week, the university would be federally required to provide insurance.

Incoming President of WSU Student Government Kyle Powell agreed that the changes benefit Wright State students.

“In the long run, there are still benefits,” Powell said. “If you look at students below a 3.0, they can work 28 hours.”

Powell said there is one down side to the changes.

“Students with over a 3.0 were able to work 30 hours (during the academic year) and 40 hours in the summer,” Powell said.

Powell added that members of student government do not work over 20 hours a week and likely will not be affected by the change.

Gilliam said university vice presidents made the final decision. WSU Vice President Shari Mickey-Boggs was out of the office on Tuesday and unavailable for comment.