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Campus job applications rise

Tuffy’s employee and first-year student Lauren Moore serves ice cream Thursday.
Tuffy’s employee and first-year student Lauren Moore serves ice cream Thursday.

Mary Kate Linehan, Senior Staff Writer

Tuffy’s employee and first-year student Lauren Moore serves ice cream Thursday. (SCOTT ALLISON | The Miami Student)

With the economy hitting families and students hard, Miami University has experienced a rise in student job applicants this semester. According to directors of the Recreational Sports Center (RSC), the Miami University Bookstore and Housing, Dining and Guest Services (HDGS), applications have increased significantly.

"I would say we have more applications than we've ever had before, we are employing the same amount but we have more applications, and more people are asking for job positions," Doug Curry, director of the RSC, said.

Jim Simpson, assistant director of the Miami Bookstore in the Shriver Center said he has seen the same trend in application increases for student employment positions.

"Applications for positions have increased but we do not have enough positions to fill," Simpson said.

According to Simpson, the Miami Bookstore has neither increased nor decreased in numbers of employees employed this semester. Curry said in comparison to previous years, employment has been the same.

"(Students may work) anywhere between 3 and 10 hours a week so it depends on the employee," Curry said. "We really don't hire for sub shifts because usually the employees fix those shifts within themselves."

Sophomore Savanna Bast, who works at Scott Dining Hall, said her hours had not been cut back, despite the supposed increase in student employees in dining halls. Bast also said no employees at Scott have been hired as only substitutes and that there have been no overwhelming numbers of employees working at the same time, instead, that a lot of times, employees don't show up for their shifts.

Bast said she was also told that she would not be receiving a raise until the university is officially considered out of its financial crisis.

"But I love working there, the people there are great and they make working at Scott very easy," Bast said.

According to Curry, hiring employees at the RSC is based upon program area and how many students would be needed at a certain time.

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When visiting the RSC Web site in order to look for staff opening availabilities, "Sorry no openings at this time, please check back later," is the only message for applicants.

"We usually take different amounts," Curry said. "It all depends on the program area, I would say most of our hiring is done at the beginning of each semester, and then as need for each program goes then we would hire as needed."

However, according to Cathy Pierce, senior director of administrative and human services, there has been an increase of employment on campus this year.

Pierce said in this pay period, as opposed to last pay period, at the same time this year as last year, there are 340 more students employed added to campus's usual 1,800 student employees at a time. She believe this increase in employment is because the economic situation is driving the student demand for jobs.

Likewise, the sudden increase in applications is believed to be for several reasons. Curry said the increase is due to the current state of the economy.

Simpson said the increase of applicants at the bookstore was because of international Chinese students.

"We have had an unbelievable number of Chinese students who have applied for jobs, and I think it's good for them because a lot of them have never had a job before, their job has always been education," Simpson said.