Students who are reluctant to take summer courses because of financial concerns now have an easier opportunity to seek jobs on campus through a database designed by the offices of Continuing Education & Outreach and Financial Aid Services.

The student employment Web site, headed by student employment coordinator Celeste Leggieri, maintains a list of openings, both on and off campus. Leggieri also has a listing of campus offices that generally have openings and the contact persons or Web site for students to use in exploring job possibilities.

‘The openings were always available to students and community members,’ Leggieri said. ‘But this is to engage the campus on hiring students that attend classes here and to also make students aware that these opportunities exist.’

Most of the large on-campus student employers ‘ like Campus Recreational Services, Physical Facilities, admissions and athletics ‘ have already been coordinating with the offices of Continuing Education & Outreach and Financial Aid Services to push for more student jobs.

Donna Fish, senior staff associate for planning, program development and outreach, is also working to add additional summer employers to the list.

‘Most students need to work to meet their summer earnings expectation, yet many students want to take courses to get ahead, make up credits or meet other educational goals,’ she said. ‘We want to offer whatever assistance we can to make it possible for them to stay here. We also want students to understand that the compressed format of summer session is very rigorous, so finding the right balance of flexibility around their studies is crucial. We hope this service helps make that possible.’

She added that while it can often be difficult for students to obtain on-campus jobs during the school year, hiring practices are not as strict during the summer.

‘There is no work study during the summer, so these are not work-study positions. This is simply for students who want to earn while they learn,’ she said.

The wage varies for most of the employers but generally students will start at minimum wage, $7.15. According to Fish, what appeals to some employers is, if the student is an underclassman who is planning on enrolling in both Session I and II, they may also be available to fill the position in future summers as well.

The largest and busiest employer during the summer is Physical Facilities, which plans to hire about 100 students this summer. Potential openings include working the customer service center, carpentry, custodial, grounds, electrical, heating and air conditioning, lock shop, and painting.

According to Karen Fennie, a spokeswoman for Physical Facilities, all first-time hires in their department receive a salary of $7.50 an hour. The jobs are on a first come, first serve basis and there is no preference to academic standing. There is, however, a preference to students who have worked for Physical Facilities and received a satisfactory evaluation in the past.

‘While everything usually slows down during the summer, Physical Facilities is the opposite,’ Fennie said. ‘Six thousand students who live in dorms are out of the way, giving us the chance to improve areas within the campus.’

The Physical Facilities Program also allows students to work their way up. Painting is financially one of the top positions, as painting employees earn $10.69 an hour. Physical Facilities employment begins May 23 and continues through August 17. The deadline for applications is May 31.

‘If the biggest obstacle for students being able to take courses in the summers is being able to find a job, then what we are trying to do is remove that obstacle for them,’ Fish said.