Approximately 80% of undergraduate students work during the course of their undergraduate studies. Ideally, student's on-campus employment would contribute to his or her learning and development. However, because student employment is typically approached as the fulfillment of job tasks rather than student development, higher education institutions miss critical opportunities for supporting student academic and social integration. This study reframes on-campus student employment as a developmental effort. Data in this qualitative study indicate that on-campus employment can offer opportunities for student development and academic and social integration, and that it can positively influence students' sense of mattering and overall satisfaction with their college experience. It highlights the importance of supervision in student employment and informs our understanding of the ways different types of jobs can influence students' experiences. Given that students with fewer economic resources often come from educationally disadvantaged backgrounds and are potentially more at-risk for not completing their studies, colleges and universities should reconfigure on-campus jobs as opportunities for both employment and academic success.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:pdx.edu/oai:pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu:open_access_etds-2052 |
| Date | 20 May 2013 |
| Creators | Watson, Shannon Timm |
| Publisher | PDXScholar |
| Source Sets | Portland State University |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | text |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Source | Dissertations and Theses |
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