Pay increase approved for eligible student workers

By Kiara Mays | Published by Oct. 2, 2018

Kean University’s Board of Trustees voted to increase wages for student workers to $10 an hour, from $8.60 an hour, at its first meeting of the semester held earlier this month.

While many items were discussed, the pay increase was one of the most highly anticipated decisions to be made.

According to CNBC, New Jersey is ranked number 10 on its list “10 most expensive states to live in 2018”, highlighting that the average cost of a home in NJ is about $555, 231. New Jersey’s cost of living alone was one of the deciding factors in the decision to increase student worker’s pay at the meeting.

Kristen Failla, senior, and double major in sociology and psychology, was voted in last year by the Kean’s student population to serve as its representative for students at Kean. Failla also works at the Center for Leadership and Service on campus and is among the student employees who will receive a pay raise.

“I think the new pay raise takes into consideration the students that pay for their own education,” said Failla. “It’ll also help promote student jobs on campus and can be beneficial to the student’s resume as well.”

Outlined in the official resolution, authorizing Kean University’s President, Dawood Farahi, to increase the minimum wage for eligible student workers includes that “many workers, students among them, who earn only the minimum wage of $8.60 an hour in New Jersey are living below poverty level.” With the pay increase, the University hopes to help contribute to creating a “stronger and fairer” New Jersey.

Like Failla, Lawrence Luc, student ambassador, senior, and psychology major were welcoming of the new pay increase for student employees.

“I do feel the pay raise was overdue, especially in the department I work for because we all do very important work.” said Luc. “To see that students are receiving a pay raise is extremely rewarding and it makes me feel like the university cares about its student workers more than I thought they did.”

Aside from that, Luc also named a few positive effects that could come of the decision.

“One, the student workers may be more inclined to do well at their position, two, if students get paid more, they will be more likely to buy from on campus eateries and stores, and three, the students will be adequately compensated for the work they do,” said Luc.

If you are a current student at Kean interested in employment on campus, visit Kean University’s official site at Kean.edu, fill out and submit an application for employment. You may also contact Gina Kendra, Recruitment Supervisor, at 908-737-3304.

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