From the Newsstands: This story appeared in The Eagle's December 2024 print edition. You can find the digital version here.
The following piece is an opinion and does not reflect the views of The Eagle and its staff. All opinions are edited for grammar, style and argument structure and fact-checked, but the opinions are the writer’s own.
In September 2022, I began working at American University as a first-year student, excited to earn money while having an extremely easy commute. My first year was great — I had a fair wage, a flexible boss and a positive experience that helped me build valuable skills. However, my second year brought challenges that subjected me to the University’s frequently discussed, but not necessarily widely known, unethical employment practices.
After being promoted to a supervisor role, I was eager to take on new responsibilities. But in January 2024, I encountered my first major problem: while others in my office received retention bonuses, I did not. New supervisors were hired at the same wage I made, and those under my supervision were paid nearly as much as me. When I brought this up with my boss, I was told there were no bonuses that year, which was untrue, as multiple of my co-workers had indeed received the semesterly raises we were all used to.
Despite my seniority and greater responsibilities, I felt left behind.
Things only got worse for me in May 2024 when my boss quit, leaving us without any communication from the department about whether we would have jobs in the fall. Many of my co-workers, including those relying on federal work-study, were left with no clarity or support from the University. This pattern of under-communication, along with frequent staff turnover, reflects the lack of coordination between departments that leaves student workers in limbo and contributes to the instability we experience in these roles.
Over the summer, I contacted my department multiple times for clarity, but the process was exhausting, unpaid and unresponded to. We were left with minimal communication from the people who were supposed to support and take care of us. The University failed to communicate clearly with me or the students I supervised. They also failed to prioritize the financial stability of the many students who relied on campus jobs, either for federal work-study or simply to support themselves throughout the school year.
As time went on, communication and understanding from the University grew worse. At a September 2024 supervisor training meeting, an outside consultant announced new rules, including a sudden change to the scheduling requirements. I worked twice a week for two years, but now supervisors were required to work three shifts per week with no room for flexibility. Like many other student workers, I balance a heavy course load, an internship and extracurricular activities, so the sudden change made it impossible for me to continue. Despite reassurances over the summer that the schedule would not change, the outside consultant and my new boss made it very clear that there was zero flexibility in this new rule, and I quit on the spot.
This inflexibility in policies, especially around work schedules, is a widespread problem for student workers, particularly those with other time- consuming commitments. University jobs have an incredibly bad habit of implementing rigid requirements that fail to consider the reality of students’ academic and personal lives. As a result,
students who rely on campus jobs are unjustly forced to choose between financial security or academic success.
This situation isn’t unique — my fellow student workers often face similar issues of being overworked, underpaid and disregarded by the University. These jobs are a crucial source of income for students struggling to cover the University’s ever-rising tuition, expensive D.C. rent and the basic cost of living. The unstable nature of these on-campus positions puts unnecessary pressure on students who already balance demanding academics.
The bottom line is that the University depends on student labor to keep campus running — whether you look at Resident Assistants, campus tour guides, baristas or fundraisers — we are all vital parts of the University. And although we are vital, the administration fails to support us.
Student workers nationwide are generally denied the same treatment as full-time employees. These discrepancies become an issue as some students, like RAs, may even be working the same hours as full-time workers. Their hours reflect how students are generally exploited by being expected to perform critical tasks with incomparable benefits — like being responsible for students in a RA position — without proper support.
The University contributes to this never-ending, exploitative cycle of student workers by failing to provide equitable work environments. Students who need these jobs to make ends meet are often left in incredibly vulnerable positions where they are forced to accept poor working conditions in exchange for financial security.
American University must do better by its student workers. These jobs are supposed to support students, not push them to the brink of burnout. The University must provide fair wages, clear communication and flexible policies that prioritize students’ academic and personal lives. By treating student workers with the respect and consideration they deserve, the University can create an environment where students thrive both in their studies and work, but until then I suggest looking elsewhere for a job — preferably one that doesn’t exploit and disrespect you for simply being a student.
Alana Parker is a junior in the School of Public Affairs and School of Communication and the assistant opinion editor for The Eagle.
This article was edited by Rebeca Samano Arellano and Abigail Turner. Copy editing done by Luna Jinks, Emma Brown, Sabine Kanter-Huchting, Ariana Kavoossi, Ella Rousseau, Nicole Kariuki and Charlie Mennuti. Fact checking done by Luna Jinks, Sasha Dafkova and Hannah Paisley Zoulek.
