By Octavius Toliver-Flient
Should McPherson College increase the wages for student workers? I believe that there is a fairly obvious answer to this question, however, it is controversial. You see, there are mixed views on this topic and not everyone is on the same page.
First, I would like to share my perspective as a student worker at McPherson College. I will say, I feel a bit under-appreciated. I do (and have done) a lot for the college in terms of student work, and sometimes I feel like the wages do not match my levels of dedication. I know that I am not the only student worker who feels this way, and I worry that many students question their worth because of the low payments. However, there are many sides to consider, which is why I discussed this matter with students, faculty and staff members to learn their point of view.
Before we dive into these perspectives, it is important to understand the national student wages. According to data from ZipRecruiter, student worker wages currently range between $13.46 (in the 25th percentile) and $15.14 (in the 75thpercentile). Student workers in the state of Kansas make, on average, $13 per hour, which is $1.42 less than the national average. Kansas is currently ranked 45 out of the 50 states for student worker wages. Unfortunately, the situation at McPherson College is even worse. Many on-campus jobs pay $7.50 per hour which is only 25 cents more than the Kansas minimum wage of $7.25.
Of course, the cost of living should be evaluated when decided how much a student worker should make. College students in Kansas may require less than college students in New York City. However, the McPherson College wages are low even when compared to other colleges in Kansas. For example, information from the University of Kansas’ (KU) website indicates that the college has a minimum wage of $10.25 per hour. That is nearly $3 above McPherson College, showing how students here may have a disadvantage in affording housing, food, and student bills when compared to other institutions.
Amy Beckman, the Executive Director of Career and Experiential Learning at McPherson College, was able to share some insights on this topic. I interviewed her in her office to learn how the pay rates work in the school. Beckman said, “Most positions are paid hourly. Some student leadership is paid by stipend, which are the RAs and the SGA staff.” I also learned that students are paid once a moth for the hours that they clocked the previous month.
According to Beckman, the issue of student wages is an ongoing conversation. “I lead the student employment here. The increased wages have been discussed, and I have been asking for three years and nothing has been done about it.” Beckman was clear that she did not disagree with students who hope to be paid more. So, feel free to stop by Beckman’s office in Miller Library to discuss this topic and share your opinions!
I also went around campus to talk to faculty members about this, and I met Killian Milner, Visiting Assistant Professor of Digital Media for McPherson College. He gave his opinion on the issue, stating, “in general, I would say yes, Mac workers should be paid more. But, it also depends on the type of job you work because some jobs are easier than others. $9 an hour should be the baseline for pay here because $7.25 is not a good minimum wage. Overall, I would say yes, McPherson College workers should get paid more.” I think that Milner has a good point here—money does depend on the job responsibilities. I can’t lie, this did humble me a bit because the jobs that I have on campus are easier than some others.
Enya Fierens, an international student shared an interested perspective on this debate. She explained, “international students cannot work off campus jobs which pay more, and it’s unfair that we can’t get paid a good amount of money to pay our school fees.” Fierens is very passionate about this topic, which tells me just how fed-up student workers are with the pay rate. Olivia Williams, a freshman at McPherson College, added that last month, her paycheck was missing ten of the hours that she worked. In other words, she was paid less than she should have been. It’s unlikely that this mistake was intentional, in fact, it may have been due to the glitches in the new system, but it is still frustrating.
The next person I interviewed was President Snider himself. I asked him how much he was paid hourly back when he was a student here. He replied, “I’m not entirely sure what I was paid. I do remember being paid minimum wage which was $4.25 in the state of Kansas. Not every job on campus is minimum wage. I was a student here from 1992 to 1996 and there was one year the minimum wage for Kansas went down to $2.65 and went back up to $4.25 the next year.” So, with that information it is clear that the college and the state of Kansas have both improved on their minimum wage standards. In conclusion, this topic has many different layers. On one hand, the college needs to budget carefully for certain things, and some students forget that our jobs help to improve the campus. The college is overwhelmed and understaffed in some areas, so student work is very valuable. Maybe, students can compromise to ensure that the college can stay on track financially and get the help that they need. On the other hand, McPherson College student workers should not have to suffer like this—we work way too hard to keep the institution up and running, so the pay rate issues need to be fixed soon.
