Issue date: 9/10/09 Section: News

Sophomore Elementary Education major, Amanda Rickel, counts change while working as a desk assistant Wednesday afternoon in Andrews Hall.(Audrey Sawyer/The Daily Eastern News)

With the current economy, on-campus job availabilities have become scarce.

Mark Hudson, director of university housing and dining services, said applications are stacked up without any hope of jobs becoming available this year.

Housing and Dining employs about 810 students in the resident halls and food courts, with a student employee payroll of about $2 million, Hudson said.

Positions can range from food service to night assistants to office assistants.

The bulk of these jobs, 540 positions, are in food service with the rest employed in the resident halls.

Most student employees make minimum wage of $8 per hour, but 25 graduate students, who act as supervisors, can receive more from higher pay to tuition wavers.

Unpaid opportunities

Not all campus jobs come with a monetary value.

Cara Fumagalli, a junior communication studies major, works for the university as an undergraduate teacher's assistant and gets no pay.

In lieu of money, Fumagalli gets college credit for her work.

Fumagalli began the position this semester after befriending the previous teacher's assistant who recommended taking the job.

Fumagalli helps with assignments, gives study advice to the class, and even holds office hours to help students.

Fumagalli said she likes her job because she gets to work closely with her professor, learn more about the field and help students.

Other on-campus positions

Some on-campus jobs might be available, though more specialized and less advertised.

Rameen Karbassioon, a producer/director for WEIU-TV, started putting up flyers this year for the sports-casting crew that films the Panther football and basketball games.

Karbassioon said he usually relies on word of mouth, but needed new students to replace seniors who will graduate. He said the jobs are exploratory because students can find out if they like the field.

About 45-50 students make up the new crew, Karbassioon said.

Most students employed in this job are communication studies or journalism majors, but not all are. Karbassioon said one of his best workers started as a history major.

Students run the cameras, broadcast equipment, and even direct the productions allowing them to learn while funding their education.

More information can be found at http://www.eiu.edu/~finaid/text/jobs.htm. The link includes both on and off campus employment options.

James Roedl can be reached at 581-7942 or at DENnewsdesk@gmail.com.

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