Amarillo College Ranger

Issue date: 3/4/05 Section: Opinion

Media Credit: Rachel Nelson/The Ranger Rachel Nelson/The Ranger [Click to enlarge]

A dollar raise is being given to student employees this semester, and we at The Ranger are thrilled.

In the excitement about our raise, however, we have to ask the question: Where is the extra dollar coming from?

According to an e-mail from Robert Austin, associate dean of student services, effective Feb. 26, student employees (student hire/work-study) were to receive a dollar an hour on their paychecks added to the normal $5.15, which is minimum wage.

In the e-mail, Austin wrote, "The college is initiating this pay increase in an effort to help supervisors attract and retain student employees."

The funds for the raise were not in the 2004-2005 budget, so each individual department or the college as a whole will have to come up with the extra money.

In Austin's e-mail, he addressed the issue of no extra funding:

"Budget monitors should monitor their student help budgets closely between now and the end of the fiscal year."

There are limited contingency funds available to departments that can't dig up the extra money. Requests for the extra funds are handled on a case-by-case basis through the business office.

There has been talk that if the money cannot be found, student workers' hours would be cut so departments will not be strapped for funds.

But an AC administrator told The Ranger the raise is intended to be a real raise for student workers. The contingency funds mentioned are intended to meet any department's budget shortfalls so that all student workers actually will receive more money and will not have their hours cut.

But departments should remember, when doing the 2005-2006 budgets, to put enough aside to keep the raises in effect so it will do students some good.

Oh, and did we mention that we are thrilled about finally getting a raise?

Page 1 of 1

Article Tools