MUNCIE, Ind. - Beginning in May, Ball State University students may work up to 40 hours per week on campus during the summer regardless of the number of credit hours they are taking.

Previously, students could work no more than 20 hours even if they were enrolled in only one class.

The change, approved by President Blaine Brownell, offers benefits for students and supervisors, said Larry Beck, Career Center associate director who oversees student employment.

Over the past several summers, an increasing number of students who are enrolled in short-duration workshops (typically lasting a week to 10 days) or who are only taking one or two classes have expressed a desire to work full-time the remainder of the summer, Beck said.

“In addition, campus supervisors continue to tell us of the difficulties in attracting students to summer employment, even though we know that many students rely on summer earnings to assist with finances the following academic year,” he said.

Approximately 4,100 Ball State students take summer classes. Of these, about half are enrolled in one to three credit hours and the other half in six to eight credit hours. Nearly 1,800 students work in on-campus summer jobs.

Beck stressed the loosening of summer work restrictions will not apply to the fall and spring semesters, when students typically devote more hours to classes and extracurricular activities.

“Our belief is that students are at the university first and foremost as students and secondly as employees,” he said.

However, the summer semester offers different scenarios than the regular academic year, he said. Factors that make increased summer work hours more attractive include:

• Classes start earlier, and work schedules vary in many areas of the university. So, a student in class from 7:30 a.m. to 9 a.m., could work more hours and still have time to study.
• There are few student organization activities during the summer.
• There are fewer student life programs, athletic events and campus social programs during the summer.
• Fewer students are living in university residence halls and participating in hall events.

Beck said an additional hope for the policy change is that more students will be able to attend summer classes if they can work more hours.

(NOTE TO EDITORS: For more information, contact Larry Beck by e-mail at lbeck@bsu.edu or by phone at (765) 285-2420.)