"Student employees make essential contributions to campus offices, enabling faculty and staff to focus their time and efforts on serving students," said Larry Beck, associate director of the Career Center. "Many campus departments would be hard-pressed to offer the level of customer service they do to students, parents, faculty and visitors if it weren't for their part-time student employees."

As well as working on campus, more than 100 students each year work for local non-profit agencies as part of a federal work-study program.

"Student employment is valuable in many ways," said Lesa Caudell, student employment representative. "It can help students develop interpersonal, oral communication, and computer skills, learn more about the university and community, and establish employment references.

Research shows that students who hold part-time jobs reduce their likelihood of dropping out of college by 10-15 percent, said student employment representative Janet Puckett.

Statistics also show that more than 50 percent of Ball State student employees have a 3.0 or higher grade-point average, Puckett said.

The Career Center encourages campus departments to take time during National Student Employment Week to let their student employees know how much their hard work is appreciated.

"Acknowledging their efforts motivates, encourages and thanks student employees while providing incentives for them to continue their hard work," Caudell said.

To celebrate Student Employment Week, the Career Center will draw names of student employees to receive gifts donated by local merchants. Gifts include textbooks, gift certificates and professional sports tickets and the grand prize of one semester of in-state tuition donated by the Ball State University Foundation.

(NOTE TO EDITORS: For more information about this story, contact Lesa Caudell at (765) 285-1522 or lcaudell@bsu.edu.)