Campus Employment

• Student employment is ancillary to a student’s primary role as an enrolled student. Hourly student employees are not eligible for fringe benefits. Federal regulations require systematic tracking of hours worked by student employees (Fair Labor Standards Act, IRS taxation and the Affordable Care Act).
• Departments are responsible to monitor their own student employee hours using a Student Employment Eligibility Form for each student employee. 
• The University employs WMU degree seeking students who are a minimum age of 18 or older. The exception are degree seeking students who are 17 years old and will turn 18 during their first semester of enrollment. 
• Coordinate the pay rate with the student employee pay rate model. Pay rates must be assigned based on the position and skills necessary to complete assigned tasks. 
• Pay rates must be established before posting the job and hiring for the position. Review the WMU Student Financial Aid website for more details.

 WMU student employee work hour policy

*Enrolled student employees are FICA exempt, unless they hold a staff position.  Then all earnings are taxed. FICA is the combined Social Security tax and the Medicare tax of 15.3%. Employees pay half, and employers pay the other half. Requirements for FICA tax exemptions (for international students).

**International student requirements

***Graduate College requirements

For more information contact Career and Student Employment Services at (269) 387-6280 or @email.

Non-enrolled students (including international students) may work 39 hours per week in summer I session, summer II sessions if they: 

• were enrolled in the immediate past spring semester 
• are eligible to enroll in the upcoming fall semester

Non-enrolled students (including international students) may work 39 hours per week in the break periods during which no students are enrolled, which include: 

• the break period starting immediately at the end of fall exams and ending when spring classes begin
• the break period starting immediately at the end of spring exams and ending when summer I classes begin
• the break period starting immediately at the end of summer II exams and ending when fall classes begin

No students may work 39 hours per week during spring break or fall break, because students are still enrolled in classes during those times.

FICA tax applies to all earnings for non-enrolled student employees. The employing department and student are responsible for these costs.

• FICA is the combined Social Security tax and the Medicare tax of 15.3%.
• Employees pay half, and employers pay the other half.
• Requirements for FICA tax exemptions (for international students).

If a student is enrolled in one or more classes through WMU during either summer semester, they must adhere to the 25 hour per week limit for domestic students or 20 hour per week limit for international students, for the semester during which they are enrolled.

For more information contact Career and Student Employment Services at (269) 387-6280 or @email.

Under University policy, non-exempt (hourly paid) employees are entitled to take breaks as outlined below. Breaks are not cumulative.

1. One 15-minute break for each four hours worked.
2. Two 15-minute breaks in a day when working six or more hours, with one break during the 1st half of the workday and one during the 2nd half of the workday.
3. One lunch period during regular University hours. Lunch schedules may vary by department and can be adjusted to meet departmental needs. A lunch period of 30 minutes or more is non-paid time. Lunch period is optional, not a requirement. 

College work-study is a need-based financial aid program funded by the federal government and Western Michigan University. It is awarded to students based on need who are enrolled at least half time during the period of their employment. Unlike grants and scholarships, work-study awards are earned and paid through the payroll process in the form of a bi-weekly pay. Work-study awards and amounts are subject to eligibility requirements and fund availability. 

Students with a work-study award are subject to the same employment definitions and expectations as other student employees.

Visit the Federal Work Study page for more information.

• Graduating international students can work until the end date on their Form 1-20, which is typically the "Semester ends" date listed on the Registrar's official academic calendar.
• View the Registrar's academic calendar here.
• The exception to this rule is if the international student is graduating AND is enrolled in a new program at WMU for the next semester. In this instance, they may continue working.

Student Employment Annual Report 2024-25

At Western Michigan University, more than 2,600 student employees worked in over 3,700 positions during 2024-25 academic year. (For the purposes of this report, "student employee" excludes students in contracted graduate assistantships.) 16% of WMU students were student employees in 2024-25, which increased from 13% in 2023-24. The student employee body is generally demographically representative of the overall student body, with expected overrepresentation of international students due to visa-related restrictions. Students who had at least one appointment as a student employee in any department or office during their first year had a 75.6% six-year graduation rate, according to Institutional Research data that tracks six-year graduation rates for specific subpopulations of students.

The focus of Student Employment Services for 2024-25 was on aligning student employment as Experience-Driven Learning, which will continue for 2025-26. As such, a primary emphasis is partnering with departments to continue elevating each on-campus job into an experience that matters to serve our student employees during their time here and after graduation as they transition into the professional workforce. This includes delivering leadership development to supervisors of student employees to 1) increase their capacity to support the development of and increase the return on investment in student employees, and 2) to catalyze the alignment of student employment with Experience-Driven Learning. 

This year a deep dive was taken into International Students as student employees. International students are disproportionately represented in the student employee population (19% of international students are employed on campus whereas international students only make up 13% of the general student population), which is to be expected due to visa restrictions. However, international student employees are also overrepresented in the lowest pay range of $12.48 to $12.98 per hour, which contains 76% of international student employees, but only 56% of domestic student employees. This initial report uncovered some of this pay disparity to be due to Dining Services as a department leading the way in employing international students. The majority of international student employees (59%) are employed by Dining Services (with no pay differences between international and domestic students). Once this department is removed from data, international students make up only 11% of student employees employed outside of Dining Services. 

For additional information about this report, including its scope and methods, please refer to the appendix. Please direct questions and requests for additional information to Student Employment Services at StudentEmployment@wmich.edu.

Report prepared by: 

Amanda Jeppesen, M.A., Student Employment Specialist 

Moses Thaara Gichinga, Database Intern, Summer 2025

Student employment population

• There were 2,626 student employees in 2024-25, which is 16% of the total WMU student population of 16,617.
• This is an increase from 2023-24, during which there were 2,178 student employees, consisting of 14% of the total WMU student population of 15,895.

Student employment comparative demographics

Race/ethnicity comparative demographics

The following section contains two lists. The first list compares the race/ethnicity of the student employee population vs the WMU student population for 2024-25. The second list compares the race/ethnicity of the student employee population vs the WMU student population for 2023-24. 

2024-25 race/ethnicity comparative demographics

• American Indian or Alaska Native: 0.2% (4) of student employes vs 0.4% (66) of WMU students.
• Asian: 3% (76) of student employees vs 3% (525) of WMU students.
• Black or African American: 7% (186) of student employees vs 7% (1,149) of WMU students.
• Hispanic: 7% (194) of student employees vs 8% (1,327) of WMU students.
• International: 19% (503) of student employees vs 13% (2,106) of WMU students. (WMU collects international student status as a "race/ethnicity" demographic data point. We maintain this congruity with Institutional Research.)
• Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander: 0.1% (2) of student employees vs 0.1% (10) of WMU students.
• Two or More Races: 4% (109) of student employees vs 4% (676) of WMU students.
• White: 58% (1,515) of student employees vs 62% (10,279) of WMU students.
• Totals: 100% (2,626) of student employees vs 100% (16,617) of WMU students.

2023-24 race/ethnicity comparative demographics

• American Indian or Alaska Native: 0.2% (4) of student employees vs 0.5% (69) of WMU students.
• Asian: 2% (43) of student employees vs 4% (495) of WMU students.
• Black or African American: 6% (130) of student employees vs 9% (1,194) of WMU students.
• Hispanic: 7% (142) of student employees vs 9% (1,303) of WMU students.
• International: 25% (541) of student employees vs 12% (1,678) of WMU students. (WMU collects international student status as a "race/ethnicity" demographic data point. We maintain this congruity with Institutional Research.)
• Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander: 0.1% (1) of student employees vs 0.1% (8) of WMU students.
• Two or More Races: 3% (70) of student employees vs 4% (578) of WMU students.
• White: 54% (1,181) of student employees vs 74% (10,303) of WMU student population.
• Totals: 100% (2,178) of student employees vs 100% (15,985) of WMU students.

International vs domestic student demographics

The following section contains two lists. The first list compares the international vs domestic student status of the student employee population vs the WMU student population for 2024-25. The second list compares the international vs domestic student status of the student employee population vs the WMU student population for 2023-24. 

2024-25 international vs domestic student status comparative demographics

• International students: 19% (503) of student employees vs 15% (2,106) of WMU students.
• Domestic students: 81% (2,123) of student employees vs 84% (14,032) of WMU students.
• No response: 0% (0) of student employees vs 3% (479) of WMU students.
• Totals: 100% (2,626) of student employees vs 100% (16,617) of WMU students.

2023-24 international vs domestic student status comparative demographics

• International students: 23% (541) of student employees vs 11% (1,678) of WMU students.
• Domestic students: 72% (1,571) of student employees vs 87% of WMU students.
• No response: 3% (66) of student employees vs 2% (357) of WMU students.
• Totals: 100% (2,178) of student employees vs 100% (15,985) of WMU students.

Self-reported gender comparative demographics

The following section contains two lists. The first list compares the number of self-reported male vs female members of the student employee population vs the WMU student population for 2024-25. The second list compares the number of self-reported male vs female members of the student employee population vs the WMU student population for 2023-24. WMU collects and reports gender in the male/female binary. We maintain this congruity with Institutional Research.

2023-24 self-reported gender comparative demographics

• Male (self-reported): 44% (1,165) of student employees vs 45% (7,463) of WMU students.
• Female (self-reported): 56% (1,461) of student employees vs 55% (9,151) of WMU students.
• No response: 0% (0) of student employees vs 0.1% (3) of WMU students.
• Totals: 100% (2,626) of student employees vs 100% (16,617) of WMU students.

WMU collects and reports gender in the male/female binary. We maintain this congruity with Institutional Research.

2023-24 self-reported gender comparative demographics

• Male (self-reported): 45% (972) of student employees vs 46% (7,395) of WMU students.
• Female (self-reported): 54% (1,168) of student employees vs 54% (8,590) of WMU students.
• No response: 2% (38) of student employees vs 0% (0) of WMU students.
• Totals: 100% (2,178) of student employees vs 100% (15,985) of WMU students.

WMU collects and reports gender in the male/female binary. We maintain this congruity with Institutional Research.

General earnings distribution disparities

This section contains a list comparing the 2024-25 distribution of earnings rates between international and domestic students by pay band. The dollar amounts noted in the pay bands indicate dollar amount paid per hour. Note: as pay bands increase, international student employees appear at a lower frequency than domestic student employees. 

• $12.48 - $12.98 pay band: 76% (380) international students vs 56% (1,180) domestic students.
• $12.99 - $13.48 pay band: 6% (29) international students vs 12% (255) domestic students.
• $13.49 - $13.98: 5% (25) international students vs 8% (165) domestic students.
• $13.99 and higher: 14% (69) international students vs 25% (523) domestic students.

Student class comparative demographics

The following section contains two lists. The first list compares the number of the student employee population vs the WMU student population by academic class for 2024-25. The second list compares the number of the student employee population vs the WMU student population by academic class for 2023-24. Data excludes contracted graduate assistantships and contracted research and discovery graduate assistantships. 

2024-25 student class comparative demographics

• First-year: 11% (290) of student employees vs 12% (2,042) of WMU students.
• Sophomore: 16% (422) of student employees vs 15% (2,457) of WMU students.
• Junior: 24% (616) of student employees vs 18% (3,042) of WMU students.
• Graduate: 16% (429) of student employees vs 22% (3,585) of WMU students. (Graduate student data excludes contracted teaching graduate assistantships and contracted research and discovery graduate assistantships.)
• Undergraduate non degree: 0% (0) of student employees vs 7% (1,208) of WMU students.
• English as a second language: 0% (0) of student employees vs 0% (0) of WMU students.
• No response: 0% (0) of student employees vs 0% (0) of WMU students.
• Totals: 100% (2,626) of student employees vs 100% (16,617) of WMU students. 

2023-24 student class comparative demographics

• First-year: 10% (217) of student employees vs 13% (2,115) of WMU students.
• Sophomore: 18% (390) of student employees vs 16% (2,523) of WMU students.
• Junior: 21% (455) of student employees vs 18% (2,901) of WMU students.
• Senior: 31% (683) of student employees vs 27% (4,349) of WMU students.
• Graduate: 18% (389) of student employees vs 22% (3,571) of WMU students. (Graduate student data excludes contracted teaching graduate assistantships and contracted research and discovery graduate assistantships.)
• Undergraduate non degree: 0% (0) of student employees vs 3% (526) of WMU students.
• English as a second language: 0.3% (6) of student employees vs 0% (0) of WMU students.
• No response: 2% (38) of student employees vs 0% (0) of WMU students.
• Totals: 100% (2,178) of student employees vs 100% (15,985) of WMU students.

Student primary academic college comparative demographics

The following section contains two lists. The first list compares the number of the student employee population vs the WMU student population by their primary academic college for 2024-25. The second list compares the number of the student employee population vs the WMU student population by their primary academic college for 2023-24. Data excludes contracted graduate assistantships and contracted research and discovery graduate assistantships. 

2024-25 student primary academic college comparative demographics

• College of Arts and Sciences: 27% (718) of student employees vs 20% (3,240) of WMU students.
• Haworth College of Business: 13% (343) of student employees vs 17% (2,844) of WMU students.
• College of Education and Human Development: 9% (343) of student employees vs 15% (2,488) of WMU students.
• College of Engineering and Applied Sciences: 17% (454) of student employees vs 12% (1,921) of WMU students.
• College of Fine Arts: 14% (361) of student employees vs 8% (1,283) of WMU students.
• College of Health and Human Services: 9% (239) of student employees vs 11% (1,762) of WMU students.
• College of Aviation: 8% (204) of student employees vs 6% (965) of WMU students.
• Graduate College: 0.2% (4) of student employees vs 3% (412) of WMU students. (Graduate College data excludes contracted graduate assistantships and contracted research and discovery graduate assistantships.)
• Merze Tate College: 2% (43) of student employees vs 5% (827) of WMU students.
• Other: 0.4% (10) of student employees vs 5% (875) of WMU students.
• Totals: 100% (2,626) of student employees vs 100% (16,617) of WMU students.

2023-24 student primary academic college comparative demographics

• College of Arts and Sciences: 27% (590) of student employees vs 21% (3,359) of WMU students.
• Haworth College of Business: 15% (294) of student employees vs 18% (2,942) of WMU students.
• College of Education and Human Development: 8% (172) of student employees vs 15% (2,371) of WMU students.
• College of Engineering and Applied and Sciences: 20% (441) of student employees vs 13% (1,997) of WMU students.
• College of Fine Arts: 12% (258) of student employees vs 8% (1,222) of WMU students.
• College of Health and Human Services: 8% (170) of student employees vs 11% (1,761) of WMU students.
• College of Aviation: 8% (180) of student employees vs 6% (948) of WMU students.
• Graduate College: 0.1% (1) of student employees vs 3% (415) of WMU students. (Graduate College data excludes contracted graduate assistantships and contracted research and discovery graduate assistantships.)
• Merze Tate College: 1% (24) of student employees vs 2% (623) of WMU students.
• Other: 2% (48) of student employees vs 2% (347) of WMU students,
• Totals: 100% (2,178) of student employees vs 100% (15,985) of WMU students.

Campus department highlight 2024-25: Dining Services

Dining Services was the largest campus employer of international students. The following list compares the percentage of international vs domestic students working in Dining Services against the percentage of international vs domestic students working in other departments on campus.

• Working in Dining Services: 53% (311) international student employees, 45% (265) domestic student employees, 2% (15) student employees with status not found. Total: 100% (591 employees).
• Working in other departments on campus: 11% (242) international students, 84% (1,888) domestic students, 5% (131) student employees with status not found. Total: 100% (2,261 employees). 

The rates of pay were generally evenly distributed between international students and domestic students within Dining Services. The following list compares the number of international student employees vs domestic student employees, within Dining Services, across three pay bands. The dollar amounts noted in the pay bands indicate dollar amount paid per hour.

• $12.48 - $12.98: 53% international student employees vs 51% domestic student employees.
• $12.99 - $13.48: 14% international student employees vs 14% domestic student employees.
• $13.49 and higher: 33% international student employees vs 35% domestic student employees.
• Totals: 100% international student employees and 100% domestic student employees. 

Appendix

The primary purpose of this report is to compare population-level demographic data about student employees at Western Michigan University collected for the 2024-25 school year with data collected for 2023-24. A secondary purpose is to begin identifying demographic distribution across pay bands. For the purposes of this report, “student employee” excludes students in contracted graduate assistantships. 

The scope focused on spring 2025 population data for student employees, compared with 2024-25 WMU census population data for the general student body. Payroll data was requested from Human Resources reflecting the student employees recorded on the payroll report inclusive of March 1, 2025. The list, originally containing one entry per job, resulting in duplication of students holding more than one job, was de-duplicated in all instances. This allowed analysis of data from the perspective of individual employees, rather than from all positions held by student employees on campus. The decision to de duplicate the data allowed comparison with WMU Institutional Research’s 2024-25 census data on the whole student body.

Respectfully submitted:

Dr. Evan Heiser, Ed.D., Senior Director of Career and Experiential Education

Amanda Jeppesen, M.A., Student Employment Specialist

Moses Thaara Gichinga, Database Intern, Summer 2025