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Student Perceptions Of On-Campus Employment: Opportunities For High-Impact Practice
Rudalf, Patricia
Rudalf, Patricia
Abstract
As the public increasingly seeks evidence of the impact of the higher education experience on graduating students, high-impact practices (HIPs) provide colleges and universities with focused programs to direct appropriate use of resources and contribute to student persistence; however, many of these experiences remain inaccessible to various student populations. As such, universities must consider how to scale access to these practices for greater student participation. One such practice is student employment. The purpose of this study was to understand undergraduate, on-campus student employees’ perceptions of their employment experience, specifically the educational elements characteristic of HIPs therein, and the connection of on-campus employment to academic learning. This single-case study was conducted at the College of William & Mary (W&M), a mid-size, more selective public institution located in the Mid-Atlantic Region. Interviews were conducted with a diverse population of 24 on-campus student employees in both paraprofessional and non-paraprofessional roles across four university units. Analysis of data occurred through the frameworks of the educational elements associated with HIPs and the tenets of experiential learning. The employment experience at W&M was found to contain six of the eight HIP elements. Considerable influence on learning also occurred but not always because of employment experience. By bolstering the employment experience at W&M with intentional design and specific, individual feedback, educators can strengthen students’ ability to reflect and process learning, thereby aligning resources and priorities contributing to student success.
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2024-01-01
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Education
DOI
https://dx.doi.org/10.25774/w4-rnan-hz30