Over $3 million is paid out yearly in wages to nearly 1,200 students that hold jobs on campus at Dartmouth, according to Director of the Student Employment Office Ann Affleck.
In addition, hundreds more students are employed off-campus, said Affleck.
From costume designer to computer programmer, Dartmouth students do it all. Campus jobs range from assisting professors in their research, grading homework or tutoring fellow students, to manning information desks at libraries.
Many students work to earn money as part of their financial aid packages or just to gain some spending money during the academic year.
Affleck said over 40 percent of Dartmouth students qualify for the Federal Work-Study program which subsidizes student wages for employers.
Most students work 10 hours a week for a 10-week term at $5.75 an hour, increased from $5.55 an hour last term. Jobs that require special skills pay more.
Presently, over 1,400 jobs exist in the Student Employment Office Jobnet online database that can be accessed from any campus computer through the Dartmouth College Information Service Navigator. Of this number, 832 are on-campus jobs, 300 are work-study only, over 50 are part of the community service program and about 150 are part of the student temporary jobs service, according to Affleck.
Students looking for jobs should stop by the SEO or connect to Jobnet within their first two weeks at school, Affleck said.
The Federal Work-Study community service program offers students the opportunity to help out in the community and earn money at the same time. The Montshire Museum of Science, a hands-on science museum for children in nearby Norwich, Vt., hires students through this program.
Dining services and libraries
Two main employers on campus are the libraries and the Dartmouth Dining Services.
DDS employs between 150 and 200 students each term, according to DDS Personnel Administrator Kelly Mousley.
DDS jobs range from washing dishes, staffing cash registers, serving food, to supervising fellow student workers. DDS student employees receive many benefits including extended meal plans and opportunities of promotion to supervisor positions.
Students that work 10 hours or more per week are eligible for a cash bonus at the end of the term in addition to their hourly wage, Mousley wrote in an e-mail message.
Baker Library Administrative Services Specialist Corky Scott said in an electronic-mail message that about 100 students work in the library every term.
This could mean checking out books, showing people how to use microfiche machines or giving directions to the map room.
Information specialists
Many students staff information desks at the Hopkins Center, the gym and the Collis Student Center.
When you enter the main door of the Hop, you will often see a student sitting at a round table with a "monitor on duty" sign on it. Monitors answer questions and direct people. Hall monitors in the music department pass out keys to practice rooms.
At the gym, students work at the main desk to check people in and answer questions. They also man the equipment room, passing out rental equipment such as tennis rackets and squash glasses.
The Career Services Office and the Academic Skills Center on the third floor of Collis also hire student workers. Allison Ahart '98 is spending her leave-term as the intern in Career Services. She helps students find the resources they need in the sometimes overwhelming library.
Some of the first student workers you may become familiar with are the consultants at Kiewit Help Desk and the Computer Resources Center.
Whatever the problem, just call 6-2999 and someone can talk to your computer for you. If you are one of those gifted computer experts, consider applying for a job as a Kiewit consultant. As these jobs require some technical skill, they pay more than the regular student wage.
One of the current Jobnet listings for which there are more jobs than students, and consequently higher wages, is the field of web page design and maintenance. Affleck said she often receives requests from College departments that want to set up their own web pages.
Course and lab assistants
While it is true that Dartmouth classes are not taught by teaching assistants, students do play a major role in instructing their peers.
Lab TAs are usually graduate students, although talented undergraduates may also take this role. Students lead math tutorials for introductory math classes and for several computer classes.
Drill instructors, often native speakers of the language they instruct, will keep you on your toes with their snapping fingers as they prompt for phrases in a foreign language.
Qualified students are invited to become tutors or study group leaders for the tutoring program at the Academic Skills Center.
