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Student Work Program


ALC is one of nine federally recognized work-study colleges in the nation. Students who attend ALC work for their education. They are the receptionists, the computer technicians, the groundskeepers, the gardeners, the dorm supervisors, the secretaries, the bookstore salespeople, and more.

Opportunity to Work and Learn

Work has been a central part of the Alice Lloyd College experience since the College’s founding in 1923 when Alice Lloyd developed her own financial aid program that required all students to work. Students worked to provide needed services for the College community and also to provide the opportunity to pay for their education. Today, the Student Work Program is intended to be not only an earning experience, but a learning experience as well. It is designed to teach students the meaning of responsible leadership, self-discipline, and self-reliance. It also enhances the total educational program through the teaching of skills, responsibilities, attitudes, and habits associated with work.

Requiring students to work is truly a distinctive feature of Alice Lloyd College, and so committed is the College to the concept of student labor that successful completion of the work requirement is a graduation requirement.

The program requires every full-time student to work a minimum of 10 hours per week and 160 hours per semester at an on-campus or off-campus job.

These jobs are varied and all students are paid at the prevailing minimum wage rate. All on-campus jobs are necessary to the normal operations of the College, and the off-campus jobs help provide needed services in the surrounding communities.

Graduates of work colleges report that their college better prepared them for their current job as compared with their peers.

Some of the areas in which students work are the Hunger Din (campus dining facility), grounds, maintenance, intramurals, the library, Student Services, and community services. They also serve as academic and administrative assistants, public building janitors, dorm janitors, Resident Advisors, and lifeguards.

Students are assigned positions as freshmen, and usually serve their first year in basic services such as campus maintenance, food service in the Hunger Din, and janitorial duties. Before their arrival on campus, new students will complete a form that provides information about their previous work experience, as well as any special skills they may possess. This information is useful in filling positions that may require prior experience. After the freshman year, students may seek positions of their choice by filling out a Job Preference Form and attracting the attention of the supervisor of the area in which they are interested. Providing there is a vacancy and not extenuating circumstances, returning students will be allowed to work at the job of their choice the following school term. Students are encouraged to seek positions that relate to their majors.

The Student Work Program will:

1. Promote a sense of dignity through work.

2. Promote a sense of service to others.

3. Enrich the educational program through experiential learning opportunities.

4. Provide students with monetary means to help finance their educational expenses and help gain a sense of accomplishment.

5. Enhance students’ career opportunities.

Job descriptions for all positions are available in the Student Work Office.