Student worker jobs are more secure than they appeared to be two weeks ago when it was reported that many faced layoffs in the wake letters warning of diminishing funds in some divisions on campus.

Mirta Lorenzo, manager of Student Employment Services, has announced that most of the departments in need of financial adjustments contacted her soon enough for solutions to be found.

“These types of notices are commonly sent out in the beginning of the spring semester,” said Lorenzo. “We will try and reword the statements next time so as not to cause such a scare.”

Because divisions routinely run low on funds during the spring semester, the Job Placement Center anticipates the problems and is ready for them.

“The worst possible outcome is that certain departments will have to cut an hour from their work schedules,” Lorenzo said.

What happens is that funds not currently used by certain departments are transferred over to departments in need. Money is never wasted.

About dwindling funds in the international students account, Lorenzo said that the account is close to empty, but that no international students who were eligible for jobs and wanted one were turned away.

“Not every student is going to want to work on campus,” the manager said. “The ones that are interested in on campus jobs have to meet the requirements. It is then the departments’ decision to decide which student will benefit the most.”

The rules to work on campus have recently been revised to require enrollment in at least six units and maintaining a GPA of 2.0 or higher. International students are required to attend the college a full year before they are eligible for campus jobs.

As for the rate of pay, student workers generally receive $5.75 an hour unless departments can afford to pay more. “We are required by law to pay the federal minimum wage of $5.75,”

Lorenzo said. “The state minimum wage is what has risen, and it is not in our budget to raise wages in the middle of a school year. If we did then we’d have a big problem.”