In line with Michigan wage increases, Grand Valley State University has guidelines for campus employers that set tiered pay rates for student employees. Minimum wage is set to hit $15 by February 2027, with wages at the University to increase proportionally, yet some students are unsatisfied with their pay, expressing a demand for increased payouts and transparency.
The current Michigan minimum wage is $12.48, which will increase Jan. 1 to $13.73. Every student currently making less than $13.73 will see an increase, while those making more than the upcoming minimum wage amount will also see increased payouts added proportionally. Additional wage increases are up to the department to determine rates and frequency.
The wage chart for student employees at GVSU separates pay based on seven classifications ranked by difficulty. Category 7, the most taxing and highest paying, requires a minimum of two years experience and students are expected to operate with little to no supervision. Classification 1 expects little training, no experience and constant supervision.
Associate Director of the Student Employment Office Katelyn Geurink said any additional increases heavily depend on the department a student works in.
“Each semester varies based on department, so the increases taking place are due to that statement going up, and that will be across the board,” Geurink said. “If there are additional increases on top of that, that is dependent on the hiring department and what their budget restraints are.”
Some students have raised concerns over potential disparity in student wages based on department. Student wages have been a frequent point of contention at GVSU in recent years. The Student Senate addressed wage charts in legislation as recently as 2022, and student groups staged a strike in 2023.
Language Resource Center employee Abigail Van Norwick said she chose her job based purely on the work environment and not pay, but acknowledged many student workers may not have the ability to do the same.
“For international students and people working in food service, I don’t think they’re treated as fairly as (compared) to (employees in) the Language Resource Center,” Van Norwick said.
Katrina Wrzesinski, who has worked at Blue Connection for five semesters, believes she is paid fairly for her responsibilities as general student worker. However, despite her bosses repeatedly asking if she would like to be promoted to student manager, she doesn’t believe the pay increase is worth it.
“At our location, (new) student managers only get paid 50-60 cents more than me but have more responsibilities like floating for each station, making the schedule or sending out emails,” Wrzesinski said. “They’ve (her bosses) asked me multiple times if I wanted to be a student manager and I’ve never justified the extra responsibilities for a small pay increase.”
Abrianna Imbrogno, back of house senior student manager at the Valley Campus Starbucks, does not believe workers are paid fairly for what their jobs entail. She explained management and the payroll system are a large issue for workers. She alleges a large number of staff members are not being paid wages in accordance with the pay chart.
“While it is the responsibility of the worker to check pay slips, I feel it should be the responsibility of the establishment if (that) many people are not getting the automatic pay bump (wage increases),” Imbrogno said.
Writing Center consultant and resident assistant Annelise Racely echoed Van Norwick’s sentiment in being drawn to working on campus for experience and community. She also has concerns about other departments’ pay and overall University transparency.
“I think it would be best if they (GVSU administrators) were more transparent about wages and the difference in wages,” Racely said. “I have talked to people that work in different departments across campus and they’re shocked when they find out how much I am making as a consultant.”
