The relationship between organizational comitment and student enagement among college students.

Researchers have studied student engagement for decades. Though researchers have considered involvement with registered student organizations, academic orientation, and financial and family factors in their work, fewer studies have examined on-campus student employment as a mechanism for engagement. The purpose of the study is to examine how historically marginalized students experience on-campus employment in college and the implications for student engagement in the process. A research team surveyed student employees at an urban, midwestern, and historically White university to capture their experiences and perceptions on engagement with their institution based on their campus employment status and identity. A total of 131 students from 28 different on-campus employers completed the survey. Findings suggest that students of marginalized identities may experience employment less positively than their traditionally privileged peers. Students of marginalized identities expressed feeling less valued and respected by their peers. However, students also shared that they felt more connected to the university because of their position of employment. Implications of the study suggest that student employment could be better used as a strategy for engagement for students, especially those from underrepresented backgrounds, as well as a pathway to introduce students to the field of higher education as a place of employment.