Student Employment at Iowa State University as a High Impact Practice

Abstract

Keywords: High Impact Practices, student employment, academic success High Impact Practices (HIPs) are educational practices that enhance the academic experience of college students. At Iowa State University, there are nine official HIPs: communication-intensive courses, community-based and service learning, global learning and study abroad, innovation and entrepreneurship, internships and field experiences, learning communities and first-year experiences, peer leadership, senior culminating capstone experiences, and undergraduate research and creative activity. Despite ⅓ of the undergraduate student population being student employees at Iowa State University, student employment is not considered a HIP. The purpose of this research is to conclude whether student employment at Iowa State University qualifies as a high impact practice. To conclude whether student employment should be considered a HIP, research conducted by Iowa State University and other universities in the United States about the impact of student employment were examined along with interviews from current Iowa State University student employees. Through this research, student employment at Iowa State University is found to be primarily enhancing the student experience by demanding time and effort, engaging across differences, and peer collaboration. Overall, it can be surmised that student employment at Iowa State University can be considered a high impact practice.