Image: Maurice Shirley visited with faculty and students at the Institute on Tuesday, June 11. In addition to a roundtable discussion with students, Dr. Shirley presented a lecture outlining his professional background and research on the effects of employment on college student outcomes. While the percentage of high school students employed is lower and shows a downward trend, data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics indicates a dramatic shift occurs as students begin post-secondary education: from roughly 30% working through high school to roughly 70% working while pursuing baccalaureate or associate degrees. Shirley relied on the Beginning Postsecondary Students Longitudinal Study dataset pulling the 2004-2009 cohort of 6,800 students. His work indicates that working a lighter schedule (under 16 hours per hours) has at least a positive correlation with, if not a causation of, college completion. Overall, students who worked limited hours were 3% more likely to obtain a degree over their peers who did not work, and 7% more likely to graduate compared with peers who worked more than 16 hours per week. His research also indicates differences by race. Black students, who work fewer than 16 hours, were 8% more likely to graduate than peers not employed. Latinx students were affected disproportionally by heavy work, exhibiting a 9% decreased likelihood of finishing the target degree within six years. While indications are that graduates with work experience have an easier transition to careers and generally earn higher salaries within the first two years, Shirley hopes his work will inform higher education policy decisions and help institutions better account for external demands and constraints. He looks forward to exploring broader outcomes relating to persistence, to expanding the sample to later cohorts, and to examining the transitions to the labor market. He also plans to implement qualitative measures to understand motivations and experiences. Type of News/Audience: General News Tags: EPS
