LSU implemented a temporary hiring freeze across all departments except athletics at the end of last month to account for uncertainty surrounding federal funding, a move significantly impacting students seeking employment.
For some students, the university may provide their only reliable employment opportunity, particularly for underclassmen.
“I understand why LSU is pausing the hiring of students at the time being, but I wish there were more job opportunities on campus in general for freshmen,” said Sophia Janicki, a sophomore accounting major.
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Janicki was seeking a university job this semester but now says she will have to wait until the fall to be hired.
The freeze currently has no set end date, with no guarantee some of the job opportunities will return. LSU said it is looking to consolidate some positions and explore the use of AI in the workplace.
“It is understandable given the time,” said animal science freshman Elizabeth Grimblatov. “I think that students who were eager to find a job on campus should have been more aware of this freeze before they lost their opportunity to find one.”
The freeze does not have a set end date, with no guarantee some of the job opportunities will return. Appeal processes are available for critical hires in academics, research and operations. However, these considerations have done little to reassure some students, especially given the freeze’s outsized impact on certain groups on campus.
“I am outraged, and I think the university should consider students who don’t have a vehicle for off-campus employment,” said philosophy and psychology junior Perry LaBorde.
However, other students remain unaffected by the freeze, but still disapprove of it.
“I think it is bad for students who live on campus and need a source of income in the area,” said business freshman Angelina Torres, “but for me I am not affected.”
Regardless of student reaction, the university appears unlikely to end the freeze this semester, striking an optimistic tone on LSU’s future despite current headwinds.
“Uncertainty in federal funding and future support should not hinder our growth or momentum,” said LSU President William F. Tate IV in the initial email announcement. “Instead, we must transform challenges into opportunities.”
