In addition to the summer renovations of the Great Hall, Chartwells Dining Services will soon stop offering work-study positions to students. Sarah Grace Kaye, the Student Employment Coordinator, stated this decision has been in the works for the past few years. The issue became more pressing when a few food service students dropped their jobs, and then a few more workers developed concerns about working for Chartwells.
Kaye said, “We had already been reducing the total number of students placed in that department over the last few years. At the beginning of this year there were only fifteen students slated to work there.” Additionally, since fewer work-study students are working in Chartwells, the students are pressed with more hours than they originally needed.
An interview with Tom Schreiner, the Director of Business Operations, provided insight to this recent change. He said Chartwells is a tricky work-study position considering that it is a dining service, thus requiring long shifts which have posed scheduling challenges for students. Some students also have convictions about not working on Sundays, but some workers must prepare the food nonetheless.
Chartwells has the highest turnover rate in work study jobs on campus. To encourage the morale of the dining staff, Schreiner said they tried to increase the wages for workers, but to little effect.
Kaye said the current workers in Chartwells will complete this semester but will be assigned to other jobs throughout campus. The financial aid office has been faithful to help the displaced workers find new positions and supervisors. The students who want to continue working for Chartwells can still apply for a position. “From what we understand, Chartwells would be eager to hire our students this way,” Kaye said.
Schreiner stated Covenant will no longer be working with Chartwells through a contractor, so the students who do want jobs with Chartwells will instead be working directly for them. In the past, Covenant has worked through a contractor to enlist the services of Chartwells. The contractor acted as a middleman, but Covenant has decided to cut ties. These students will not only receive payment directly through Chartwells but will also be earning a slightly increased hourly rate.
Amidst the changes in Chartwells, Schreiner also said the Carter renovations will produce improvements in the Great Hall including the servery station that will be upgraded this upcoming summer.