The Office of Student Employment sent an email to student employees announcing that, beginning Feb. 22, all student workers will only be permitted to work a maximum of 10 hours per week. Previously, student employees were permitted to work up to 15 hours a week depending on their position. The email, sent on Feb. 13, said the cut was due to “budget constraints.”

In a later email to The Fordham Ram on Feb. 14, the Office of Student Employment said these constraints were related to “reductions in federal funding, increases to the minimum wage, and hours worked by students.” Beginning Jan. 1, 2025, New York City’s minimum wage increased from $16.00 per hour to $16.50 per hour.

It is not yet clear exactly how many students will be affected by the change or which positions are excluded from the reduction in hours, although students working as building assistants at the Office for Student Involvement, desk assistants at the Ram Fit Center, and student aides at Walsh Library have reported that their hours are being reduced.

According to an email sent to student Ram Van drivers, the change is not affecting student positions deemed “essential to the University’s operational success.” This includes Ram Van drivers and some students employed by Public Safety.

The decrease in maximum hours coincides with other changes in student-employee hiring practices. Public Safety Parking Operations Manager Vicente Audifre III said he received word on Feb. 5 that the office would not be permitted to hire any more students for the spring semester.

The Fordham Ram is still working to collect specific data about how many students will be affected by the change.

This is a developing story. Updates can be found at thefordhamram.com.