Pitt Digital cut student worker hours by 15% earlier in the semester to accommodate a lack of demand for their services.
The reduction only affects student employees at the Drop-In Support office of University Store on Fifth and Hillman Library, according to Brady Lutsko, Pitt Digital communications director. He said hours were cut in order to match the needs of the support center.
“This targeted adjustment was based on service utilization data for in-person support,” Lutsko said. “By aligning staffing with actual demand, we can maintain quality Drop-in Support while ensuring fiscal accountability.”
Pitt Digital is collaborating with students on solutions concerning hours and shifts.
“We’ve been working with individuals to find shifts that fit their availability and preserve as many hours as possible,” Lutsko said.
Despite drop-in hours, all student roles were preserved. Pitt Digital staffs over 70 students in roles such as data analytics, IT technicians, programmers, Computing Lab students and Digital ambassadors, according to Lutsko.
Lutsko said Pitt Digital is prioritizing a balance of finances and student technology access.
“[We are] making data-driven decisions about where to allocate resources while sustaining meaningful employment opportunities,” Lutsko said.
University spokesperson Jared Stonesifer said there are no “broad-based plans” to cut student worker hours across the general university. Stonesifer said decisions about staffing and budgets are not overseen by the University and are broken up into different sections.
“Decisions on student employment staffing are made at the department level based on need and departmental budgetary availability,” Stonesifer said.
According to Stonesifer, budgets are managed by Responsibility Centers, who adjust their budgets alongside the larger University budget. These budgets are not affected by larger budgets such as the Pennsylvania state budget, which was passed on Nov. 12.
“RCs may elect different strategies to achieve their financial goals,” Stonesifer said. “These actions are unrelated to state funding.”
Stonesifer affirmed the university’s support of student workers. He also acknowledged the value of student employment in supporting an individual’s “academic experience.”
“We work hard to create a work environment that is more than just a job — it is also a learning experience,” Stonesifer said. “We will continue to dedicate resources to sustain and foster the important role they play.”