Student Engagement & Learning through USU Employment

Driven by a commitment to student employee engagement and learning, the University Student Union (USU) invites students to demonstrate how they are making deeper connections with California State University, Northridge and the USU through the work experience.

Throughout their employment, students navigate tasks and projects that coordinate with 10 areas recognized by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) as preparing students for employability in the 21 Century. By demonstrating competence in these areas, Matadors gain an edge in articulating to employers their readiness for work.

Candidate Skills Rated in Importance to Success in an Employer's Organization

Ability to work in a team structure
Ability to verbally communicate with persons inside and outside the organization
Ability to make decisions and solve problems
Ability to plan, organize, and prioritize work
Ability to obtain and process information
Ability to analyze quantitative data
Technical knowledge related to the job
Proficiency with computer software programs
Ability to create and/or edit written reports
Ability to sell or influence others

NACE Job Outlook reports, 2011–2015.

Peck, A. (2017). Employer-Preferred Skills and Attributes. Engagement & Employability (p. 7). Washington, DC.: National Association of Student Personnel Administrators

Photo of USU Administration Student Assistant Employees and staff wearing red “Living the Matador Life” and standing on the USU Plaza del Sol Performance Hall steps

Photo of USU Administration Student Assistant Employees and staff wearing red “Living the Matador Life” and standing on the USU Plaza del Sol

Each academic year, USU student assistant employees voluntarily participate in two surveys that ask students to reflect about how their USU work experience has impacted their growth.

The Exit Survey asks exiting students about how their USU employment experience impacted categories that support student success such as campus engagement, sense of belonging, purpose, perseverance, professional development and practice.

Impact of the USU Student Employment Program

The NASPA Survey captures student perspectives on the USU employment program's impact on their professional development and preparation in several categories:

1. Finding solutions to problems (#3)
2. Ability to analyze a problem (#3)
3. Ability to establish work-based relationships (#1)
4. Analyzing numerical data (#6)
5. Leading a group (#1, #2, #3)
6. Making deeper connections to CSUN

*numbers (#) correlate with Peck/NACE employability factors

Did you know that USU student employees have higher overall GPAs than other CSUN students?

CSUN Institutional Research (IR) set out to examine USU student employment and its association with student academic outcomes, including annual GPA, first-year GPA, third-term retention, and four-and six-year graduation rates.

USU Human Resources and Accounting & Finance supported the compilation efforts of employment data necessary for this study, which was then supplemented with student background and outcomes data from the office of IR.

Did you know that USU student employees have higher GPAs overall than other students?

These are top findings from IR's multi-year study:

Over 3,500 students were employed at the USU between 2010 and 2018.
Student employees were more likely to identify as Latinx or first-generation.
Half of the student employees were female and Pell Grant recipients.
USU employment was associated with a 0.04 increase in annual GPA.
First-year GPA increased by 0.12 points for USU student employees.
Working at the USU improved the likelihood of third-term enrollment at CSUN by 12 percentage points.
Longer employment at the USU is linked to a higher likelihood of graduating within 6 years.

Results indicate that USU employment promotes academic success among students from different racial, ethnic, and socio-economic backgrounds.

View highlights of results from the CSUN Institutional Research (IR) study of USU Student Employment between academic years 2010-2011 and 2018-2019.

Involvement

"Being involved with an on-campus organization like the USU helped me feel more connected with CSUN as a whole. It opened my eyes to the everyday life of my fellow college students, and it made me want to strive harder
to succeed."

Experience

"I learned a lot on a professional level from my USU work experience. In short, this job experience helped me standout from my graduating peers."

Skills

"My USU work experience deepened my learning opportunities because I learned what I am capable of. I became more confident and I gained many transferrable skills that I know I will take to my next workplace."

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