Introduction & Context
Arizona State University (ASU), the nation’s largest public university, serves more than 190,000 students across campuses in the Phoenix metropolitan area and through ASU Online. Guided by a charter that measures success “not by whom it excludes but by whom it includes and how they succeed,” ASU has long been recognized for its bold commitment to innovation and access.
That same spirit drives Work+, an initiative reimagining student employment as an integrated part of learning. “Instead of viewing student employment jobs as separate from a student’s education,” explains Amanda Butkiewicz, Program Director of Work+, “we sought to intentionally connect work and learning.” Work+ transforms student employment jobs into high-impact learning experiences where employment is not transactional but developmental, helping students build career readiness skills while they earn.
Innovation & Approach
Work+ was born from Arizona State University’s commitment to make every aspect of the student experience a pathway to learning and success. Leaders recognized that student employment, one of the largest and most consistent touchpoints students have with the university, held untapped potential for growth and development.
Rather than treating student employment jobs as purely administrative or financial support, ASU set out to transform them into intentional learning experiences that build career readiness. “We wanted to elevate student employment beyond transactional work by embedding skill development and reflection that could scale to the entire institution,” explained Brandee Popaden-Smith, Senior Director of University College.
From the outset, the goals were ambitious yet clear: create consistency across departments so that every student job provides meaningful learning, and equip supervisors to serve as mentors and coaches. Long term, ASU envisioned a campus where every supervisor is trained in the Work+ framework and every student role is purposefully designed to connect work with future aspirations.
Implementation & Collaboration
The transformation began through cross-functional collaboration. A Student Employment Leadership Team, bringing together Human Resources, Financial Aid, Career Services, the International Students and Scholars Center, and Work+ Learn, provided institutional direction. Students and supervisors played an equally vital role through co-design sessions that kept the initiative grounded in real experience.
University College and its affiliated programs were early champions, piloting new models and testing strategies. National collaboration through the Work+ Collective reinforced ASU’s comprehensive, participatory approach. “It motivates us, in a positive way, to role model and consistently involve students, supervisors, and other stakeholders in our work as co-designers”. reflected Popaden-Smith.
A significant turning point came with the formal endorsement of Work+ by Provost Nancy Gonzales. In a university-wide video message, she affirmed Work+ as the official framework for student employment at ASU, emphasizing its alignment with the institution’s mission to support student success through every experience. Her message underscored the importance of connecting work and learning, recognizing that student employment can, and should, serve as a powerful extension of ASU’s educational goals. The provost’s support elevated Work+ from a promising initiative to an institutionally backed strategy, galvanizing colleges and divisions to adopt the framework at scale.
With strong leadership support in place, ASU expanded its Work+ Supervisor Foundations onboarding to nearly 800 supervisors, ultimately impacting more than 6,500 student employees and embedding the Work+ approach across the university.
Impact & Outcomes
A number of systems have been developed to track and assess impact across the Work+ program. A centralized data dashboard now integrates pay, workload, and demographic data—providing regularly updated insights that inform institutional planning. In addition, an annual student employment survey gathers feedback from both supervisors and working learners to better understand their experiences and identify what support they need to succeed.
The results have been highly encouraging. Nearly 90% of student employees report that their student employment job helped them clarify career aspirations, and 79% say their supervisors allow time for professional growth. Relationships have strengthened as well, with 91.7% of students describing interactions with supervisors as positive. Confidence in career readiness is strong —over 91% of students can now articulate how their work connects to future goals.
To support continued growth, ASU invested in a robust internal tracking infrastructure that allows real-time visibility into how many students and supervisors are engaged in the Work+ framework, including certification status. This enables targeted outreach and ensures every college and division remains involved. Regular communications reach more than 10,000 supervisors and student employees, sustaining a vibrant learning community and providing a steady flow of best practices, resources, and events.
Lessons & Future Direction
Despite strong progress, scaling remains an ongoing effort. “We’ve realized that more time is needed to reach every supervisor,” Butkiewicz acknowledged, emphasizing that cultural change takes longer than compliance.
Looking ahead, ASU is expanding digital badging for supervisors to recognize professional development and building stronger peer networks through its Ambassadors program. “We’ve seen great success and interest in the new Work+ Certified badge,” Butkiewicz noted, “and want to keep building on that with short, topical trainings that help supervisors showcase their skills.”
From policy alignment to personal growth, ASU’s Work+ story illustrates how large institutions can link employment, learning, and belonging. In the words of Dean Sukhwant Jhaj, the initiative reflects ASU’s core mission: “turning everyday work into transformative education".
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