When the ball dropped to bring in the new year–2008, the pay for minimum wage rose by 15 cents from $6.50 an hour to $6.65 an hour.  According to Jan Aspelund, the director of human resources, approximately 485 Western students working on-campus jobs were adjusted to the new wage.   This increase is based on a 2.2 percentage change in the Consumer Price Index between July 2006 and July 2007.  Minimum wage will continue to be indexed to inflation and increase or decrease on Jan. 1 of successive years. ”This increase didnít have near the impact the last increase did,” Aspelund said.  Last January, minimum wage increased $1.35 an hour, from $5.15 to $6.50.   According to Linda Garlinger, the director of student employment, neither increase drastically hurt Western.   ìLast yearís increase was not very dramatic because most of Westernís students were already making over minimum wage,” Garlinger said.  Ron Olinger, the vice president of financial planning and administration said last yearís minimum wage increase was taken into consideration when planning the 2007-2008 fiscal year budget.   ìWe added $250,000 to budget for Westernís work study to pro-vide more money for student workers, but not all of that has been used so far,î Olinger said.  Aspelund said that even though the last two minimum wage adjustments were abrupt, consideration for possible changes halfway through Westernís fiscal year would be made.   ìIn the future we will look at both the state of Missouriís laws as well as federal laws while budgeting to anticipate changes,” Aspelund said.   Since minimum wage is tied to the Consumer Price Index, it is possible that in future years, wages could decrease.   ìItís difficult to use a national and state index,î Olinger said. ìI believe periodic review adjustment is very good and needed, but continual changes often donít account for regional economies.î  Aspelund agrees that unpredictable changes that can adjust minimum wage up or down donít seem very efficient.   ìIt would be easier for businesses to adjust if [governments] looked at a gradual adjustment instead,î Aspelund said.   Many students who were already making $6.65 or above when the new minimum wage went into effect wondered if they would be granted an equal 2.2 percent increase.  Though pay increases are available, there is no law that requires employers to increase wages of other employees making above minimum.   Garlinger said that increases in pay from term to term were halted after the 2007 increase but now have been reinstated.  Term increases are always at the discretion of the department supervisor.    ìSometimes those increases are contingent on the studentís individual work ethic as well as the departmentís budget,î Garlinger said. Students eligible to increases can receive a 10 cent raise for each fall and spring semester they wok if they return the following semester.  There is also a five-cent raise available for students who continue to work into the summer.   Rebecca Weddle, an employee at the Barnes and Noble Bookstore, said sheís glad minimum wage increased.   ìItís better than nothing,î Weddle said. ìEvery little bit helps and you can’t go wrong with any increase.”  Aspelund said student workers often go unrecognized for their hard work.     ìOur goal is to maintain equal available jobs for students on campus because we are well aware they depend on them,î Aspelund said.  Garlinger and Aspelund agree that many departments depend on utilizing their best resourcesistudents.   ìWe offer a great opportunity for students to get some needed experience.  Students with limited skills can be trained and learn work ethic,î Garlinger said.  ìAlso students with limited transportation can work pretty much where they live.  Both directors encourage students to work on Westernís campus.