Student staff face challenges as a result of the University of Arizona’s Campus Bookstore closure
TUCSON, Ariz.— Student staff have faced staff shortages, decreased working hours and a change in working conditions because of the main bookstore’s closure for renovations. Other students on campus for the summer also find the construction to be an inconvenience.
The University of Arizona Campus Store, which is located on the second floor of the Student Union Memorial Center (SUMC), closed for renovations on May 13. When the bigger location closed, a smaller pop-up shop located at the Arizona Memorial Room in the SUMC opened as a temporary stand-in.
Cynthia Herrera, a sophomore and customer service associate at the Campus Store, said the closure greatly decreased the number of employees at the bookstore. As a result, she said “We don’t really get any hours.”
The UofA only allows student employees to work 35 hours a week during the summer session, so the smaller location and reduced staff makes it more difficult for students to get work hours.
“It just doesn’t help for those who are independent and live on their own and have bills to pay and stuff,” Herrera said. “A lot of people did have to move back to their homes and stuff like that. Just cause obviously they couldn’t pay their living.”
Because the Campus Store closed after the conclusion of the 2023–2024 school year and senior commencement, the student body unconnected to the bookstore was less impacted by the temporary changes at the SUMC. However, some students taking classes for the summer may find the construction to be a nuisance.
“It just is kinda an inconvenience in the way of getting around campus because they blocked off pretty much that main path. And I do know a lot of students who really like the coffee shop in there,” said Cruz Ramirez-Ramos, a current junior and resident assistant in the Pueblo de la Cienega dorms.
Despite the challenges created from the renovation project, Ramirez-Ramos and Herrera are eager for the bookstore’s reopening.
“I thought it looked pretty good. But hopefully it will just look better,” Ramirez-Ramos said.
“We’re just kind of hoping for the best,” Herrera said, referring to the store staff. “If we have to close out for this long, it might as well be for a good reason, you know?”
According to an article from Arizona Sonoran News, Peter Neff, executive director of the U of A Bookstores, said the renovations will be completed before the fall term. The remodel will feature expanded space for students to gather, an increase in technology services and more merchandise partnerships, including Champion and 47 Sports.
