Ten Higher Ed HR Stories That Defined 2023

Last year brought major changes to the higher education landscape. Turnover reached a peak, prompting more attention than ever to retention and recruitment, while looming policy changes in overtime pay and Title IX regulations further complicated long-term planning. And, though it may feel like unprecedented change is the new normal, timeless HR topics like onboarding... View Article

NLRB Region Files Complaint Against the NCAA, Pac-12 and the University of Southern California

On December 15, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB)’s Region 31 announced it will pursue a complaint against the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), the Pac-12 Conference and the University of Southern California (USC) for violating the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) by misclassifying student-athletes as non-employees, unless the matter is settled. On February 8,... View Article

4 Considerations for Using Salary Data to Inform Compensation Decisions

Editor’s note: This blog post, originally published in April 2019, has been updated with additional resources and related content. Salary benchmarking is not one-size-fits-all — especially when you’re looking at groups as varied as administrators, professionals, staff and faculty on a college or university campus that is unique in its combination of Carnegie class, affiliation,... View Article

2022 Data: Changes in Higher Ed Pay and Workforce Size

CUPA-HR has released its data on overall higher ed pay increases, as well as changes in workforce size for 2021-22. Higher Ed Pay Increases Have Not Kept Pace With Inflation The soaring inflation rate has far outpaced pay increases for the higher education workforce. According to findings from CUPA-HR’s annual workforce surveys for 2021-22, overall... View Article

Tips to Help HR Retain and Engage Talent

In a recent members-only article from the winter issue of Higher Ed HR Magazine, Britni Elder, associate vice president for human resources and risk management at the University of Central Arkansas, shared tips and resources higher ed HR practitioners can tap into to get ahead of the resignation curve and not only hold onto employees,... View Article

Read and Listen to Inspiring CUPA-HR Content From 2021

Throughout 2021, HR practitioners have proven their resilience time and again by positively impacting higher education not only in response to the ever-evolving pandemic, but also in building more flexible, diverse and inclusive workplaces. CUPA-HR captured many of these higher ed success stories, as well as leadership advice, helpful resources and workforce data trends in... View Article

Boost Your Pay Equity Know-How By Tapping Into These Resources

Today, March 24, is Equal Pay Day. Originated by the National Committee on Pay Equity, Equal Pay Day is meant to bring awareness to how far into the year women working full-time must work to earn what men earned in the previous year. One way CUPA-HR strives to build awareness around pay equity is by... View Article

Great CUPA-HR Reads of 2020

Between pivoting with the COVID-19 pandemic, confronting racial issues, making strides toward more equitable workplaces, and managing already hectic workloads, higher ed HR has had its hands full this year. Yet in the middle of it all, resilient HR pros continue to find ways to positively impact the higher education landscape. As 2020 comes to... View Article

CUPA-HR, Other Associations Ask DOL to Rescind Flawed Rule on Prevailing Wage Minimums for H-1B Visas

On November 9, CUPA-HR and 18 other associations submitted comments regarding the Department of Labor (DOL)’s Interim Final Rule (IFR) entitled “Strengthening Wage Protections for the Temporary and Permanent Employment of Certain Aliens in the United States.” DOL’s IFR was unveiled on October 8 and went into effect immediately — preventing the regulated community, including... View Article

Senate Committee Discusses Name, Image and Likeness Compensation for Intercollegiate Student-Athletes

On September 15, the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee held a hearing titled, “Compensating College Athletes: Examining the Potential Impact on Athletes and Institutions.” The hearing was part of ongoing Senate discussions on potential federal legislation to permit student-athletes to receive compensation for their name, image and likeness (NIL) while participating in National... View Article

CUPA-HR Report Examines Professional Leadership Positions in Higher Education

Professional leadership positions in higher education often serve as the pipeline to higher-level administrative positions. For this reason, it is crucial to examine representation among these positions. CUPA-HR’s recently released 2020 Professionals in Higher Education Annual Report surveyed 396 professional positions. Of those positions, 38 percent are leadership positions that require supervising others or directing... View Article

Exploring the Presidential Pipeline in CUPA-HR Administrators in Higher Education Annual Report

As colleges and universities strive to create a more equitable and representative workforce, there has been increased emphasis on recognizing and exploring the pipeline that leads to leadership positions. The 2020 CUPA-HR Administrators in Higher Education Annual Report, released today, highlights data collected on the pipeline for three key positions: institution president/CEO, provost/chief academic officer... View Article

Student Eligibility for Unemployment Benefits

As the COVID-19 public health emergency continues, policymakers are providing new financial assistance to workers impacted by the outbreak. One form of assistance is additional unemployment compensation for both previously eligible individuals and new classes of workers. Questions remain, however, about which workers qualify to receive such benefits, including whether students who perform work for... View Article

12 Great Reads of 2019

As the year quickly winds down, we hope you’ll take some time to read about some of the great work your HR colleagues are doing at colleges and universities around the country. CUPA-HR’s Higher Ed HR Magazine and Higher Ed Workplace blog highlight new and innovative ways to do HR (from institutions and organizations who have been there,... View Article

CUPA-HR Submits Comments on DOL’s Overtime Proposal

On May 21, CUPA-HR, joined by 18 other higher education associations, filed substantive comments in response to the Department of Labor (DOL)’s proposed update to the salary threshold for the “white collar” exemptions to the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA)’s overtime pay requirements. DOL’s update formally rescinds the 2016 rule, proposes increasing the current level... View Article

Which Higher Ed Workers Are Most Likely to Be Impacted by DOL’s Proposed Overtime Rule?

The Department of Labor (DOL) in March released details of its proposed changes to the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA)’s overtime pay requirements governing exemptions for executive, administrative and professional (or “white-collar”) employees. Findings from CUPA-HR’s 2019 Professionals in Higher Education Survey shed some light on which higher ed-specific professional-level positions are most likely to... View Article

How Competitive Are Your Salaries in Today’s Market?

Market-based pay is a staple of the corporate world to attract and retain the best and brightest talent, and many higher ed institutions are moving in this direction as well. It’s especially valuable when you’re hiring locally or regionally. If you’re wondering how to get started with a market-based compensation strategy, here are a few... View Article

12 Great Reads of 2018

Another year down, and a new one underway! As you jump back into your work in this new year, we hope you’ll take some time to read about some of the great work your HR colleagues are doing at colleges and universities around the country. CUPA-HR’s The Higher Education Workplace magazine and Higher Ed Workplace blog highlight new and innovative... View Article

Simple Metrics: How to Use Compa-Ratios to Guide Compensation Decisions

How competitive are your institution’s salaries? How equitable is pay among your workforce? One quick way to identify potential trouble spots is with comparison ratios, or compa-ratios for short. A compa-ratio is one of the most common metrics for pay. Simply stated, a compa-ratio compares an individual employee’s salary to the midpoint of a given... View Article

Survey Results: Short Tenure for Higher Ed’s Top Leaders

Presidents and provosts in U.S. colleges and universities tend to change jobs frequently; in fact, administrators in higher education overall tend to have fairly short tenures, with a median of five years in their position. Data from CUPA-HR’s 2017-18 Administrators in Higher Education Survey show that presidents have been in their current position for a... View Article

Survey Results: Non-Tenure Faculty See Higher Pay Raises Than Tenure-Track Faculty

While tenure-track faculty at the nation’s colleges and universities enjoy slightly higher salaries at most ranks than do non-tenure-track faculty, those working off the tenure track are seeing bigger increases year over year than their tenure-track counterparts, according to findings from CUPA-HR’s 2017-18 Faculty in Higher Education Survey. Among this year’s findings: During the last... View Article