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

Executive Compensation and the Excise Tax – What You Need to Know

This blog post was contributed by Alexander L. Reid and Chelsea R. Rubin of Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP.  The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 imposed significant new taxes on nonprofit organizations, including colleges and universities. Specifically, section 4960 of the Internal Revenue Code imposes a 21 percent excise tax on applicable tax-exempt... View Article

NLRB Plans to Revisit Student Organizing

The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) indicated in the federal government’s May 22 spring regulatory agenda that it plans to issue a proposed rule by September addressing the extent to which students who perform services for private higher education institutions are considered employees under the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA). Under the NLRA, employees working in the private... View Article

The Faculty Workforce Is Aging … Is the Pipeline More Diverse?

Like much of the American workforce, college and university professors are aging — the majority are between the ages of 55 and 75. As these baby boomers (who are mostly White males) near retirement, what do their successors look like? Are higher education institutions doing a good enough job of hiring more diverse faculty to... View Article

Adjuncts in Higher Ed: The Big Picture

We know the faculty model in higher ed is changing, with adjuncts (part-time faculty) making up more and more of the faculty workforce in institutions across the country. But what does the big picture look like in terms of adjunct numbers, bargaining power and pay? Data from last year’s CUPA-HR faculty salary surveys tell the... View Article

Top Disciplines for New Faculty Hires in Higher Ed

According to data from CUPA-HR’s Faculty and Department Heads in Higher Education Salary Survey, the hottest disciplines for new faculty hires in higher ed are nursing, psychology and English language/literature. Mathematics and music round out the top five.   Other Findings: Racial/ethnic minority tenure-track faculty are paid equitably at all ranks, but the representation of... View Article

Higher Ed Presidents Seeing More Take-Home Pay, But Fewer Perks

CUPA-HR’s 2017 Administrators in Higher Education Salary Report has been released, and data show that while salaries for college and university administrators increased this academic year, many saw cuts to their executive-only perks. Higher ed administrators saw an average median base salary increase of 2.2 percent over last year. The percentage of institutions providing full... View Article

Why and How One University Hit the Reset Button on Performance Management

Performance reviews in the vast majority of organizations follow this trajectory: setting objectives, feedback, manager assessment and rating, consensus meeting, salary/bonus decisions. But does this process really work? Is it efficient? Is it consistent across the organization? Is it viewed as a value-add? Most employees would answer with a resounding “no.” So what’s the solution?... View Article

The Countdown Is On – New Overtime Rule Goes Into Effect December 1

Update: On November 22, a U.S. District Court judge from Texas issued a preliminary injunction postponing the effective date of the overtime rule, meaning the rule will not go into effect on December 1.  With less than 30 days left until the rule raising the Fair Labor Standards Act’s exempt salary threshold to $47,476 takes... View Article

DOL Issues Final Rule on Paid Sick Leave for Federal Contractors

On September 30, the Department of Labor (DOL) issued final regulations implementing Executive Order 13706 (EO) requiring federal contractors and subcontractors working on or in connection with covered contracts to offer their employees up to seven days of paid sick leave per year. Although DOL has made some minor revisions to the proposed rule, the... View Article

All Things FLSA Overtime

Updated July 6, 2016 On May 18, the Department of Labor (DOL) issued its final rule on overtime eligibility, raising the minimum salary threshold from $23,660 to $47,476. Employers must be in compliance by December 1 of this year, which leaves very little time for what’s sure to be a lot of work. If you’re... View Article

FLSA Overtime Regulations – What Are the Top Concerns for Higher Ed?

The February 16 webinar, “FLSA Overtime: How, When and Why to Prepare,” was the largest in CUPA-HR history. With 1,884 sites logged in and 2,500+ participating, the topic is obviously top of mind for all of us in higher ed HR. Presenters provided background information regarding the proposed changes to the overtime regulations and specific... View Article

FLSA Overtime: How, When and Why to Prepare

In preparation for the pending FLSA overtime announcement, CUPA-HR will be hosting a 90-minute webinar on February 16 at 2:00 p.m. ET. Developed in partnership with Sibson Consulting and several higher ed HR practitioners from across the country, the webinar will focus on the dynamic challenges higher ed institutions face in responding to the proposed... View Article