The motto at Hudson County Community College is “Hudson is Home,” a saying created by their students that reflects HCCC’s commitment to community across their three New Jersey campuses. Located in one of the densest and most ethnically diverse counties in the country, HCCC uses inclusive strategies to boost employee recruitment and retention. HCCC’s focus... View Article
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
This year’s Transgender Awareness Week (November 13-19) is an opportunity for HR pros to educate themselves about daily steps that make a more inclusive workplace. It’s also a good time to review strategies for inclusion for all employees, including those who are transgender, nonbinary, and agender, among other gender identities. Small Steps to a More... View Article
Culture was at the heart of the three keynote events at CUPA-HR’s 2023 national conference, which took place recently in New Orleans. Our keynote speakers asked thought-provoking questions that resonate with higher ed HR’s mission. Engaging with these questions can help you boost employee engagement, promote a culture of inclusivity and strengthen collaboration with your... View Article
Detecting bias can be a challenge, particularly when it comes to long-standing practices that are firmly rooted in our campus culture and systems. Left unchecked, these routine practices may create unintended barriers to inclusion and belonging. In the recent CUPA-HR virtual workshop, “Detecting Systemic Bias in Talent Practices,” Dr. Aarti Shyamsunder, DEI solutions consultant at... View Article
Whether it was logging overtime behind laptops before work-from-home boundaries were put in place or turning to mobile phones and tablets for entertainment during lockdowns, many of us recognized the uptick in screen time during the height of the pandemic. Our eyes likely noticed the uptick too by feeling increasingly strained. March is Workplace Eye... View Article
National Women’s History Month celebrates the contributions and achievements women have made throughout U.S. history. CUPA-HR is fortunate to have had many smart and dedicated women serve on its national, regional and chapter boards and on various committees. In addition to providing leadership at work, they have volunteered their time and shared their know-how —... View Article
Minority-serving institutions (MSIs) play an important role in ensuring students from underrepresented races and ethnicities receive a quality education. While there is an abundance of research on students who attend MSIs, little research has examined the MSI workforce, specifically, how the racial/ethnic representation of faculty, administrator, professional and staff reflects the student populations being served.... View Article
For institutions to become diverse, equitable and inclusive workplaces for faculty and staff, HR must take a critical look at current hiring processes and analyze not only who’s being hired, but who’s doing the hiring. Are search committee members trained in DEI issues and prepared to conduct interviews in a way that exemplifies the institution’s... View Article
“Black History Month is an opportunity to understand the stories of Black Americans as something more than a history of racism and strife. It’s a time to recognize their undeniable impact on our country and culture.” – BestColleges.com Since 1976, U.S. presidents have officially designated February as Black History Month. This month-long celebration of the... View Article
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
In 1992, as part of its focus on promoting the well-being of people with disabilities, the United Nations called for an international day of celebration for people with disabilities. Held on December 3 each year, International Day of People With Disabilities is a day to recognize and learn from the experiences of those with disabilities... View Article
Higher ed leaders worked tirelessly last year to facilitate employee transitions to remote work. Now that many employees are firmly rooted in their remote work routine (and in some cases hesitant or unable to return to campus), what was previously a short-term solution is becoming a permanent option at many institutions, and the next challenge... View Article
On June 15 and 16, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) released new resources on federal enforcement of protections against sexual orientation and gender identity discrimination. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled last year in Bostock v. Clayton County that the bar on workplace discrimination based... View Article
As Congress prepares to vote on legislation establishing June 19 as a federal holiday, we are exploring ways institutions can observe this momentous occasion in U.S. history. Juneteenth, the oldest known celebration commemorating the ending of slavery in the United States, has not always been widely recognized. Expanding your campus community’s knowledge of Juneteenth and... View Article
June is Pride Month, and many institutions are hosting LGBTQ+ programming and events to spread the message of inclusion in higher ed. HR pros can further this message and help make LGBTQ+ students, faculty and staff feel seen, heard and valued by learning about the barriers and experiences of these individuals and ways to advocate... View Article
Cinco de Mayo is a frequently misunderstood holiday. Many Americans are quick to join in on the celebrations, but few are aware of the origin of the holiday. And while grabbing a traditional Mexican meal or a margarita today is hardly cultural appropriation, the slope can be a slippery one. Cultural appropriation — exploiting or... View Article
On April 6, the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) issued a letter outlining plans to review the Trump administration’s final rule on Title IX, which changed how colleges and universities must handle allegations of sexual assault and harassment under Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972. The letter comes nearly a... View Article
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
Higher ed institutions know how critical it is to have a diverse workforce, equitable hiring and compensation practices, and an inclusive work environment for all. Yet this work can be daunting for HR teams who don’t know where to start. After all, improving DEI for faculty and staff doesn’t have a one-time quick-fix solution —... View Article
On March 8, President Biden issued an Executive Order (EO) titled, “Guaranteeing an Educational Environment Free from Discrimination on the Basis of Sex, Including Sexual Orientation or Gender Identity.” The EO sets forth the administration’s policy that “all students should be guaranteed an educational environment free from discrimination on the basis of sex, including discrimination... View Article
On February 25, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 5, the Equality Act by a vote of 224 to 206. Three Republicans joined Democrats to pass the bill that would make employment discrimination and other forms of discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity unlawful. The bill would amend existing civil rights laws —... View Article
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
Rob Keel, policy analyst and HR communication specialist at Motlow State Community College and a 2019-20 CUPA-HR Wildfire program participant, highlights takeaways from the National LGBTQ Task Force’s Creating Change Conference to help higher ed HR pros become better resources and advocates for the LGBTQ communities on their campuses. In January 2020, I traveled from... View Article
A common way higher ed institutions strive to enhance diversity and inclusion is by enrolling employees in training on the subject. In a recent CUPA-HR webinar, presenter Amanda Felkey pointed out that one of the drawbacks to training is that humans tend to forget new information after we learn it if we do not regularly... View Article
The content in this blog post is for general information purposes only and should not be considered legal advice. Specific legal questions should be directed to your institution’s legal counsel. In a recent CUPA-HR webinar, “Avoiding ADA Compliance Pitfalls in a COVID-19 World,” 71 percent of polled participants said they are somewhat worried and 22... View Article
Today, August 26, is the 100th anniversary of Women’s Equality Day. On this day in 1920, the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was adopted, giving American women the right to vote (although not all women were free to exercise that right). While the adoption of the amendment was a paramount victory for women in... View Article
Have you ever heard someone at your institution say to a person of color, “When I look at you, I don’t see color?” Microaggressions such as this “colorblind” statement may not mean to intentionally demean the recipient, but intentional or not, it denies a person of color’s racial or ethnic experiences. Microaggressions were a common... View Article
Which of the following statements are true for higher education? Black employees are underrepresented in administrative and faculty positions, the positions with the highest pay. Most Black higher education employees are in staff positions, the positions with the lowest pay and lowest pay equity. When Black employees hold administrative positions, they are paid less relative... View Article
In recent weeks, we’ve highlighted key takeaways from CUPA-HR’s town hall meeting, Partners in Justice — We Will Not Be Silent! Leaning into uncomfortable conversations to help lead the charge for diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) and addressing systemic racism and inequality on the individual, team and organizational levels are just two of the “nuggets”... View Article
“Get comfortable with being uncomfortable.” This sobering statement echoed throughout CUPA-HR’s recent town hall meeting, where higher ed HR panelists discussed how to tackle systemic racism on campus and urged higher ed HR pros to challenge leaders and rethink policies and procedures that perpetuate ongoing inequalities and create barriers to inclusivity. Panelists shared these three... View Article
The tragic deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, Rayshard Brooks and too many others have prompted a flood of angry voices demanding justice and radical change. Many of us have joined those voices in our communities. As higher ed HR leaders committed to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI), we are also uniquely positioned... View Article
Like millions of Americans, my heart aches and I have no words to adequately express my anger, my sadness or my frustration regarding the recent events that have shaken our country. Members of our national board recently shared the following questions. How do we help our campuses become stronger as a result of this turmoil?... View Article
In the last decade, much emphasis has been placed on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) in higher education, but efforts are often focused on the student population rather than the higher ed workforce. In a recent CUPA-HR webinar, Jackie Bichsel, director of research at CUPA-HR, shared that the current COVID-19 crisis has shed even more... View Article
According to data from this year’s Faculty in Higher Education Annual Report, representation of both women and minorities decreases with progression in rank. The decrease is not limited to faculty who were promoted long ago but is seen even in faculty promoted within the past year. Pay Equity Lessens as Rank Progresses While the data... View Article
Editor’s note: You may have missed this blog post when we published it in 2020. It’s been updated here with additional resources, including the new Disability in the Workplace Toolkit. Efforts to help individuals with disabilities feel respected and included can quickly backfire if the words used to refer or speak to them are insensitive... View Article
A surge in student activism in recent years has driven institutional dialogue and action on equity and inclusion issues. Many of the common concerns students raise, such as inclusive hiring and enhanced staff and faculty training, require input and leadership from human resources. What should a collaborative relationship between HR and student affairs look like... View Article
This is part one of a two-part blog post contributed by Abby King, accommodation specialist at University of Kansas, and William Budding, HR coordinator at Harvard University’s School of Dental Medicine, both of whom are alumni of CUPA-HR’s Wildfire program for early-career higher ed HR professionals. Look for part two — Workplace Inclusivity for People... View Article
On August 16, CUPA-HR and six other higher education associations submitted comments in response to a Federal Register notice titled “Reporting Requirements Regarding Findings of Sexual Harassment, Other Forms of Harassment or Sexual Assault.” The notice, which was published on July 17, 2019, proposes the “implementation of new reporting requirements … to help ensure research environments to... View Article
While the information technology workforce in higher education is currently mostly White and male, a demographic shift could be on the horizon. According to new research from CUPA-HR on the diversity of the higher ed IT workforce, a looming retirement wave in this sector could pave the way for more women and minorities to move... View Article
On June 20, the House Science Committee passed Chairwoman Eddie Bernice Johnson’s (D-TX) bill, H.R. 36, the Combating Sexual Harassment in Science Act of 2019, out of committee. This comes after a June 12 hearing which evaluated higher ed’s response to sexual harassment in STEM jobs on and off campuses, offered feedback on the bill,... View Article
On May 17, 2019, the House passed H.R. 5, the Equality Act, by a vote of 236 to 173. Eight Republicans joined Democrats to pass the bill that would make employment discrimination and other forms of discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity unlawful. The bill would amend existing civil rights law — including... View Article
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
Only 5 percent of deans of medicine in the nation’s colleges and universities are minorities. Women make up only a quarter of pharmacy deans, and only three in 10 law school deans are women. Among engineering deans, only about 20 percent are women or minorities. Just-released findings from this year’s Administrators in Higher Education Survey... View Article
As noted in previous CUPA-HR research, community and technical colleges are ahead of the curve when it comes to pay equity for women and minority staff. Now, just-released findings from this year’s Faculty in Higher Education Survey show that associate’s institutions also have higher levels of representation and pay equity for both women and racial/ethnic... View Article
Using data from CUPA-HR and other sources, a comprehensive report on race and ethnicity in higher education from the American Council on Education (ACE) paints a picture of an ever-diversifying student body, but a mostly White higher ed workforce. In the report, ACE notes that over the past two decades, the non-White share of undergraduates... View Article
On March 13, Reps. David Cicilline (D-RI) and Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) and Sens. Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and Cory Booker (D-NJ) introduced legislation which would make employment discrimination and other forms of discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity unlawful. The Equality Act of 2019 would amend existing civil rights law — including the Civil Rights Act of... View Article
At the University of Kansas, many students and university employees climb hundreds of steps up a 400-foot incline, dubbed “The Hill,” to get to class or work. For those with mobility issues, however, this incline presents a challenging navigational puzzle. When Catherine E. Johnson joined the university as the director of the ADA Resource Center... View Article
Community and technical colleges serve an important role in the U.S. higher education system. They are often an option for students who need skills development or training for specific jobs in their community; who need a more affordable college option; who want to test the waters of a college education before committing to a four-year... View Article
This blog post was contributed by Drexel King, manager of learning and development at Baylor University and alumnus of CUPA-HR’s Wildfire program for early-career higher ed HR professionals. Transitioning to a new job can be tough for many people, but this transition can be especially difficult for the nearly 300,000 veterans that enter the U.S.... View Article
Student affairs has one of the most diverse workforces on college and university campuses today, particularly as it relates to women and African Americans in leadership positions. Student affairs is also exemplary for pay equity compared to the rest of higher education. According to findings from CUPA-HR’s just-released research report Focus on Student Affairs, 2018:... View Article
Several major news outlets covered the recent kerfuffle of a Frontier Airlines passenger attempting to fly out of Orlando, Florida, with her emotional support squirrel seated with her. The passenger indicated at the time of her reservation that she would be traveling with an emotional support animal but failed to disclose it was a squirrel... View Article
Results of a recent survey of college and university presidents conducted by the American Council on Education (ACE) show that half of all presidents surveyed rely on their chief HR officer to weigh in when setting institutional policy related to campus inclusion and free speech. And 30 percent of presidents said they rely on HR... View Article
When it comes to creating a safe, inclusive, equitable campus, culture is the bottom line. But changing the culture and transforming the mindset of an enterprise as large and complex and multifaceted as a higher education institution certainly doesn’t happen overnight — it’s a slow and steady journey. While helping their colleges and universities navigate... View Article
“Intersectionality” – the combination of discrimination or bias experienced by individuals with overlapping identities, each of which is associated with discrimination on its own. Research has shown that women and minorities each face their own challenges related to equal pay and representation in the higher ed workforce — women working in higher ed leadership earn less than... View Article
“Philosopher Accused of Sexual Misconduct” “Former Sports Doctor Pleads Guilty to Sexual Assault” “Title IX Complaints Filed Against Creative-Writing Professor” “Fifteen Students and Post Docs Issue Statement That Three Professors Created a Hostile Academic Environment in Which Sexual Harassment Is Normalized” “Reports of Sexism in a University Academic Department” “Tenured Professor Sexually Harassed Graduate Student... View Article