July 30, 2021 7:21 am
On Thursday July 29, President Biden announced the release of preliminary guidelines for a COVID-19 vaccination mandate for all federal employees. This decision is Biden’s most recent effort to promote vaccination nationwide and combat the spread of the Delta variant. Overview of Vaccination Mandate Guidelines Every federal government employee and onsite contractor will be asked to attest to their... View Article
July 22, 2021 2:11 pm
On July 20, the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) issued a questions-and-answers (Q&A) resource. According to a press release from OCR, “the Q&A clarifies how OCR interprets schools’ existing obligations under the 2020 amendments” and includes an appendix, which “responds to schools’ requests for examples of Title IX procedures that may be... View Article
July 21, 2021 11:58 am
On July 15, the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee held a nomination hearing on David Weil to serve as the administrator of the Wage and Hour Division (WHD) of the Department of Labor (DOL), as well as Gwynne Wilcox and David Prouty to serve as members of the National Labor Relations Board... View Article
July 19, 2021 10:07 am
Each month, CUPA-HR General Counsel Ira Shepard provides an overview of several labor and employment law cases and regulatory actions with implications for the higher ed workplace. Here’s the latest from Ira. U.S. Supreme Court Rules Against NCAA in Antitrust Lawsuit, Opening the Path to More Compensation for Student-Athletes On June 21, the U.S. Supreme... View Article
July 14, 2021 11:17 am
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
July 12, 2021 10:30 am
On June 30, Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-IA), Ranking Member of the House Education and Labor Committee Virginia Foxx (R-NC), and three other Republican members on the Education and Labor Committee introduced H.R. 4248, the Workflex in the 21st Century Act. The bill amends the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) to create Qualified Flexible Work... View Article
July 7, 2021 12:55 pm
On June 24, the House Education and Labor Committee held a hearing on “Examining the Policies and Priorities of the U.S. Department of Education.” Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona testified on behalf of the Department of Education to discuss and answer questions about the department’s goals and commitments to the education community through the elementary... View Article
June 30, 2021 10:32 am
According to the CUPA-HR 2021 Benefits in Higher Education Annual Report, fewer than 40 percent of higher ed institutions offer paid parental leave to new parents. The recently released report examines the benefits offered to higher ed employees, including healthcare plans, wellness programs, paid time off, tuition benefits and retirement. For institutions that offer it,... View Article
June 29, 2021 12:00 pm
On June 4, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued revised guidance for higher ed institutions, providing updated recommendations for institutions considering the partial or full resumption of in-person learning for the upcoming academic year. The guidance is intended to supplement rather than replace federal, state and local health and safety regulations for... View Article
June 28, 2021 7:00 am
Have leaders at your institution embraced flexible work, viewing it is a way to boost employee engagement, productivity, retention and recruitment efforts? Or are they skeptical that flexible work arrangements can work for the long-term? In a recent CUPA-HR webinar, “Leading Into the Future of Flexible Work,” a panel of higher ed HR professionals discussed... View Article
June 23, 2021 12:09 pm
On June 21, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a narrow but significant decision in NCAA v. Alston. The Court unanimously ruled against the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), deciding that the NCAA’s strict limitations on education-related benefits that higher education institutions can offer to student-athletes violates federal antitrust law. In the ruling, which was written... View Article
June 23, 2021 12:00 pm
On June 9 and June 17, the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation held two hearings titled “NCAA Athlete NIL Rights” and “NCAA Student Athletes and NIL Rights,” respectively. During the hearings, senators and witnesses discussed proposals to allow students to monetize their name, image and likeness (NIL) in schools across the country, in... View Article
June 22, 2021 9:24 am
Over the course of the pandemic, higher ed employers may have struggled with how to approach employees whose work performance has been negatively impacted by issues in their personal lives. A recent CUPA-HR webinar, “Trauma-Informed Leadership for Higher Education,” shared ways employers can open the door for disclosure and develop a leadership style that is... View Article
June 22, 2021 9:00 am
The pandemic impacted every area of the higher ed workforce, including non-exempt employees. According to CUPA-HR’s recently released 2021 Staff in Higher Education Annual Report, the size of the non-exempt staff workforce saw a drastic decline during the pandemic, an understandable outcome given the number of non-exempt higher education employees whose work can only be... View Article
June 21, 2021 2:24 pm
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
June 16, 2021 11:05 am
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 14, 2021 10:57 am
Each month, CUPA-HR General Counsel Ira Shepard provides an overview of several labor and employment law cases and regulatory actions with implications for the higher ed workplace. Here’s the latest from Ira. EEOC Issues Guidance That Employers Can Offer Vaccine Incentives to Employees The EEOC issued guidance in late May of this year indicating that... View Article
June 9, 2021 1:26 pm
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
June 3, 2021 9:58 am
On June 1, CUPA-HR, joined by five other higher education associations, submitted comments in response to the Department of Labor’s Request for Information (RFI) about data and methods for determining prevailing wage levels for temporary and permanent immigrant and non-immigrant employees, including employees on H1-B visas. The DOL’s RFI was issued shortly before the agency... View Article
May 31, 2021 11:56 am
May is Mental Health Month, and we’re homing in on three facets of higher education that impact mental health: campus culture, resources and workplace flexibility. This blog post is Part III of the three-part series. Here, we’ll discuss how institutions can lean into flexible work arrangements and how flexible work can support more diverse, equitable... View Article
May 28, 2021 11:19 am
On May 28, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) released updated and expanded technical assistance related to the COVID-19 pandemic and posted a new resource for job applicants and employees. The expanded technical assistance provides new information about how the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA) apply when an employer offers... View Article
May 27, 2021 3:16 pm
On May 26, the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced an extension of Form I-9 compliance flexibilities that was initially granted last year. Citing continued precautions due to COVID-19, the announcement declared that the flexibilities would be extended until August 31, 2021. The announcement continues March 2020 guidance that allows employers to examine Form... View Article
May 26, 2021 12:14 pm
May is Mental Health Month, and we’re homing in on three facets of higher education that impact mental health: campus culture, resources, and work flexibility. Here, in Part II of the three-part series, we’ll look at some of the barriers that prevent employees from utilizing resources, and how some approaches from the corporate world can... View Article
May 20, 2021 8:30 am
The higher ed professional workforce decreased slightly in size during the pandemic, though certain positions saw notable increases. According to CUPA-HR’s 2021 Professionals in Higher Education Annual Report released today, the number of full-time exempt higher ed employees decreased by 0.4 percent in the last year (2020-21), compared to an overall 4.4 percent increase in the... View Article
May 18, 2021 8:42 am
Each month, CUPA-HR General Counsel Ira Shepard provides an overview of several labor and employment law cases and regulatory actions with implications for the higher ed workplace. Here’s the latest from Ira. Supreme Court Agrees to Review First Amendment Free Speech Case Filed by Community College Trustee Opposing His College Board’s Decision to Censure Him ... View Article
May 10, 2021 9:29 am
May is Mental Health Month, and we’re homing in on three facets of higher education that impact mental health: campus culture, resources and work flexibility. This blog post is Part I of the three-part series. First, we’ll discuss the importance of creating campus cultures that prioritize and promote the mental health of students, faculty and... View Article
May 5, 2021 12:54 pm
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
May 4, 2021 10:02 am
Updated 5/17/21 On May 14, the House of Representatives voted (315-101) to pass H.R. 1065, the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, which will require employers to make reasonable accommodations for qualified employees affected by pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions. The bill, which had amassed 228 cosponsors in the House (208 Democrats and 20 Republicans) ahead... View Article
April 30, 2021 10:37 am
On April 26, President Biden signed an Executive Order on Worker Organizing and Empowerment (EO), which creates the Task Force on Worker Organizing and Empowerment (Task Force). Citing the decline in union density, the EO and newly created Task Force aim to “encourage worker organizing and collective bargaining and to promote equality of bargaining power between... View Article
April 29, 2021 8:24 am
Editor’s Note: Explore the side-by-side comparison of minimum wage EOs from 2014 and 2021. This comparison illuminates the differences between the Obama administration’s executive order and the one issued in April by the Biden administration. On April 27, 2021, President Biden issued an Executive Order (EO) increasing the minimum wage federal contractors pay from $10.95... View Article
April 28, 2021 8:49 am
Whether your institution is mandating, incentivizing or encouraging vaccinations for employees, HR has a critical role to play in how the plan is communicated and how barriers to getting vaccinated are mitigated. Consider overall campus safety and messaging when communicating which groups will and will not be required to be vaccinated this fall. For example,... View Article
April 27, 2021 8:49 am
This post was contributed by Bryan Garey, vice president and chief human resources officer at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. A transformation of the workplace is taking place right before our eyes. From pandemic-driven urgency, workplaces are succeeding in meeting both customer expectations and employee needs through creative approaches that have redefined where, when and... View Article
April 26, 2021 10:40 am
The severe budget cuts in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic forced many colleges and universities to freeze hiring, cut positions, and, in some cases, decrease salaries. According to CUPA-HR’s recently released Administrators in Higher Education Annual Report, when salary increases occurred in the higher ed workforce over the past year, they tended to go... View Article
April 20, 2021 12:26 pm
Each month, CUPA-HR General Counsel Ira Shepard provides an overview of several labor and employment law cases and regulatory actions with implications for the higher ed workplace. Here’s the latest from Ira. Court of Appeals Reinstates Professor’s First Amendment Free Speech and Religious Discrimination Challenge to University’s Preferred Pronoun Policy on Transgender Students The U.S.... View Article
April 16, 2021 9:41 am
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
April 14, 2021 11:28 am
If 2020 has given us anything — aside from a new appreciation for the word “pivot” — it’s proof that higher ed is just as capable of adaptation as the corporate world. Before these unprecedented times, big names like Google, Facebook and Netflix were more often at the forefront of workforce innovation conversations than were... View Article
April 12, 2021 11:10 am
Note: See the results of CUPA-HR’s April Snap Poll to find out how institutions are structuring their vaccination policies and the types of incentives they’re offering. Mandating or strongly recommending COVID-19 vaccinations for faculty and staff raises a host of legal and practical considerations for higher ed employers. In a recent CUPA-HR webinar presented in... View Article
April 5, 2021 10:33 am
Editor’s note: Be sure to join Paul Yakoboski, senior economist at TIAA Institute, and Melissa Fuesting, survey researcher at CUPA-HR, on Wednesday, May 26 at 2:00 p.m. (ET) for the webinar, “Faculty Retirement Patterns and COVID-19: Impacts, Challenges and Opportunities.” In addition to their findings on changes to the expected retirement age for faculty, Paul... View Article
March 30, 2021 8:39 am
The severe budget cuts in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic forced many institutions to freeze hiring, cut positions and, in some cases, decrease salaries. The recently released 2021 CUPA-HR Faculty in Higher Education Report highlights the overall changes to faculty size and salaries over the past year. In the academic year prior to the pandemic... View Article
March 23, 2021 11:21 am
On March 11, President Biden signed into law H.R. 1319, the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA), which is the $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief bill that included various provisions aimed at providing relief to employers, employees and consumers recovering from the economic burdens imposed on them during the pandemic. Included in this bill was... View Article
March 22, 2021 11:06 am
Editor’s note: Be sure to join Paul Yakoboski, senior economist at TIAA Institute, and Melissa Fuesting, survey researcher at CUPA-HR, on Wednesday, May 26 at 2:00 p.m. (ET) for the webinar, “Faculty Retirement Patterns and COVID-19: Impacts, Challenges and Opportunities.” In addition to their findings on changes to the expected retirement age for faculty, Paul... View Article
March 17, 2021 11:33 am
Each month, CUPA-HR General Counsel Ira Shepard provides an overview of several labor and employment law cases and regulatory actions with implications for the higher ed workplace. Here’s the latest from Ira. Spouse’s Lawsuit — Attempting to Hold the Employer Liable for COVID-19 Infection Allegedly Contracted From Husband After He Contracted COVID-19 at Work —... View Article
March 16, 2021 12:00 pm
The U.S. Congress convened on January 3, 2021. Democrats maintained their majority in the House of Representatives albeit with a reduced margin due to Republican pickups in House races during the 2020 elections. Across the Hill, Republicans held the majority in the Senate for a brief time before three new Democratic senators were sworn in... View Article
March 15, 2021 8:00 am
UPDATE: On March 22, DOL issued a proposal to further delay the effective date of the rule by 18 months or until November 14, 2022, along with corresponding proposed delays to the rule’s transition dates. DOL has provided a 30-day comment period on the proposal and announced its intention to issue a Request for Information... View Article
March 12, 2021 12:55 pm
On March 12, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) announced it would be withdrawing its 2019 Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (proposed rule) addressing the extent to which students who perform services for private higher education institutions are considered employees under the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA). The official Notice of Withdrawal will be published in the... View Article
March 11, 2021 10:00 am
On March 9, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 842, the Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act, which is a massive labor reform bill designed to increase union density. Criticized as a “left-wing wishlist” for unions by House Republicans, the bill passed the House mostly along party lines by a vote of 225-206, with... View Article
March 10, 2021 1:58 pm
A recent Gallup article noted that the workforce is currently down 500,000 more women than men compared to before the pandemic. The cause? Many women have left or drastically reduced their working hours to care for young children or school-age children who are learning virtually at home. That so many working mothers have left the... View Article
March 9, 2021 2:07 pm
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
March 8, 2021 4:25 pm
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
March 3, 2021 1:09 pm
The higher ed workforce has been hit hard due to COVID-19-related causes. According to a recent article by The Chronicle of Higher Education, 650,000 higher ed jobs were lost last year. With potential budget reductions on the horizon, this number is sure to climb. While workforce reductions may be necessary for some institutions to stay... View Article
February 26, 2021 2:25 pm
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
February 24, 2021 10:42 am
Employee Appreciation Day is right around the corner (March 5). As the typical initiators of employee appreciation and recognition, HR offices are looking for creative ways to show appreciation for faculty and staff on tighter budgets and modified for the remote work environment. While the usual catered lunch or in-person awards ceremony may not be in... View Article
February 17, 2021 1:13 pm
The higher ed skilled craft workforce possesses the skills necessary to maintain and improve the physical facilities and infrastructure of college campuses. However, the aging of this workforce and the lack of younger workers to take the place of older employees as they retire puts institutions in a challenging position to attract new talent. CUPA-HR’s Higher... View Article
February 15, 2021 9:13 am
Each month, CUPA-HR General Counsel Ira Shepard provides an overview of several labor and employment law cases and regulatory actions with implications for the higher ed workplace. Here’s the latest from Ira. Biden Administration Issues Executive Order Calling on OSHA to Determine Whether There Is a Need to Issue Emergency Temporary Standards Protecting Workers From... View Article
February 12, 2021 9:00 am
On February 4, the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee held a hearing on the nomination of Boston Mayor Marty Walsh to serve as the Secretary of Labor under the Biden administration. Walsh was nominated to serve as Secretary of Labor on January 7, 2021, beating out many other front runners for the... View Article
February 10, 2021 9:51 am
When you think about how you want to grow your HR knowledge and expertise, are professional connections a part of the equation? We’re not talking about a network of names, but rather meaningful relationships that help you grow both personally and professionally. If COVID-19 has taught us anything, it has taught us just how important... View Article
February 8, 2021 11:34 am
The time and energy it takes to lead and move multiple projects forward at our institutions and get things done on our personal checklists takes a toll on higher ed HR pros, and at times can leave us in a low place. When we reach this point, we need helpful nudges to get us back... View Article
February 3, 2021 12:24 pm
This blog post was contributed by Yves Salomon-Fernández, president of Greenfield Community College in Massachusetts. As a community college president, I found this past year especially hard. As we now know from the data recently released by the National Student Clearinghouse, the community college segment within higher education suffered the worst decline in enrollment. Not... View Article
January 27, 2021 11:19 am
Editor’s note: Be sure to join Paul Yakoboski, senior economist at TIAA Institute, and Melissa Fuesting, survey researcher at CUPA-HR, on Wednesday, May 26 at 2:00 p.m. (ET) for the webinar, “Faculty Retirement Patterns and COVID-19: Impacts, Challenges and Opportunities.” In addition to their findings on changes to the expected retirement age for faculty, Paul... View Article
January 25, 2021 10:49 am
For HR, most of 2020 was spent adapting to the new world of work all while taking on hefty workloads to ensure our institutions continued to run smoothly during the pandemic. This constant cycle of challenging work pushed our mental health to its limits. As we step into a new year, let’s take time to... View Article
January 19, 2021 9:48 am
Each month, CUPA-HR General Counsel Ira Shepard provides an overview of several labor and employment law cases and regulatory actions with implications for the higher ed workplace. Here’s the latest from Ira: Trump Workplace Diversity Training Executive Order Halted by Federal District Court Nationwide A federal judge blocked President Trump’s ban on “divisive” workplace diversity... View Article
January 13, 2021 10:11 am
On January 12, 2021, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) announced a final rule that will raise government prevailing wage minimums for foreign professional workers under the H-1B and other visa programs. The rule revises a previously released Interim Final Rule (IFR) that took effect on October 8, 2020, but was subsequently struck down by... View Article
January 11, 2021 9:34 am
On December 27, President Trump signed an additional round of COVID-19 relief legislation into law. The bill was part of a larger legislative package that funded the government through September 30, 2021, and is the first COVID-19 bill enacted since the March 2020 CARES Act. Many provisions in the new bill extend and modify unemployment... View Article
December 16, 2020 11:42 am
On November 30, the California Division of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (Cal/OSHA) issued a final Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS) implementing COVID-19 workplace safety protocols that went into effect immediately and apply to all employees and places of employment within the state, including universities and colleges, regardless of size or industry sector. As indicated... View Article
December 15, 2020 12:22 pm
Two laws Congress passed in the spring of 2020 to provide temporary economic and regulatory relief to individuals and organizations impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic are due to expire by the end of this year. The Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) and the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) included significant... View Article
December 14, 2020 12:47 pm
Each month, CUPA-HR General Counsel Ira Shepard provides an overview of several labor and employment law cases and regulatory actions with implications for the higher ed workplace. Here’s the latest from Ira: Many U.S. Federal and State Courts Cancelling Jury Trials Due to Surges in Positive COVID-19 Cases Bloomberg News reports that courts across the... View Article
December 11, 2020 2:04 pm
In late November and early December, CUPA-HR joined the American Council on Education (ACE) and other higher education associations in sending letters to Congress and federal agencies regarding policies that significantly impact institutions of higher education. Below is a list and summaries of the letters CUPA-HR has recently signed onto. Letter to President-Elect Joe Biden... View Article
December 1, 2020 11:55 am
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
November 16, 2020 1:08 pm
Each month, CUPA-HR General Counsel Ira Shepard provides an overview of several labor and employment law cases and regulatory actions with implications for the higher ed workplace. Here’s the latest from Ira: University Maintenance Director’s Email to Employees Regarding Coworker’s COVID-19 Exposure Protected by the First Amendment A federal district court judge recently denied a... View Article
November 11, 2020 12:53 pm
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
November 9, 2020 8:27 am
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
October 27, 2020 1:34 pm
Higher ed HR pros continue to chip away at their ever-changing and ever-growing to-do lists brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, less pressing matters have been placed on the back burner, among which may include mentorship opportunities. Though mentoring may not be as high on the priority list compared to other tasks,... View Article
October 23, 2020 3:19 pm
On October 8, the Department of Labor (DOL) issued an interim final rule effective immediately, which raises the DOL prevailing wage levels under the four-tiered wage structure. The ruling will increase the DOL prevailing wage as follows: Level I from the 17th percentile to the 45th percentile Level II from the 34th percentile to the... View Article
October 21, 2020 1:16 pm
Regardless of who wins the 2020 elections, the higher education community can expect big changes in labor and employment policy. Which policy initiatives are pursued will depend on who occupies the White House and which party controls either (or both) chambers of Congress. To help CUPA-HR members navigate and understand the possible outcomes, we have... View Article
October 19, 2020 9:21 am
In times of uncertainty, employees turn to leaders they trust to guide the path forward. In their CUPA-HR virtual annual conference session, “Grabbing at Smoke, or Building Trust?,” Sheraine Gilliam-Holmes, executive director and chief HR officer at Austin Peay State University, and Donovan Johnson, compensation analyst at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and a 2019-20... View Article
October 12, 2020 2:28 pm
Each month, CUPA-HR General Counsel Ira Shepard provides an overview of several labor and employment law cases and regulatory actions with implications for the higher ed workplace. Here’s the latest from Ira: Courts Revisiting Telework as a Reasonable Accommodation Under the ADA — Asthmatic Employee Awarded COVID-19 Related Telework Accommodation by Federal Court as a... View Article
October 8, 2020 12:08 pm
Those who participated in this year’s virtual annual conference experienced powerful and inspiring messages from keynote speakers and higher ed leaders on timely topics, such as systemic racism in the higher ed workplace; how the COVID-19 pandemic has changed the higher ed landscape, provided growth opportunities and strengthened bonds and trust; and much more. Here... View Article
October 5, 2020 10:28 am
On September 29, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California preliminarily enjoined the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) from implementing or enforcing any part of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Fee Schedule and Changes to Certain Other Immigration Benefit Request Requirements rule (Fee Rule). The Fee Rule was set to take effect... View Article
October 2, 2020 10:13 am
CUPA-HR Signs on to Letter to President Trump Regarding the Executive Order on “Combating Race and Sex Stereotyping” (October 8, 2020) On September 22, President Trump issued an Executive Order (EO) on “Combating Race and Sex Stereotyping.” Once implemented, the EO will impose new requirements on federal contractors, including colleges and universities, with respect to content... View Article
September 30, 2020 10:58 am
In early September, CUPA-HR submitted two sets of comments responding to two separate requests for information (RFIs) on job-protected leave in the United States — one from the Department of Labor (DOL)’s Women’s Bureau and the other from Wage and Hour Division (WHD). Issued in July 2020, the RFIs allowed interested stakeholders to submit comments... View Article
September 18, 2020 10:04 am
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
September 14, 2020 9:58 am
On September 9, U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos announced the publication of a final rule that implements President Trump’s Executive Order 13864, Improving Free Inquiry, Transparency, and Accountability at Colleges and Universities. The new rule conditions federal research or education grants on compliance with the First Amendment for public institutions and compliance with stated... View Article
September 10, 2020 9:41 am
Each month, CUPA-HR General Counsel Ira Shepard provides an overview of several labor and employment law cases and regulatory actions with implications for the higher ed workplace. Here’s the latest from Ira: Transgender Professor Seeks Preliminary Injunction Prohibiting State of Arizona Healthcare Plan From Denying Coverage for Medically Necessary Gender-Affirming Surgery A professor at an... View Article
September 3, 2020 1:18 pm
During the month of August, the Department of Labor (DOL)’s Wage and Hour Division (WHD) issued a variety of regulations and guidance documents focusing on key employment issues related to COVID-19, including the paid leave policies within the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) and employers’ responsibility to track telework hours. Below is a brief... View Article
August 28, 2020 1:44 pm
In early August, federal judges in the Southern District of New York and the District of Columbia’s circuit court denied two requests from the State of New York and 18 state attorney generals to delay the August 14 effective date of the new Department of Education Title IX rule while the rule continues to be... View Article
August 24, 2020 11:27 am
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
August 19, 2020 1:43 pm
CUPA-HR members participating in the 21-Day Racial Equity Habit Building Challenge have reached the halfway point as we head into week three. They’ve read articles, watched videos, engaged in group discussions during town hall meetings about how systemic racism persists on and off campus. As we wrap up the first two weeks of the challenge, here... View Article
August 17, 2020 11:45 am
Each month, CUPA-HR General Counsel Ira Shepard provides an overview of several labor and employment law cases and regulatory actions with implications for the higher ed workplace. Here’s the latest from Ira: Federal Court Dismisses In-House Attorneys’ Retaliation Claims But Allows Sex-Based Salary Discrimination Claims to Proceed A federal district court trial judge recently dismissed... View Article
August 12, 2020 3:00 pm
Higher ed HR professionals play a central strategic role in shaping the organizational environment of their institution, but what can the data tell us about our HR teams? CUPA-HR’s latest research report, The Higher Ed HR Workforce, examines the people and positions that make up the higher ed HR workforce. The positions examined in the... View Article
August 10, 2020 8:02 am
On July 16 and 17, the Department of Labor (DOL)’s Women’s Bureau and Wage and Hour Division (WHD) each issued a request for information (RFI) seeking input from interested stakeholders on questions related to job-protected leave in the United States. The Women’s Bureau RFI focused on questions relating to paid leave state and employer policies,... View Article
August 4, 2020 11:26 am
Over the last few weeks, the American Council on Education (ACE), with the support of CUPA-HR and other higher education organizations, sent letters to Congress and federal agencies regarding policies impacting institutions of higher education as they relate to the COVID-19 pandemic. Below is a list and summaries of the letters CUPA-HR has recently signed... View Article
July 29, 2020 11:57 am
The global health pandemic has reshaped where, how and when we do our work. Many employers are beginning to accept that remote work is not just a temporary work arrangement, but a long-term solution for employees whose job function can be completed outside a traditional office setting. These are just a few points for HR... View Article
July 27, 2020 11:35 am
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
July 22, 2020 12:29 pm
Prior to the global health crisis adding more work to higher ed HR’s already-full plate, most teams had pockets of time throughout the week to pause and celebrate accomplishments and plan ahead for the next big project. Now, the increased workload has created a more reactive rather than proactive environment — a way of working... View Article
July 20, 2020 11:02 am
That professional development conference or in-person skills course you excitedly marked on your calendar at the beginning of the year may not be happening now due to COVID-19, but HR pros can still engage in professional development opportunities on their own time. A great place to start is by building a robust reading list of... View Article
July 17, 2020 10:28 am
In early July, the National Science Foundation (NSF) revised a number of award terms and conditions to include a post-award disclosure requirement for undisclosed current support and in-kind contribution information. Along with this new requirement, each set of terms and conditions is accompanied by a summary of changes made to that document. The NSF Award... View Article
July 13, 2020 8:12 am
Each month, CUPA-HR General Counsel Ira Shepard provides an overview of some labor and employment law cases and regulatory actions with implications for the higher ed workplace. Here’s the latest from Ira: University Sued by Faculty Union Claiming Layoffs of Adjunct Faculty Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic Violates the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security... View Article
July 8, 2020 1:55 pm
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
July 6, 2020 11:09 am
Over the past two months there have been several important actions on immigration policy. Below we provide brief summaries of the activity. USCIS Resumes Premium Processing in Phases for Forms I-129 and I-140 On May 29, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced it will resume premium processing in phases for Forms I-129 and eligible... View Article
July 1, 2020 2:19 pm
“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
