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
With nearly one-third of the U.S. higher education staff workforce age 55 or older, the implications are many for colleges and universities. New research by CUPA-HR on the aging of the higher ed workforce highlights some challenges institutions will likely face in the coming years as staff begin to retire in large numbers. Here’s what... 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
This blog post was contributed by Sean Woodroffe, senior executive vice president and chief HR officer at TIAA. Today’s employers face a tricky task. How do you manage a workforce that contains members of three or four generations, each with unique expectations and goals for their careers and retirements? Chances are, your workforce has 60-year-olds... View Article
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: New Supreme Court Decision Will Make It More Difficult for Employers to Dismiss Title VII Court Cases Where Plaintiff Does Not File a... View Article
“You’re short on ears and long on mouth.” ― John Wayne As HR professionals, we’re experts at listening, right? In my experience (and I’m also pointing my finger at myself), sometimes yes, and sometimes, not so much. Galen Emanuele, one of the keynote speakers at CUPA-HR’s spring conference in Seattle, encouraged us to apply the improv concept... View Article
Editor’s note: You may have missed this article when we published it last March. It’s been updated here with additional resources and related content. For more on using data strategically, drop by the Ask-Us-Anything event the CUPA-HR Data User Group this week, where higher ed HR professionals who are using CUPA-HR data to inform decisions... 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
Editor’s note: You may have missed this article when we published it last March. It’s been updated here with additional resources and related content. For more on onboarding, drop by the members-only CUPA-HR Connect General Discussion Group this week, where higher ed HR professionals with innovative and successful onboarding practices will be facilitating conversations, answering questions and... View Article
The higher education workforce is aging. Data from CUPA-HR show that the median age of executive leaders (deans, provosts, presidents, vice presidents) is 60. The majority of faculty are between the ages of 55 and 75. The median age of chief HR officers is 55. About half of higher ed staff are at least 50... View Article
Many colleges and universities, particularly master’s and doctoral institutions, have seen an increase in the numbers of part-time and adjunct faculty over the past decade — a trend that has likely been driven in part by the 2008 economic recession and institutions’ responses to financial challenges in its aftermath. New research from CUPA-HR on how... View Article
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
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
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
This article was prepared in recognition of National Preparedness Month. However, as our colleagues in North and South Carolina deal with the aftermath of Hurricane Florence, Houston Community College’s story resonates for its lessons on both preparedness and recovery. On August 25, 2017, Hurricane Harvey made landfall on the Texas Gulf Coast. For the next... View Article
This blog post was contributed by Alison Brady, national consulting manager with PageUp. On average, we check our mobile phones 85 times a day. We’ve become a generation of digital junkies with technology transforming most aspects of our lives. But how far has this reached into higher education? And what has it achieved? According to... View Article
Project-based work is a near-constant in higher ed human resources. From compensation studies to benefits overhauls, HRIS implementations, recruitment plans, engagement initiatives and more, HR is the key driver behind many projects that affect the entire campus community. But is project management in your wheelhouse? Could you or your project team use a refresher on... View Article
The “Me Too” movement has prompted a heightened awareness of and national conversation around unequal treatment and inappropriate or criminal sexual conduct in the workplace, and many colleges and universities have strengthened their resolve to eliminate these unacceptable behaviors on their campuses. To create an environment where harassment, incivility, inequality and bias are neither welcome... 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
It’s hard to believe another year is in the books, and a new one is already 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... View Article