Tag: CUPA-HR Research
Higher Education Pay Increases in 2023 Exceeded Inflation for the First Time Since the Pandemic
New research from CUPA-HR has found that median pay increases for most higher education employees in 2023-24 continued the upward trend seen last year (and exceeded the inflation rate for the first time since 2019-20). However, the findings also show that most higher ed employees are still being paid less than they were in 2019-20... View Article
Newly Updated CUPA-HR Data Shed Light on Trends in Representation and Pay Equity in the Higher Ed Workforce
Progress in both representation and equitable pay for women and people of color remained sluggish in most roles on college and university campuses in academic year 2022-23, according to the newest data. Through several interactive graphics representing years of research, CUPA-HR highlights the progress that has been made and the disparities that persist. The data... View Article
New Research From CUPA-HR Finds Disparities Persist in Representation and Pay Equity in Higher Ed Leadership Positions
PRESS RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE December 5, 2023 New Research From CUPA-HR Finds Disparities Persist in Representation and Pay Equity in Higher Ed Leadership Positions CUPA-HR has published a new research report highlighting trends in representation and pay equity by gender among higher education administrators from 2002 to 2022, as well as trends in composition... View Article
Pay Equity Still Lags for Women Administrators
An analysis of two decades worth of CUPA-HR data on gender and pay in higher ed administrative roles paints a troubling picture of pay equity. In 2022, women made up 51% of administrators in college and universities, but they were paid 93 cents for each dollar a man in an administrator position was paid. This... View Article
Higher Ed Administrators: Trends in Diversity and Pay Equity From 2002 to 2022
1175Keys to Retaining Supervisors in a Time of Turnover
While the ongoing turnover crisis impacts all of higher ed, supervisors are among the hardest hit. In our recent study, The CUPA-HR 2023 Higher Education Employee Retention Survey, supervisors say they’re grappling with overwork and added responsibilities (especially when their staff members take other jobs), while struggling to maintain morale. Supervisor retention is especially critical... View Article
The Higher Ed Employee Retention Crisis — and What to Do About It
Hybrid, Remote and Flexible Work: The Secret Sauce for Employee Retention?
Given the number of employees who successfully executed their work remotely at the height of the pandemic, it may come as no surprise that a substantial gap exists between the work arrangements that higher ed employees want and what institutions offer. According to the new CUPA-HR 2023 Higher Education Employee Retention Survey, although two-thirds of... View Article
The Top Predictor of Higher Ed Employee Retention May Surprise You
In 2022-23, turnover of higher ed employees was the highest in five years. A new report from CUPA-HR explores the issue of higher ed employee retention and the factors that impact retention. The CUPA-HR 2023 Higher Education Employee Retention Survey analyzed data from 4,782 higher ed employees — administrators, professionals and non-exempt staff, with faculty excluded... View Article
Turnover in the Higher Ed Workforce Is Higher Than Ever – New Research Sheds Light on Why
PRESS RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE September 13, 2023 Turnover in the Higher Ed Workforce Is Higher Than Ever – New Research Sheds Light on Why Employee retention remains a challenge for the nation’s colleges and universities, as voluntary turnover in the higher education workforce continues to trend upward. New research from the College and University... View Article
The CUPA-HR 2023 Higher Education Employee Retention Survey
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Paid Parental Leave and Dependent Care Members Only
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National Median Ratios for Staff, Faculty and Students
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To Whom Does the Chief HR Officer Report? (Members Only) Members Only
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Higher Ed Collective Bargaining (Members Only) Members Only
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Changes in Workforce Size
1550, 980Managing a Multi-State Workforce: Key Findings From the CUPA-HR Survey and a Public University’s Hybrid Approach
As higher ed institutions face pressure to fill open positions and offer more flexible work opportunities, many are responding by recruiting and hiring employees who live and work in a state different from where their institution’s primary campus is located. CUPA-HR’s Multi-State Workforce Survey was developed to better understand institutions’ policies, practices and challenges related... View Article
The Higher Ed Admissions Workforce: Pay, Diversity, Equity, and Years in Position
1550Pay Increases for Higher Ed Employees Sharply Improve, But Still Fall Short of Inflation Rate
New research from CUPA-HR has found that although employees across the higher education workforce saw the most substantial pay raises in 2022-23 than in the past several years, they are still being paid less than they were in 2019-20 in inflation-adjusted dollars. Some of the key findings from an analysis of CUPA-HR’s higher ed workforce... View Article
CUPA-HR Data Highlights Trends in Representation and Pay Equity in the Higher Education Workforce, and the News Is Mixed
When it comes to representation and pay equity for women and people of color in the higher education workforce, colleges and universities have frequently struggled to make meaningful progress. Through several new interactive graphics representing years of research, CUPA-HR shines a light on the progress that has been made and the disparities that persist. These... View Article
Staff Composition and Pay Equity by Gender and Race/Ethnicity
1650Professionals Composition and Pay Equity by Gender and Race/Ethnicity
1650New Research Finds Higher Ed Institutions Are at Risk of Losing Supervisors to Other Employers
As previous research from CUPA-HR has shown, America’s colleges and universities are in the midst of a talent crisis, as many employees are considering other employment opportunities due to a number of factors. As a follow-up to the initial findings of CUPA-HR’s 2022 Higher Education Employee Retention Survey, CUPA-HR has released new findings focused specifically... View Article
Faculty Composition and Pay Equity by Gender and Race/Ethnicity
1650The CUPA-HR 2022 Higher Education Employee Retention Survey: Focus on Supervisors
1183Median Pay Ratio for Select Administrator Positions by Race/Ethnicity and Gender
1650, 1176Composition of Select Administrators by Race/Ethnicity and Gender
1650, 1183, 1176Administrators Composition and Pay Equity by Gender and Race/Ethnicity
16504 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
Positions and Disciplines With the Greatest Growth and Decline
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Employee Retention Members Only
Employee retention has become a key topic of concern for higher ed employers. Many are struggling not only with high turnover rates, but with increased difficulty in sourcing and hiring qualified candidates for open positions. In May 2022, CUPA-HR research indicated that as many as 57 percent of current non-faculty employees surveyed were somewhat likely... View Article
Employee Engagement/Satisfaction/Climate Assessment: Producing Actionable Results Members Only
Event Planning, Institutional Research, Museum, and Tutor Positions See Significant Growth in the Wake of the Pandemic
According to data recently released by CUPA-HR, the higher ed workforce positions that saw the greatest growth from 2020-21 to 2021-22 were event planning assistant (up 193%), institutional research analyst (up 161%), head of campus museum (up 120%) and tutor (up 114%). These increases reflect an increase in the number of people hired to fill... View Article
The CUPA-HR 2022 Higher Education Employee Retention Survey: Initial Results
10662022 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
The Development, Fundraising, and Alumni Relations Workforce in Higher Education
981New Report on the Representation of Women and Racial/Ethnic Minorities in the Workforce of Minority-Serving Institutions
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
The Representation of Women and Racial/Ethnic Minorities in the Workforce of Minority-Serving Higher Education Institutions
979New Research Shows Women in the Leadership Pipeline in Higher Education Have Better Representation and Pay in Institutions With Female Presidents and Provosts
New research by CUPA-HR has found that U.S. colleges and universities with women presidents or provosts have higher representation of women in administrative, dean and faculty positions than institutions led by men. The study also found that colleges and universities with women presidents have higher pay for women in administrative positions than institutions led by... View Article
Women in the Leadership Pipeline in Higher Education Have Better Representation and Pay in Institutions With Female Presidents and Provosts
968Providing Remote Work Opportunities Will Aid Your Retention Efforts
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A Half-Century of CUPA-HR Salary Surveys Members Only
2021 Benefits Report Examines Higher Ed Parental Leave Practices and More
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
Findings From CUPA-HR’s 2021 Staff in Higher Education Annual Report
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
CUPA-HR Files Comments on Behalf of Higher Education to Inform DOL RFI on Prevailing Wage Levels for Foreign Workers
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
New Report Highlights Changes to the Professional Workforce in the Wake of the Pandemic
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
New Report Findings: Higher Ed Administrators Overall Received Near-Zero Pay Increases Over the Past Year
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
New Report Highlights Changes to Faculty Workforce in the Wake of the Pandemic
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
How Will Minimum Wage Changes Impact Higher Ed?
996Using Data and Empathy to Drive Decisions About COVID-19 Workforce Reductions
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
The Higher Ed Skilled Craft Workforce
838The Higher Ed HR Workforce Report: How Does Your Team Measure up Against the Data?
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
The Higher Ed HR Workforce
998New CUPA-HR Report Shows Associate’s Institutions Lead in Retirement Benefits Offerings
According to findings from CUPA-HR’s Benefits in Higher Education Report — Paid Time Off, Tuition Reimbursement, and Retirement, associate’s institutions have some of the most generous retirement benefits in comparison to doctoral, masters or baccalaureate institutions. The 403(b) plan is the most popular retirement plan for both private institutions (where 92 percent offer it) and... View Article
Three Benefits of Using CUPA-HR’s DataOnDemand for H-1B Prevailing Wage Determination for New and Furloughed Employees
Editor’s note: You may have missed this article when we published it in June 2018. In this update, we emphasize the importance of H-1B visa compliance during the pandemic, especially if visa holders are furloughed along with other employees. As higher education institutions consider changes in their workforce in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, they... View Article
CUPA-HR Report Examines Relationship Between Student Enrollment and Staff Size
As higher education leaders plan for possible delays in campus openings, the staff who service the infrastructure of the campus and maintain its upkeep may be most at risk of being furloughed or losing their jobs. According to the recently released CUPA-HR 2020 Staff in Higher Education Annual Report, it is critical to consider expected... View Article
New Report Highlights Growth, Composition and Salaries for Faculty in Health Professions
A recent CUPA-HR research report provides a snapshot of health professions faculty, one of the fastest-growing disciplines in higher education. The report, Faculty in the Health Professions: Growth, Composition, and Salaries, indicates that the overall number of health professions faculty increased by 19 percent since 2014, compared to a 6 percent increase in the number... 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
Faculty in the Health Professions
1000Exploring 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
New Faculty Report Highlights Ongoing Inequalities in the Representation, Pay, and Promotion of Women and Minorities
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
Unique Succession and Diversity Challenges Ahead: The Aging Faculty Workforce
Higher ed faculty require years of education but often work beyond typical retirement ages; jobs are stable, and turnover is very low; the pipeline for new hires is fundamentally limited; and competition for positions occurs nationally. As the workforce ages, this may create unique challenges for the management of a faculty workforce. To help higher... View Article
The Aging of Tenure-Track Faculty in Higher Ed: Implications for Succession and Diversity
623Focus on Psychology Faculty
1001The Impact of the FLSA Overtime Rule on Higher Education
1002The Higher Ed Staff Workforce Is Aging
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
The Challenges of an Aging Higher Ed Workforce
1003The Diversification of the Higher Ed IT Workforce
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
Domestic-Partner Benefits Are on the Decline in Higher Ed
For the first time since 2005, the number of colleges and universities offering healthcare benefits for employees’ domestic partners has decreased. According to CUPA-HR’s 2019 Healthcare Benefits for Higher Education Employees Survey, in just the past two years, the number of higher education institutions offering healthcare benefits for same-sex domestic partners has fallen 10 percentage... View Article
Diversity in Higher Education Information Technology
1004Many Higher Ed Staff Will See Larger Paychecks in Coming Years as State-Level Minimum Wage Increases Take Effect
Fifteen states and the District of Columbia have passed legislation raising the minimum wage to a specific amount over the next several years, and many workers at the staff level in higher education institutions in those states will be impacted. According to just-released findings from CUPA-HR’s Staff in Higher Education Survey, around one in four... 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
Women and Minorities Lack Representation Among Highest-Paid Higher Ed Deans
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
Associate’s Institutions Lead in Representation and Pay Equity for Women and Minority Faculty
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
The Recession and Its Aftermath: How Higher Ed Responded
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
Impact of the Economic Recession on Student Enrollment and Faculty Composition in U.S. Higher Education: 2003-2018
1005How 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
A Look at Female Faculty in Higher Education
Let’s Stop Calling It Succession Planning
Another provost leaves after just three years — which by the way is the median tenure for provosts — and we open yet another search. We appoint an interim (probably the same person who served as interim during the last search), bring in another search firm, dust off the job description we used just a... View Article
A Snapshot of the Workforce at Community and Technical Colleges
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
A Snapshot of the Staff Workforce in Community and Technical Colleges
1006Higher Ed Responds to Growing Mental Health Needs by Adding More Counselors on Campus
According to data from the Center for Collegiate Mental Health, the number of college students seeking mental health counseling services on campus increased by nearly 30 percent from 2009 to 2015. Similarly, a new study by the American Psychiatric Association found that the rate of treatment of college students for mental health issues rose from... View Article
Student Affairs: Ahead of the Curve on Workforce Diversity and Pay Equity
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
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
Focus on Student Affairs 2018
1007Underpaid and Underrepresented: Women of Color in the Higher Ed Workforce
PRESS RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE June 7, 2018 Underpaid and Underrepresented: Women of Color in the Higher Ed Workforce 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 White men; women... View Article
Underpaid and Underrepresented: Women of Color in the Higher Ed Workforce
“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
Skilled Crafts: The Next Job Boom in Higher Ed?
Among staff-level jobs in the nation’s colleges and universities, the skilled crafts area is growing markedly, while current skilled crafts workers are nearing retirement — making a hiring boom likely within the next decade. According to just-released findings from CUPA-HR’s 2018 Staff in Higher Education Survey, skilled crafts workers (who hold jobs like electrician, carpenter,... View Article
Where Is the Job Growth in Higher Ed?
While the employment of professionals in higher education saw an overall increase of 7 percent and grew in all areas over the past year, two areas — “other education” and “safety” — grew at a substantially faster clip than all the rest. According to just-released findings from CUPA-HR’s 2018 Professionals in Higher Education Survey, while... View Article
Representation and Pay of Women of Color in the Higher Education Workforce
1008Survey 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
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
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