The Higher Ed Workplace Blog

Supervisor training and leadership development are top priorities for HR — and it’s no wonder why. Skilled supervisors are critical to increasing employees’ job satisfaction. A solid leadership pipeline ensures that both institutional knowledge and talented employees remain at a college or university. And higher ed employees have a strong desire for professional and leadership development, which affects how they view their jobs. In this blog post, several higher ed HR practitioners have shared with CUPA-HR how they’ve established successful supervisor training and leadership development programs on their campuses.

On June 28, a federal judge in the Eastern District of Texas Court granted a narrowly scoped preliminary injunction for the overtime rule in the state of Texas, blocking the Department of Labor’s overtime final rule from taking effect on July 1, 2024. The judge only blocked enforcement for employees of the state of Texas (i.e., public institutions), so private institutions in Texas and all other institutions outside of Texas will still need to comply with the overtime rule beginning July 1, 2024. Additionally, on June 26, the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education released their fiscal year 2025 funding legislation, which included a provision to prohibit any funding provided to DOL under the bill from administering, implementing or enforcing the overtime final rule.

As we embark on a new year at CUPA-HR, we want to take a moment to introduce the incredible leaders behind our higher ed HR association. CUPA-HR has been able to support and advance our profession thanks in large part to the tireless efforts of our national board members and other CUPA-HR leaders.

Juneteenth commemorates the end of slavery in the United States and is now recognized as a federal holiday — Juneteenth National Independence Day. Observing Juneteenth’s historical significance is a meaningful step in understanding American history. But for its history to mean something in our present moment, its lessons must be translated into tangible action. CUPA-HR offers the following resources, tools and research data to help confront and change racial inequities in the higher ed workforce.

On July 1, the first phase of the U.S. Department of Labor’s new overtime rule goes into effect. The initial phase of the rule will require employers to pay most white-collar employees a salary of at least $43,888. If employers fail to do so, those employees will be entitled to overtime pay under federal law. As the rule’s effective date approaches, opposition has mounted, with plaintiffs filing three lawsuits challenging the rule, including one filed by the state of Texas requesting that the court delay the July 1 effective date. Additionally, several Republican members of the U.S. House and Senate have introduced a Congressional Review Act resolution aimed at blocking the rule.

On June 13, the House Education and Workforce Committee voted to advance H.R. 8534, the Protecting Student Athletes’ Economic Freedom Act. The bill would prohibit student-athletes from being classified as employees under federal and state labor laws and regulations due to their participation in intercollegiate athletics.

On June 13, a federal judge in the Western District Court of Louisiana issued a preliminary injunction on the Department of Education’s recent Title IX final rule. The order blocks the final rule from taking effect on August 1 in Louisiana, Mississippi, Montana and Idaho until a final decision has been issued by the judge on a lawsuit challenging the validity of the final rule. On June 17, a federal judge in the Eastern District Court of Kentucky issued a second preliminary injunction against the Title IX rule, blocking the final rule from taking effect in Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, Indiana, Ohio and West Virginia.

CUPA-HR General Counsel Ira Shepard’s overview this month includes a court-ordered halt to a strike at several University of California campuses and more. A former football recruit sues the University of Florida’s football coach and team boosters, alleging that promised name, image and likeness payments decreased once he made a commitment. Separately, the NCAA and the Power Five conferences have reached a nearly $2.8 billion settlement in an NIL class action lawsuit. After being fired for not taking mandatory anti-discrimination training, an employee claims that the firing was itself discriminatory. The Supreme Court declines to hear a former Texas Southern University professor’s claims of race and sex discrimination. Recent EEOC guidance on sex harassment shielding LGBTQIA+ employees is challenged in Texas.

June is Pride Month, dedicated to celebrating the richness and history of the LGBTQIA+ community. In addition to ensuring regulatory compliance, higher ed HR has an important role to play in creating a truly inclusive campus. A fundamental part of celebrating Pride is actively learning from and listening to this community, especially as the population of LGBTQIA+ employees continues to grow. This Pride, CUPA-HR is spotlighting the voices of transgender and nonbinary employees by offering resources to empower HR in improving culture, policies and procedures for this group

During our May 8 webinar, “How the DOL’s Changes to Overtime Rules Will Impact Campus,” CUPA-HR received several questions about the applicability of the final rule’s changes to institutions. To answer these questions, CUPA-HR’s government relations team has put together this FAQ, which addresses nine frequently asked questions covering the teacher exemption, whether room and board qualifies as compensation, partial-year employment, and more.