The Higher Ed Workplace Blog

This year, March 31 has been designated by the National Committee on Pay Equity as Equal Pay Day. CUPA-HR contributes to the pay equity conversation by collecting and analyzing salary and demographic data for higher ed administrators, faculty, professionals and staff. This year’s key findings from the Faculty in Higher Education Annual Report revealed ongoing inequality in pay, representation and promotion of women and minorities in faculty positions.

In light of this crisis, the American Council on Education asked Congress to provide between $50 and $60 billion to support higher education in the recently passed third economic stimulus package, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. While the bill as a whole included roughly $2 trillion in emergency funding, it unfortunately did not come close to providing adequate support for higher education.

Lawmakers recently passed a $2 trillion emergency relief bill designed to mitigate economic losses and support workers experiencing COVID-19 induced job disruption. The bill, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, enhances the existing state UI system and creates a parallel system called Pandemic Unemployment Assistance.

As the technical and logistical dust has settled, and the reality of long-term remote work has set in, many teams have wrestled with finding a rhythm. Here are four strategies managers can employ to keep team members engaged and supported in the coming weeks.

According to data from this year’s Faculty in Higher Education 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.

On March 19, the House of Representatives passed an emergency bill that will continue providing GI bill educational assistance benefits to student veterans who have had to transition to online learning due to COVID-19.

Across the country, institutions are adapting to COVID-19 by exploring and implementing solutions for business continuity, as well as care of faculty, students and staff. Here’s an overview of ways your HR peers are tackling issues created by the crisis on their campuses.

CUPA-HR General Counsel Ira Shepard highlights some recent rulings around artificial intelligence tools used in the hiring process, a gender-based pay discrimination case sent to the Supreme Court, and two educators’ rejected First Amendment claims.

As COVID-19 spreads throughout the U.S., Congress and the White House address the various implications the outbreak and related public- and private-sector responses may have on the economy.

One of the major goals of higher ed HR is to help individuals with disabilities feel respected and included, but this can quickly backfire if the words you’re using to refer or speak to them come off as offensive.