Millennials, those born between 1981 and 1996, constituted the largest demographic in the United States (U.S.) workforce in the early 2020s. The higher education industry noticed an increase in millennial-aged employee attrition, particularly during and after the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic. Through the semi-structured interviews of 22 current…

The field of student affairs has been characterized by high levels of attrition, burnout, compassion fatigue, and a lack of appreciation and recognition for its dedicated and highly skilled professionals. The COVID-19 pandemic magnified and intensified these tensions, and a high percentage of student affairs practitioners are considering leaving…

Higher ed continues to face a retention crisis. Turnover in any role can impact an institution, but turnover in a supervisor role has more far-reaching implications. This report explores higher ed supervisors' likelihood of looking for new employment, their current challenges and working environments, and which job aspects specific to supervisors…

This study sought to determine whether higher ed employees whose preferred work arrangements are not aligned with their actual work arrangements are more likely to look for other work. The results show that: a) nearly two-thirds of respondents report some degree of misalignment between their preferred and actual work arrangements, particularly in…

The field of student affairs has seen an exodus of staff members over the past few years. Employee attrition, however, is not a new problem in student affairs. This grounded theory study aimed to understand why student affairs professionals leave the field. Based on interviews with student affairs professionals who left the field between March…

This study explored the explanations for why Black diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) practitioners in higher education between Fall 2020 and Fall 2022. Nine participants participated in semi-structured interviews lasting 60-90 minutes to explore a range of topics including their experience as Black DEI practitioners in higher education, their…

The CUPA-HR Higher Education Employee Retention Survey was piloted in May 2022. The survey was created to better understand the segment of the higher ed workforce that is at risk for leaving their current jobs, why these employees are considering leaving, and what higher ed institutions can implement to increase retention and improve the higher ed…