ERIC Number: ED627503
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2023-Apr
Pages: 14
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
The Higher Ed Admissions Workforce: Pay, Diversity, Equity, and Years in Position
Fuesting, Melissa A.
College and University Professional Association for Human Resources
This report provides a deep dive into higher ed admissions employees, who play a key role in the future sustainability of colleges and universities. In addition to highlighting the pay and size of the admissions workforce, the report focuses on time in position, diversity, and pay equity. Taken together, we find that colleges and universities have long relied on admissions positions with high turnover and young employees to do a great deal of the legwork of building the next graduating class. Trends in age and turnover were similar over time and not due to the Great Resignation. We argue that colleges and universities would benefit from considering how they could reconceptualize crucial admissions positions, particularly admissions coordinators and counselors, to encourage higher retention. Efforts to increase retention among admissions coordinators and counselors should be combined with a focus on recruiting and retaining people of color. Asian and Hispanic or Latina/o employees were underrepresented in admissions positions relative to U.S. bachelor's degree holders. In addition, the representation of people of color declined at each subsequent level of the admissions workforce, indicating gaps in the promotion of underrepresented minorities. Finally, the admissions workforce has many areas of strength in pay equity, with some notable exceptions. Hispanic or Latino men who were heads of admissions are paid only 87 cents on the dollar to White men who are heads of admissions. Further, 52% of chief admissions officers are Black or White women, yet they are paid less than White men. A pay equity analysis that includes market rate data would help identify areas for improvement at the institutional level.
Descriptors: College Admission, Admissions Officers, Labor Force, Wages, Salaries, Diversity, Status, Employees, Labor Turnover, Salary Wage Differentials, Sex Fairness, Racial Discrimination
College and University Professional Association for Human Resources. 1811 Commons Point Drive, Knoxville, TN 37932. Tel: 877-287-2474; Fax: 865-637-7674; e-mail: research@cupahr.org; Web site: http://www.cupahr.org
Publication Type: Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: College and University Professional Association for Human Resources (CUPA-HR)
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A