Professionalizing Our Field: A Report on the Forum's Managing Workload & Salaries Project

Professionalizing Our Field:A Report on the Forum's Managing Workload & Salaries Project Sarah E. Spencer, U. of St. Thomas (MN), USA Bradley Rink, CIEE, Stellenbosch, South Africa Cori Filson, Skidmore College (NY), USA CIEE Annual Conference  Nashville  13 November 2008

questions our colleagues ask • Is there a specific number of students that one study abroad person should advice? • How many short-term, faculty-directed programs should one FTE support? • I’m looking for information on median salaries in the field. • I’m wondering if anyone might share job descriptions with me? • I am in the midst of proposing staff expansion here and need some help from you. • I am advocating for a change in my job title to more accurately reflect the scope of my responsibilities. Does anyone know where I might find some data on job titles and descriptions? Getting Beyond “It Depends…” Professionalizing Our Field: A Report on the Forum’s Managing Workload & Salaries Project CIEE Nashville  13 November 2008

Forum on Education Abroad Surveyreview of initial results Presented by Sarah E. Spencer, Director, Short-term Off-Campus Programs, University of St. Thomas CIEE Conference • November 2008

survey overview • Two separate surveys – Part 1: Organizations (workload) • 110 respondents • 94% campus; 6% provider & other Part 2: Individual (salary) • 309 respondents • 80% campus; 20% provider & other • Administered - January 17 to February 20, 2008 Professionalizing Our Field: A Report on the Forum’s Managing Workload & Salaries Project CIEE Nashville  13 November 2008

part 1: organizational respondents Professionalizing Our Field: A Report on the Forum’s Managing Workload & Salaries Project CIEE Nashville  13 November 2008

Professionalizing Our Field: A Report on the Forum’s Managing Workload & Salaries Project CIEE Nashville  13 November 2008

part 2: individual respondents Professionalizing Our Field: A Report on the Forum’s Managing Workload & Salaries Project CIEE Nashville  13 November 2008

respondents’ current job titles • 305 people provided job titles • After consolidation, there were 146 different job titles Professionalizing Our Field: A Report on the Forum’s Managing Workload & Salaries Project CIEE Nashville  13 November 2008

comparison with data from CUPA-HR(College and University Professional Association for Human Resources) Senior Administrators Median Salaries 2007-2008 Professionalizing Our Field: A Report on the Forum’s Managing Workload & Salaries Project CIEE Nashville  13 November 2008

comparison with data from CUPA-HR(College and University Professional Association for Human Resources) Mid-Level Administrators Median Salaries 2007-2008 Professionalizing Our Field: A Report on the Forum’s Managing Workload & Salaries Project CIEE Nashville  13 November 2008

compensation and cost of living

Staffing and Compensation: myths, misperceptions and realitiesthe onsite/program provider perspective Presented by Bradley Rink, Resident Director CIEE Stellenbosch, South Africa CIEE Conference • November 2008

challenges1 on-site and provider perspectives • Workload: • 24/7 – 365 aspect of on-site work • Student/staff ratio on-site • Holidays and vacation accrual – on what basis are they offered? • Driven by two key forces: passion and expectations • Compensation: • Perception of higher salaries on the provider side – is it valid? Can we test it? Can benchmarking come from the provider side? • Exchange rate fluctuations and overseas staff salaries – is there a currency normalization plan for staff? • Variations in the standard and cost of living depending on program site • From the employer perspective, you should understand compensation laws regarding employment of host country nationals and expatriates 1From responses from the 2008 Forum Pathways survey supplemented by desktop research with SECUSS-L archives as a means of reading the discourse within our field. It should be noted that the survey addresses North American campus-based staff and issues Professionalizing Our Field: A Report on the Forum’s Managing Workload & Salaries Project CIEE Nashville  13 November 2008

challenges on-site and provider perspectives • Workload: • Driven by two key forces: Staff workload is based on passion for the work we do as well as expectations of what we will deliver on the part of our many stakeholders (parents, students, managers, host institution) • Workload and Compensation issues are connected and often contradict each other Professionalizing Our Field: A Report on the Forum’s Managing Workload & Salaries Project CIEE Nashville  13 November 2008

challenges on-site and provider perspectives Based on years of experience living overseas, and amount of responsibility associated with the job, I feel that compensation is below what should be expected. I worked in the private sector previously, and made a lot more money. However, I am in this job because I love working with students, and love the changes I see in them during their study abroad semesters… (Anonymous response from Forum Pathways survey, Q.27) Professionalizing Our Field: A Report on the Forum’s Managing Workload & Salaries Project CIEE Nashville  13 November 2008

challenges on-site and provider perspectives • Workload: • Student/staff ratio on-site “The Golden Mean” – discussion of ideal student/staff ratios have been going on for at least 10 years, using SECUSS-L archives as your guide. I don't see exactly how anyone can come up with one ratio that would be meaningful for every institution. I think it depends on what services you of administrative, institutional work to take care of as well. (SECUSS-L Archives, 22 Oct 1998) Professionalizing Our Field: A Report on the Forum’s Managing Workload & Salaries Project CIEE Nashville  13 November 2008

challenges on-site and provider perspectives • Workload: • Student/staff ratio on-site How do we measure on-site/provider workload beyond ratios? • By program type? • By program design? • By provider philosophy? • Depending on host institution staff/support structures in place? • By the characteristics of your program site: • Health • Safety • Other factors Professionalizing Our Field: A Report on the Forum’s Managing Workload & Salaries Project CIEE Nashville  13 November 2008

challenges on-site and provider perspectives • Workload: • Holidays and vacation accrual • On what basis are holidays/leave time offered to on-site staff? Professionalizing Our Field: A Report on the Forum’s Managing Workload & Salaries Project CIEE Nashville  13 November 2008

challenges on-site and provider perspectives Workload passion expectations Compensation Professionalizing Our Field: A Report on the Forum’s Managing Workload & Salaries Project CIEE Nashville  13 November 2008

challenges on-site and provider perspectives • Workload: • 24/7 – 365 aspect of on-site work (expectations) Professionalizing Our Field: A Report on the Forum’s Managing Workload & Salaries Project CIEE Nashville  13 November 2008

challenges on-site and provider perspectives Yes, site directors have some of the most demanding jobs I have ever seen: you must direct and perform as a complete campus infrastructure. This demands that you oversee (and often perform yourself) everything from academic support of faculty, academic interventions with students, medical support (trips to physicians and hospitals and staying the whole time to oversee and translate!), cultural excursions, and the entire residential life continuum. I frankly don't know how anyone does it all!? ... But it is all essential, and we all count on [on-site] Program Directors and their staff to be available to our students in a myriad of dimensions - and at virtually all times. (SECUSS-L Archives 28 July 2008) Professionalizing Our Field: A Report on the Forum’s Managing Workload & Salaries Project CIEE Nashville  13 November 2008

challenges on-site and provider perspectives • Workload: • Expectations - the effect on workload Feel underpaid because of overwork. Frequent evening / weekend events, plus expectation of full-time presence means typical weeks are 50+ hours. Sometimes can flex time, but feeling burned out! (Anonymous response from Forum Pathways survey, Q.27) Professionalizing Our Field: A Report on the Forum’s Managing Workload & Salaries Project CIEE Nashville  13 November 2008

challenges on-site and provider perspectives • Workload: • Expectations We certainly don't ask for hand-holding around the clock, but it is essential that on site staff be available 24/7. A student with a serious injury or illness, a student who is a victim of or commits a crime, a student experiencing academic meltdown -- they need assistance on call to avoid disasters. Organizing field trips and cultural activities, helping find housing and resolve housing issues, providing academic advising -- all of these take time, but they should be handled during regular business hours as much as possible. It's important that students have a clear picture in advance of what services are regularly provided by staff -- some programs meet students at the airport, others don't, for example. In general we try to encourage students to be independent and not to rely on staff for things they ought to learn to do themselves -- but in a crisis we do have an expectation of “full effort”. No one would be happy with a program where staff were unavailable on weekends, for example. (SECUSS-L Archives 28 July 2008) Professionalizing Our Field: A Report on the Forum’s Managing Workload & Salaries Project CIEE Nashville  13 November 2008

challenges on-site and provider perspectives • Compensation: • There is a perception of higher salaries on the provider side – is it valid? Can we test it? Can benchmarking come from the provider side? Professionalizing Our Field: A Report on the Forum’s Managing Workload & Salaries Project CIEE Nashville  13 November 2008

challenges on-site and provider perspectives • Compensation: • Exchange rate fluctuations and overseas staff salaries – is there a currency normalization plan for staff? Living in France, two-thirds of my salary is paid in dollars and one-third in Euros. Even though my salary is adjusted to the local currency, there is still a discrepancy between the exchange rate calculated by my institution and the actual exchange rate and additional fees to exchange currency. (Forum Pathways survey, Q.27) Professionalizing Our Field: A Report on the Forum’s Managing Workload & Salaries Project CIEE Nashville  13 November 2008

challenges on-site and provider perspectives • Compensation: • Variations in the standard and cost of living depending on program site My salary is comfortable for Peru, but would not be enough to live on in the United States. (Anonymous response from Forum Pathways survey, Q.27) Professionalizing Our Field: A Report on the Forum’s Managing Workload & Salaries Project CIEE Nashville  13 November 2008

challenges on-site and provider perspectives • Compensation: • From the employer perspective, you should understand compensation laws regarding employment of host country nationals and expatriates Do you have an employee for life--like it or not? Professionalizing Our Field: A Report on the Forum’s Managing Workload & Salaries Project CIEE Nashville  13 November 2008

challenges on-site and provider perspectives • These challenges know no boundaries • On-site/Campus • 2-Year/4-Year Institution/Program Provider • For-profit/Not-for-Profit Much of the data emanate from the campus perspective, and form an important dimension to this discussion… Professionalizing Our Field: A Report on the Forum’s Managing Workload & Salaries Project CIEE Nashville  13 November 2008

Staffing and Compensation: myths, misperceptions and realitiesa campus perspective Presented by Cori Filson, Director of Off-Campus Study & Exchanges, Skidmore College CIEE Conference • November 2008

Unless otherwise noted, all data and quotes are taken from responses from the 2008 Forum Pathways survey. It should be noted that the survey addresses North American campus-based issues. Professionalizing Our Field: A Report on the Forum’s Managing Workload & Salaries Project CIEE Nashville  13 November 2008

myths and misperceptions • All campuses and programs are understaffed and underpaid. • “My university is very supportive of me, compensates me well, and recognizes the hard work of the International Programs Office with appropriate raises.” • “I feel I am definitely well compensated for the time I work (very part time, and as needed/required - eg in case of emergency). I really love my job as it allows me to be flexible with my time (I have three small children of my own) and the X students are great, so it is a very enjoyable job. So (my salary) per year to do on average, xx hours per week for X College is just great.” • We are all growing so quickly we cannot manage with our current resources. • Institutional growth over past five years: • student participation: 42% increased somewhat and 43% increased greatly; 11% stayed the same • ed abroad programming: 50% increased somewhat and 40% increased greatly; 7% stayed the same • We in the field are all facing the same challenges and no one is listening. Professionalizing Our Field: A Report on the Forum’s Managing Workload & Salaries Project CIEE Nashville  13 November 2008

realities • Of respondent institutions: • 45% are understaffed for the caseloads they currently handle • 25% are on the threshold of not having enough staffing to handle the caseloads that they foresee developing in the next year • only 15% are staffed appropriately for the caseloads they presently handle • For many institutions, managing growth – including staffing and compensation – is a serious challenge. Professionalizing Our Field: A Report on the Forum’s Managing Workload & Salaries Project CIEE Nashville  13 November 2008

realities “We feel more pressure to increase our services for students, faculty, staff, and the community, but must do so with fewer resources and less institutional support.” Professionalizing Our Field: A Report on the Forum’s Managing Workload & Salaries Project CIEE Nashville  13 November 2008

common challenges Salary vs. recognition vs. quality of life or “It’s all about me.” • “There is more than just monetary compensation to consider - there is job satisfaction, how you are treated at work, etc. That is actually more important than monetary rewards.” • “My perception is that I am…better paid than most of my peers in the field. I also have excellent benefits, so I am not unhappy with tangible rewards. Where I do feel there is a deficit is in the area of respect and recognition, which is atrocious in my office.” • “I know I am not compensated at the level I should be, but…I choose to work here because of the potential for growth and the impact I have on the organization.” • “I know it's a low paying field, but it's hard to stomach making so little money with a master's degree. I would feel more comfortable with it if more professional development opportunities were funded for my position (conferences, site visits, etc.).” • “I feel that I deserve a higher salary…(but) I have a wonderful boss and work on a beautiful campus while encouraging students to take advantage of one the best opportunities in their lives, what more could a person ask for??” • “I feel that for my title I am well compensated but I would like a title that reflects my full range of responsibility.” Professionalizing Our Field: A Report on the Forum’s Managing Workload & Salaries Project CIEE Nashville  13 November 2008

common challenges Providing solutions that allow institutions to ignore our requests for additional assistance or “We are our own worst enemies.” • “The financial work is done by my husband, because it is impossible to be done all the task by one person. He does it to help me keep the job, of course without any payment. They have two in one.” • “…job description of first year does not really fit anymore - conditions I work under now have significantly changed while additional workloads/responsibilities are added without clear indications of how to account for those financially.” • “…the hours I am now required to work in order to deal with the increasing workload is inappropriate. Either my salary should increase or the workload should be lessened.” • “I am paid well, but my staff is not, is fairly small, and many of them are hourly. Therefore, I work about 20 hours of overtime each week, in addition to being on call 24/7.” • There is an abundance of part-time or temporary staff positions, as well as “shared” positions with other units. Professionalizing Our Field: A Report on the Forum’s Managing Workload & Salaries Project CIEE Nashville  13 November 2008

common challenges Message from the field or “If we don’t believe it, how can we convince them?” • “Obviously, we aren't in it for the money or we would have moved on to another field/sector.” • “You can't work in it and have a family.” • “It has been essential to be married to a woman earning much more.” • “I am in this job because I love working with students, and love the changes I see in them during their study abroad semesters. Sometimes I joke that I would do it for free, just for this satisfaction.” • “All education work is volunteer or philanthropy. Anyone considering this field needs to work elsewhere to make some money, retire, and then come work in an office such as this.” • “The compensation is not as high as salary ranges for equivalent positions in the corporate sector, but acceptable for the limitations of the office budget.” Professionalizing Our Field: A Report on the Forum’s Managing Workload & Salaries Project CIEE Nashville  13 November 2008

common challenges Benchmarking or “Where in the world do I fit?” • “Our college does not have very high salaries and hasn't been able to find good comparisons for determining our salaries.” • Compensation based on credentials not workload: • “I have a member of staff who is faculty who reports to me but is paid 25% more than me.” • Case-load equivalents on campus: • “For the level of responsibility and hours worked do not feel well compensated compared to other employees on campus.” • Private schools vs. public schools vs. providers vs. outside of higher ed vs. hybrid model organization: • “In comparison to others in similar positions, I feel I'm probably well paid. In terms of compensation for the level of work and responsibility entailed, I feel poorly paid. In comparison to my faculty colleagues, I feel poorly paid. In comparison to those in the private sector with comparable responsibilities, I feel poorly paid. In terms of fringe benefits in comparison to those in the private sector with comparable responsibilities, I feel poorly paid.” Professionalizing Our Field: A Report on the Forum’s Managing Workload & Salaries Project CIEE Nashville  13 November 2008

potential solutions Increase in fees and creative accounting • “A slight increase in the administrative fee charged to study abroad participants has paid for the salary of an additional advisor.” • “Evaluate budget to see if funds could be shifted from one budget line to the next.” • Demonstrate new growth and revenue to off-set new staff or increased compensation: • “We show the budget implications - both that we can afford the increase in staff and why if we don't increase staff we jeopardize our increase in enrollments which equals an increase in income” Professionalizing Our Field: A Report on the Forum’s Managing Workload & Salaries Project CIEE Nashville  13 November 2008

potential solutions Advocacy and education • Be data driven. • “We were able to measure and report on increased activity in a number of areas of our operations, including: the number of student applications received, enrollments, the number of bank transfers & other financial transactions, legal and taxation issues, requests for budget information and financial projections, visa and work permit activity, etc. Strategic planning and repeated requests – understand funding structure and who makes the decision.” • Advanced planning – ask before you need it. • “We have gotten new staff only when we're at a breaking point and the professional staff are talking about leaving because they are so overworked. Only then can I convince the powers that be that we need another staff person.” • “Educating the administration as to the needs in order to maintain current levels and encourage additional growth. Internationalization is a large focus of the university.” • Toot your own horn! • “broadcast of increase in participation, raise awareness of execs of complexity of field (risks, academic quality, financial management, student issues)” Professionalizing Our Field: A Report on the Forum’s Managing Workload & Salaries Project CIEE Nashville  13 November 2008

potential solutions No new staff/compensation– what now? • What doesn’t work: • business as usual: “Work longer, harder, and smarter.” • shut down: “…abandonment of all efforts to function pro-actively or strategically. Reduced time away from office for site visits, program evaluation and professional development. Neglected website and publications.” • “More students = more work = more work = less employee satisfaction = more turnover” = long-term problems Professionalizing Our Field: A Report on the Forum’s Managing Workload & Salaries Project CIEE Nashville  13 November 2008

Professionalizing Our Field: A Report on the Forum's Managing Workload & Salaries Project