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

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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), USACIEE Annual Conference Nashville 13 November 2008

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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 ProjectCIEE Nashville 13 November 2008

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Forum on Education Abroad Survey

review of initial results

Presented by Sarah E. Spencer, Director, Short-term Off-Campus Programs, University of St. Thomas

CIEE Conference • November 2008

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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


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part 1: organizational respondents

Affiliations of Respondents: Part One - Organizational Respondents

Community/technical orcommunity colleges in the U.S.

Public institutions in the U.S.

Private institutions in the U.S.

Host institutions located outsideof the U.S.

Non-profit program providers

For-profit program providers

Other


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Growth in student participation in the last 5 years

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

50

Decreasedgreatly (> 30%)

Decreasedsomewhat

Stayed the same Increasedsomewhat

Increasedgreatly (> 30%)

Nu

mb

er o

f or

gan

izat

ion

s..


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Programming growth at organizations/institutions in the last 5 years

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

Decreased greatly Decreased somewhat Stayed the same Increased somewhat Increased greatly

Nu

mb

er o

f or

gan

izat

ion

s..


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Staffing Levels

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

understaffed for thecaseloads you

currently handle

staffedappropriately today

for the caseloadsyou presently

handle

on the threshold ofnot having enoughstaffing to handlethe caseloads that

you foreseedeveloping in the

next year

on the threshold ofnot having enoughstaffing to handlethe caseloads that

you foreseedeveloping in thenext three years

Nu

mb

er o

f o

rga

niz

ati

on

s..


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Student to Staff Ratios (counting all FTE's in an office)

Mean, 70

Mean, 47

Mean, 47

Mean, 51

Min, 5

Min, 6

Min, 9

Min, 6

Max, 248

Max, 112

Max, 184

Max, 121

0 50 100 150 200 250 300

Organizations that are understaffed for the caseloads theycurrently handle

Organizations that are staffed appropriately today for thecaseloads they presently handle

Organizations that are on the threshold of not having enoughstaffing to handle the caseloads that they forsee developing in

the next year

Organizations that are on the threshold of not having enoughstaffing to handle the caseloads that they forsee developing in

the next three years

Student-Staff Ratios


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Student to Permanent Staff Ratios for Education Abroad and International Program Offices at

Colleges and Universities

Mean, 113

Mean, 142

Mean, 70

Mean, 98

Mean, 108

Min, 8

Min, 13

Min, 8

Min, 14

Min, 8

Max, 497

Max, 497

Max, 141

Max, 219

Max, 209

0 100 200 300 400 500 600

Overall Stu-PermStaff Ratio

Stu-PermStaff Ratio for those who are understaffed for the caseloadsthey currently handle

Stu-PermStaff Ratio for those who are staffed appropriately today forthe caseloads they presently handle

Stu-PermStaff Ratio for those who are on the threshold of not havingenough staffing to handle the caseloads that they forsee developing in

the next year

Stu-PermStaff Ratio for those who are on the threshold of not havingenough staffing to handle the caseloads that they forsee developing in

the next three years


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part 2: individual respondents

Allifiations of Individual Respondents Community/technical orcommunity colleges in theU.S.Public institutions in the U.S.

Private institutions in theU.S.

Host institutions locatedoutside of the U.S.

Non-profit programproviders and independentprogramsFor-profit programproviders and independentprogramsOther


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respondents’ current job titles

305 people provided job titles

After consolidation, there were 146 different job titles


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Responsibilities by Title

0.00

5.00

10.00

15.00

20.00

25.00

30.00

35.00

40.00

General office support

Advising

Outreach and m

arketing

Student selection

Enrollment m

anagement

Orientation

Academ

ic records processing

Re-entry program

ming

Teaching courses

Education abroad program



Risk m

anagement; crisis

Curriculum

integration

Personnel managem

ent

Strategic managem

ent and planning

Departm

ent/Unit Leadership

Faculty development &

support

Billing and A

ccounting

Financial aid

Finance/budget managem

ent

Information technology developm

ent

Perc

enta

ge o

f tim

e sp

ent Director

Assoc Director

Asst. Director

Manager

Coordinator

Advisor


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Salary by Title

0 5 10 15 20 25

Below $20,000

$25,001-$27,500

$30,001-$33,000

$35,001-$37,500

$40,001-$43,000

$45,001-$47,500

$50,001-$55,000

$60,001-$65,000

$70,001-$80,000

$90,001-$100,000

Sala

ry

Number of People

Administrative Assistant

Program Assistant

Advisor

Coordinator

Manager

Program Manager

Assistant Director

Associate Director

Director


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Salary and Education (for full-time employees)

0 5 10 15 20 25 30

Below $20,000

$23,501-$25,000

$27,501-$30,000

$33,001-$35,000

$37,501-$40,000

$43,001-$45,000

$47,501-$50,000

$55,001-$60,000

$65,501-$70,000

$80,001-$90,000

$100,001-$150,000

Sala

ry

Number of respondents with each type of degree

Bachelors

High school

Masters

ProfessionalDoctorate (e.g. JD,MD, EdD)Research Doctorate(e.g. PhD, EngD)


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comparison with data from CUPA-HR (College and University Professional Association for Human Resources)

Senior Administrators

Median Salaries 2007-2008

Job Title All Institutions Respondents

Director of Foreign Students (no education abroad director on CUPA list)

(CUPA-HR)

$54,810

Director of International Education (CUPA-HR) $81,032

Director, Education Abroad (Pathways) $68,204 27

Director, International Programs (Pathways) $69,074 17

CUPA’s definition of IE Director: Directs all activities of the institution’s international education programs. Responsibilities typically include international study, English study, international visitors, visa certification, education abroad, and international student admission functions.


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comparison with data from CUPA-HR (College and University Professional Association for Human Resources)

Mid-Level Administrators Median Salaries 2007-2008

Job Title All Institutions Doctoral Institutions

Master’s Institutions

Bachelor’s Institutions

Study abroad advisor (CUPA-HR)

$39,087 $38,999 $39,142 $38,750

Advisor (Pathways)

$34,341 $35,364

(24 respondents)

$29,667

(3 respondents)

$32,583

(6 respondents)

CUPA’s definition of Study Abroad Advisor: With supervision from the Director, provides advisory, referral, and information services to students, parents, and others interested in work, travel, or volunteer opportunities abroad. Provides, organizes, and implements materials and forums regarding overseas study opportunities and sources of financial aid; assists students in complying with registration and academic credit transfer requirements. May supervise support staff positions. Requires a bachelor’s degree and 2 years’ related professional experience.


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How appropriately compensated respondents feel

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

Very poorly compensated

Poorly compensated Neutral Well compensated Very well compensated

Num

ber

of P

eopl

e


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'Poorly compensated' compared with cost of living

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

Very low cost of

living

Low cost of

living

Medium cost of

living

High cost of

living

Very high cost

of living

compensation and cost of living

'Very poorly compensated' compared with cost of l iving

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

Very low cost of

living

Low cost of

living

Medium cost of

living

High cost of

living

Very high cost of

living

'Well compensated' compared with cost of l iving

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

Very low cost of

living

Low cost of

living

Medium cost of

living

High cost of

living

Very high cost of

living

'Very well compensated' compared with cost of l iving

0

0.5

1

1.5

2

2.5

3

3.5

4

4.5

Very low cost of

living

Low cost of

living

Medium cost of

living

High cost of

living

Very high cost of

living

'Neutral' compared with cost of living

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

Very low cost of

living

Low cost of

living

Medium cost of

living

High cost of

living

Very high cost of

living

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Satisfaction with compensation by title

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Administrative Assistant

Program Assistant

Advisor

Program Assistant

Coordinator

Manager

Assistant Director

Associate Director

Director

Very poorly compensated

Poorly compensated

Neutral

Well compensated

Very well compensated

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0 5 10 15 20 25 30

Number of Participants

<$20

$25-27.5

$33-35

$40-43

$47.5-50

$60-65

$80-90

$150-200

Sala

ry R

an

ges

Salary and Satisfaction with Compensation

Very Poorly

Poorly

Neutral

Well

Very Well


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Staffing and Compensation: myths, misperceptions and realities

the onsite/program provider perspective

Presented by Bradley Rink, Resident Director CIEE Stellenbosch, South Africa


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challenges1

on-site and provider perspectives

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

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


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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


challengeson-site and provider perspectives

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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)



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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)



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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:

o Healtho Safetyo Other factors



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Workload:

Holidays and vacation accrual

On what basis are holidays/leave time offered to on-site staff?



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Workloadpassion expectationsCompensation



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Workload:

24/7 – 365 aspect of on-site work (expectations)



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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)



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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!




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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)



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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?



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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)



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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.




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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?



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These challenges know no boundaries

On-site/Campus2-Year/4-Year Institution/Program ProviderFor-profit/Not-for-Profit

Much of the data emanate from the campus perspective, and form an important dimension to this discussion…



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Staffing and Compensation: myths, misperceptions and realities

a campus perspective

Presented by Cori Filson, Director of Off-Campus Study & Exchanges, Skidmore College


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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.


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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.


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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.


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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.”


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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.”


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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.


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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.”


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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.”


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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”


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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)”


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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


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potential solutions

What might work… Establish efficiencies.

“More central support for functions that don't require education abroad expertise (i.e., finance and billing, some marketing, information technology).”

Set limits. “Student "caseloads" get taken care of, but bigger picture

work such as developing an internationalization plan for the college and providing training and support to faculty gets short shrift.”

“…advocate to limit participation/programs” Utilize technology where possible.

“We implemented an on-line system for accepting student applications. This change permits staff to spend more time on higher-level tasks (as opposed to data entry, filing and reception duties). System is integrated with our web site and study abroad database.”


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managing growth moving forward

“As a field we need to start to push our schools to recognize the value of our positions and to pay us accordingly. We need to lose the idea that we are in this for the joy of the job. That is indeed part of it, but we also need to demand that we are compensated for the level of responsibility we take on in the name of the college or university.”

Whatever our position or goals, we need to carefully balance the desire – sometimes mandate – to grow and the need to “protect” ourselves from this growth.


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next steps

Publish full report on this data Advocate to CUPA-HR to increase the number of job categories collected annually

for Education Abroad, as well as the organizational placement of such positions (e.g. Academic Affairs vs. Student Affairs.

Develop working groups to analyze individual job positions, such as Advisor, to create rubrics/taxonomies that will include primary job functions, title, qualifications, organization type, program size and salary ranges. Drafts of the rubrics will be presented at the Forum on Education Abroad conference in Portland, OR.

Continue to refine data through additional analysis, such as breakdowns by institutional type, institutional affiliation (religious, public, etc), where office is housed at university, spread of pay within institutions, length of service, geography, funding of EA offices, gender and diversity (Does a woman-dominated field mean lower salaries? At what levels are women employed in the field?)

Expand data collection to include more program providers and international/onsite personnel.

Develop Web site


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