1 Professionalizing the Field: Salaries, Workload and Other Job- Related Topics We Don’t Discuss Sarah E. Spencer, U. of St. Thomas, Minnesota Kim Kreutzer,

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Professionalizing the Field: Salaries, Workload and Other Job-Related Topics We Don’t Discuss

Sarah E. Spencer, U. of St. Thomas,

Minnesota

Kim Kreutzer, U. of Colorado at Boulder

David Shallenberger, SIT Graduate

Institute

Forum on Education Abroad Boston, MA 3 April 2008

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Pathways to the Profession: Who We Are and How We Got Here

1. Who are we?

2. How did we get here?

3. What’s on our minds?

4. What do we need to do our work?

5. How do I get your job?

Want to review the 2003 survey?http://www.forumea.org/research-data.cfm

Professionalizing Our Field: Salaries, Workload and Other Job-Related TopicsForum on Education Abroad Boston, MA 3 April 2008

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Pathways to the Profession: Part I: Who Are We ?

o Average tenure in Education Abroad: 9.2 years•New (0-3 years) 22% of respondents•Mid (4-12) 47%•Senior (13- up) 31%

o Average time in current position: 4 yearso 40% have been in their current position: 1-3 yearso About 5% more than 15 yearso 70% Female; 30 % Male


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Pathways to the Profession: Who Employs Us?

o US Higher Education 80%• (split 50:50 public and private)• Research 38%; Doctoral/Masters 23%• 4 year 33%; 2 year 4 %

o Study Abroad Provider 12%o 3% Overseas Higher Education

o 1% Overseas Study Abroad Provider


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Pathways to the Profession:

Part 2: How did we get here?

Master’s 51%

BA 31%

Ph.D./Ed.D. 25%•Undergraduate: One-third of BA’s from Liberal

Arts Colleges•Graduate: (top 6 responses) SIT, Indiana,

Minnesota, Wisconsin-Madison, Kansas,

Colombia-Teacher’s College


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Pathways to the Profession: Part 2: How did we get here?

WHAT FIRST BROUGHT YOU INTO THE FIELD?• Study Abroad Experience (83 – 23%)• Job Opening (51 – 14%)• Serendipity (38 – 11%)• Internship/Work Abroad (32 – 9%)• Living/Work Abroad (32 – 9%)• Working with Students (32 – 9%)


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How did we get here?

OTHER COMMENTS ON THE PERSONAL

PATHWAY: SENIOR LEVEL (13+ years in EA)

• Mentored • Peace Corps

• Lucky • Faculty status• Stumbled • Right place, right time• Unplanned• Accidental• Meandering


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Pathways to the Profession: How did we get here?


PATHWAY:

MID-CAREER LEVEL (4-12 years in EA)o Conglomeration of experienceo Unexpected turn of eventso Dissertation research on EAo Never intended to get into fieldo Keep life-work in balance – do Yoga!o Never lived abroad; couldn’t get hired nowo Studying abroad does not make a good advisoro You won’t become rich in this fieldo Site visits a musto Paperwork; late hours


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Pathways to the Profession: How did we get here?


PATHWAY:

NEW TO FIELD (0-3 years in EA)o Need in-depth, area-specific knowledge, esp. in

developing regionso Education Abroad impact on multicultural education o On the job trainingo Know about other areas of higher ed.o Should hire those w/degrees in Intl Educationo Design rather than by chance.


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Pathways to the Profession: Part 3: What’s on our minds?

THREE GREATEST CHALLENGES in current

position

1. Time/Workload (104 responses)

2. Funding (86 responses)

3. Staff (53 responses)

Others: administration/institutional/faculty

support, space, change in national policy,

world events, parents, curricular integration,

financial aid, etc.


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Part 3: What’s on our minds?

THREE MOST IMPORTANT ISSUES in Education Abroad

1. Health/Safety/Security(129 responses)

2. Funding/Cost/Financial Issues (102 responses.)

3. Global/National Politics (51 responses)

Others: Quality, Campus Internationalization,

Underrepresented Groups, Research,

Advocacy, Participation Rates, Curricular

Integration, Professionalism, etc.


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What do we need to do our work?

TOP PRIORITIES FOR TRAINING, PUBLICATIONS, ETC.• Advocacy on campus – mid, senior• Education systems & cultures of other countries (mid)• Management tools & techniques (mid, senior)• Marketing (new)• Networking (senior)• Program development (new)

OTHERS• Site visits, research, information for mid-career and

senior

level, intercultural theory & training,

outcomes/assessmentProfessionalizing Our Field: Salaries, Workload and Other Job-Related TopicsForum on Education Abroad Boston, MA 3 April 2008

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Questions Our Colleagues Asko Is there a specific number of students that one study

abroad person should advice?

o How many short-term, faculty-directed programs should one FTE support?

o I’m looking for information on median salaries in the field.

o I’m wondering if anyone might share job descriptions with me?

o I am in the midst of proposing staff expansion here and need some help from you.

o 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: Salaries, Workload and Other Job-Related Topics

Forum on Education Abroad Boston, MA 3 April 2008

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Current Survey

Two separate surveys – Part 1: Organizations (workload) 110 respondents 94% campus; 6% provider & otherPart 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


20Professionalizing Our Field: Salaries, Workload and Other Job-Related TopicsForum on Education Abroad Boston, MA 3 April 2008

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


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


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

30

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



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

$150-200S

alar

y R

ang

es

Salary and Satisfaction with Compensation

Very Poorly

Poorly

Neutral

Well

Very Well

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Key Points Made by Participants Regarding Compensation

Even those who were best paid felt that salaries in the field were low, especially for those in entry-level positions.

Many voiced the sense that they were paid less than similar positions in the institution, even though they had greater responsibilities (including liability and risk), more powerful impact on students, and broader (campus-wide) responsibilities.


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Qualifications for the field – degrees, international experience, language – are high even for entry-level positions, relative to the salary.

For those in higher positions, there are similar concerns, as qualifications in such areas as risk management and strategic planning (and greater experience) increase.


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In many institutions, internationalization is embraced as a priority, but it isn’t always matched by salaries or other investments.

Many said, we’re in this job because we love the work, but that isn’t an excuse not to pay a fair salary that reflects the respect we deserve for our responsibilities and background.


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Questions for Discussion1. To what extent do these findings represent your

experience and situation? 2. What are the consequences of such variability (titles,

salary) in the field? 3. What else would you like us to pull from this dataset? 4. What do you need to do next in your institution and

situation and how can we support you? 5. What does the field need to do next, what strategies

should it take, and how can we support it? 6. What other questions or topics should we examine that

were not addressed today?


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Next Steps

Publish full report on this data Web site From this session, determine

strategic directions for the project.


1 Professionalizing the Field: Salaries, Workload and Other Job- Related Topics We Don’t Discuss Sarah E. Spencer, U. of St. Thomas, Minnesota Kim Kreutzer,

Documents

years o

o study

higher education o

field o site

o us higher education

jobrelated topics forum

o average time

o average tenure