Trends in Higher Education: Faculty and Staff

analysis full gutter Trends in Higher Education Faculty and Staff Legislative Analyst’s Office 2024 1 analysis full gutter 2 analysis full gutter Introduction This is the fifth brief in a six-part analytical series focused on higher education trends. Each brief in the series covers a major area of higher education. Previously released briefs focus on student access, college affordability, student outcomes, and higher education finance. This fifth brief focuses on faculty and staff. The series has two main objectives. The first is to help legislators, staff, and the general public track many of the key changes that higher education has undergone over time. The second is to help legislators and staff leverage their better understanding of the past to aid them in better navigating the future. To this end, each brief is punctuated by key issues for legislators to consider as they move forward in making higher education policy and budget decisions. This brief begins with a look at the overall higher education workforce. It then turns to a deeper look at faculty, with charts covering changes in the number of faculty; their demographics (including their racial/ethnic diversity, gender, and age); tenure; and salary levels; followed by charts covering pay for executives, managers, and administrators. Next, the brief provides some data on employee recruitment and retention. The brief concludes with a look at the University of California’s (UC’s) medical workforce. As with the other briefs in this series, this brief contains a set of infographics, with data drawn primarily from sources at the federal, state, and segment levels. In this brief, we generally provide data for the past decade. We select the exact time period for each chart by considering the availability of the particular data at issue, comparability of the reported data over time, and the most interesting trends emanating from the data. Across the three public higher education segments—UC, the California State University (CSU), and California Community Colleges (CCC)—the main story is one of workforce growth over the past decade. The numbers of faculty, staff, and administrators were all higher in 2023 than 2013—in some cases, notably higher. Over this time, faculty generally have become more diverse, with higher shares of Latinos, Asians, and women, and a declining share of older faculty. Trends in faculty salaries have varied somewhat across the segments, with salaries at UC tending to grow more than at the other segments. Nonetheless, faculty across all three segments in California continue to earn more than their peers nationally. As with faculty salaries, manager salaries at UC also have tended to grow more than at CSU and CCC. Regarding separations, the faculty separation rate at UC has been hovering at 4 percent for more than a decade, though UC has seen some uptick in the share of faculty reporting that the reason they left UC is because they accepted another job opportunity. Faculty separation rates have been slightly higher at CSU— hovering at 6 percent for tenured faculty. (Comparable CCC data are not available.) 3 analysis full gutter Faculty and Staff Size of Workforce After Years of Growing, University Workforce Nationally Has Almost Fully Rebounded From Pandemic Dip Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) Employees at U.S. Public Universities 1,600,000 1,500,000 1,400,000 1,300,000 1,200,000 1,100,000 1,000,000 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 Note: For display purposes, the vertical axis does not start at zero. All charts on this page exclude student employees and medical center staff. Community College Workforce Nationally Began Shrinking Before Onset of Pandemic FTE Employees at U.S. Public Community Colleges 380,000 360,000 340,000 320,000 300,000 280,000 260,000 240,000 220,000 200,000 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 Note: For display purposes, the vertical axis does not start at zero. In California, Higher Education Workforce Has Increased Fastest at the Universities FTE Employees by Public Segment in California 120,000 100,000 UC 80,000 CCC 60,000 CSU 40,000 20,000 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 Since 2013, the UC and CSU workforces have grown at average annual rates of 1.7 percent and 2 percent, respectively. By comparison, the CCC workforce has grown by 0.7 percent. 4 analysis full gutter Faculty and Staff Employees by Group Faculty Comprise Smaller Share of Workforce at UC and CSU Than at CCC Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) Employees by Group UC CSU CCC 100,000 50,000 80,000 80,000 40,000 60,000 60,000 30,000 40,000 40,000 20,000 20,000 20,000 10,000 2013 2023 2013 2023 2013 2023 Note: Chart excludes student employees and medical center staff. Faculty Staff Administrators Student-to-Faculty Ratios Have Ticked Up at UC While Decreasing at CSU and CCC Fall Undergraduate FTE Students Per FTE Faculty 30 CCC 25 CSU 20 UC 15 10 5 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 Number of Student Employees at UC Dropped During the Pandemic but Is Rebounding UC Student Employees, Fall Headcount 70,000 60,000 50,000 40,000 30,000 20,000 10,000 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 Teaching/Research Assistants Nonacademic Student Staff Colleges and universities regularly hire student workers for certain positions on campus. While the number of both academic and nonacademic student workers grew gradually from 2013 through 2019, the pandemic affected the two groups differently. Whereas the number of academic graduate workers continued to grow slightly, the number of nonacademic student workers dropped notably, before beginning to rebound in 2021. 5 analysis full gutter Faculty and Staff Employee Race/Ethnicity Over the past decade, the share of white workers has declined, with white workers comprising less than half of the workforce at each segment in 2023. As the share of white workers has declined, the shares of Latino and Asian workers have increased, with the greatest growth among Latino workers. At UC and CSU, the share of Black workers has declined slightly, whereas the share of Black workers has increased slightly at CCC. Across all segments, an increasing share of workers identify as mixed race/other. Workforce at Each Public Segment Has Become More Diverse Share of Total Headcount Workforce by Race/Ethnicity, Fall Term 2013 2018 2023 60% UC 50 40 30 20 10 White Asian Latino Black Other 60% CSU 50 40 30 20 10 White Latino Asian Black Other 70% CCC 60 50 40 30 20 10 White Latino Asian Black Other Note: Charts exclude student employees and medical center employees. 6 analysis full gutter Faculty and Staff Faculty Counts UC Faculty Counts Are Rising, but Share That Is Tenured/Tenure Track Has Been Dropping UC Campus Faculty, Fall Headcount 30,000 51% 25,000 50 49 20,000 48 15,000 47 10,000 46 5,000 45 44 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 Lecturers/Adjunct Tenured/Tenure Track Share That Is Tenured/Tenure Track About 40 Percent of CSU Faculty Are Tenured/Tenure Track CSU Instructional Faculty, Fall Headcount 30,000 44% 25,000 43 20,000 42 15,000 41 10,000 40 5,000 39 38 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 Note: Most lecturers at CSU are part time, whereas most tenured/tenure-track faculty are full time. CCC Responded to Pandemic by Reducing Adjunct Faculty CCC Faculty, Fall Headcount 70,000 34% 60,000 33 50,000 32 40,000 31 30,000 30 20,000 29 10,000 28 27 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 Note: Lecturers/adjunct faculty at CCC work part time and have temporary assignments, whereas tenured/tenure track faculty work full time and have permanent assignments. While the total number of faculty generally has been growing at UC and about flat at CSU, the number has fallen at CCC. When CCC enrollment declined during the pandemic, community colleges responded primarily by reducing the number of adjunct faculty they employed. Compared to the other segments, CCC relies most heavily upon adjunct faculty. 7 analysis full gutter Faculty and Staff Faculty Demographics Share of Faculty From Historically Underrepresented Groups Is Increasing Share of Tenured/Tenure-Track Faculty Who Are Black, Latino, or Native American at Each Public Segment, Fall Term Headcount 30% 2013 2018 2023 25 20 15 10 5 UC CSU CCC Share of Faculty Who Are Women Differs Notably Among the Segments Share of Tenured/Tenure-Track Faculty Who Are Women, Fall Term Headcount 60% CCC 55 50 45 CSU 40 35 30 UC 25 20 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 Note: For display purposes, the vertical axis does not start at zero. Share of Older Faculty Is Declining Share of Tenured/Tenure-Track Faculty Who Are 55 Years or Older, Fall Term Headcount 2013 2018 2023 50% 40 UC and CCC report data for employees 30 age 55 and older. In contrast, CSU reports data for employees age 50 and older. The trend at CSU is similar to the 20 trends at UC and CCC, with the share of older CSU faculty also on the decline. 10 UC CCC 8 analysis full gutter Faculty and Staff New Faculty Demographics UC's New Faculty Are More Racially/Ethnically Diverse Than Existing Faculty Tenured/Tenure-Track Faculty by Race/Ethnicity and Date of Hire All Faculty New Faculty White Asian Latino Black Other Note: "New" faculty are those hired between 2011 and 2020. "Other" includes faculty of mixed race as well as those not reporting race/ethnicity. New Faculty Hires at CSU Are More Racially/Ethnically Diverse Than Ten Years Ago New Tenure-Track Faculty Hires by Race/Ethnicity and Date of Hire 2012 2022 White Asian Latino Black Other Nonresident Note: "Other" includes faculty of two or more races or whose race/ethnicity is unknown. "Nonresident" includes faculty of any race/ethnicity who are not citizens or nationals of the United States and do not have a right to remain in the United State indefinitely. CCC New Faculty Hires Are More Closely Reflecting CCC Student Body Share of First-Time Tenure-Track Faculty Hires From URG Compared to Share of First-Time Students From URG 70% 60 50 First-Time CCC Students From URG 40 30 20 First-Time Faculty Hires From URG 10 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 Note: URG = underrepresented groups (Black, Latino, Native American, Filipino, and Pacific Islander). Key Issue All three public higher education systems are equal employment opportunity (EEO) employers. EEO is defined as ensuring that all qualified individuals have a full and fair opportunity to compete for hiring and promotional opportunities. Each segment executes these shared EEO principles differently. For example, the three systems differ in the composition of their search committees. A key issue for the Legislature is what role it wants to have in overseeing the segments’ hiring practices and ensuring their alignment with legislative priorities. 9 analysis full gutter Faculty and Staff Faculty Salaries UC Professors Earn Much More Than Their Peers Nationally Average Salary of Full Professors, Not Adjusted for Inflation $225,000 UC UC Peers Pay Differential 45% 200,000 40 175,000 35 150,000 30 125,000 25 100,000 20 75,000 15 50,000 10 25,000 5 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 Note: “UC Peers" reflects the national average salary at public doctoral universities with very high research activity. CSU Professors Earn Somewhat More Than Their Peers Nationally Average Salary of Full Professors, Not Adjusted for Inflation CSU CSU Peers Pay Differential $125,000 12% 10 100,000 8 75,000 6 50,000 4 25,000 2 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 Note: "CSU Peers" reflects the national average salary at public master's universities, doctoral/professional universities, and doctoral universities with high research activity. CCC Faculty Earn Much More Than Their Peers Nationally Average Salary of Tenured/Tenure-Track Faculty, Not Adjusted for Inflation 60% $125,000 CCC CCC Peers Pay Differential 50 100,000 40 75,000 30 50,000 20 25,000 10 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 Note: "CCC Peers" reflects the national average salary at public two-year colleges. 10 analysis full gutter Faculty and Staff Faculty Salaries Key Issue Going forward, the Legislature will face important budget decisions that involve assessing the trade-offs between providing base augmentations for faculty salary increases versus providing targeted augmentations for other objectives, such as expanding student support programs. Adjusted for Inflation, UC Professor Salaries Gradually Increased Before Dipping in 2021 Average Salary of Full Professors, 2022 Dollars $240,000 220,000 200,000 180,000 160,000 140,000 120,000 100,000 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 Note: For display purposes, the vertical axis does not start at zero. UC faculty are not represented by a union, whereas CSU faculty are represented by the California Faculty Association (CFA). The UC Board of Regents annually determines general salary increases for faculty, whereas the CSU Board of Trustees collectively bargains salary increases with CFA. At both UC and CSU, faculty in some disciplines tend to earn higher salaries than faculty in other disciplines. For example, faculty in business and management tend to have significantly higher salaries than faculty in the humanities. Adjusted for Inflation, CSU Faculty Salaries Have Declined Somewhat in Recent Years Average Salary of Faculty by Level, 2023 Dollars $140,000 Full Professor 130,000 120,000 Associate Professor 110,000 100,000 Assistant Professor 90,000 80,000 Lecturer 70,000 60,000 50,000 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 Note: For display purposes, the vertical axis does not start at zero. 11 analysis full gutter Faculty and Staff Faculty Salaries Community College Faculty Salaries Have Been Mostly Flat When Adjusted for Inflation Average Salary of Tenured/Tenure-Track CCC Faculty, 2023 Dollars $140,000 120,000 100,000 80,000 60,000 40,000 20,000 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 Unlike CSU and UC (which make certain faculty salary decisions at the system level), faculty salaries at community colleges are bargained locally. Consequently, salaries vary among the 72 local community college districts. In 2023, the highest average salary of tenured/tenure-track faculty was at San Jose- Evergreen Community College District (CCD) ($167,598), while the lowest average faculty salary was at Copper Mountain CCD ($95,230). Unlike UC and CSU, CCC faculty salaries generally do not vary by discipline, such that an engineering instructor earns the same amount as a history instructor. Slightly More Than Half of Districts' Unrestricted Funding Is Spent on Instructor Compensation Share of CCC Systemwide Unrestricted Funds Spent on Instructor Salary and Benefits 55% 45 35 25 15 5 2012-13 2013-14 2014-15 2015-16 2016-17 2017-18 2018-19 2019-20 2020-21 2021-22 2022-23 Key Issue Since the early 1960s, state law has required community college districts to spend at least 50 percent of their general operating budget on salaries and benefits of faculty and instructional aides engaged in direct classroom instruction. Districts that fall below the 50 percent threshold can be subject to financial penalties. Proponents of the so-called “fifty percent law” contend it ensures that noninstructional functions (such as administrators’ salaries) do not squeeze out course offerings and keeps CCC class sizes small. Critics counter that the law can result in districts spending less on core student support services (such as counseling and library services). Moving forward, the Legislature can continue to monitor district performance and evaluate whether this long-standing law is consistent with legislatively desired performance outcomes. 12 analysis full gutter Faculty and Staff Administrator Salaries UC Executive Pay Is Above $500,000 but Lower Than Private University Peers Annual Base Pay of University Leader at UC and Select Private Universities in California UC Merced UC Santa Cruz UC Riverside UC Santa Barbara UC Davis UC San Diego UC Irvine UC Los Angeles UC Berkeley UC San Francisco UC Office of the President Stanford University University of Southern California California Institute of Technology 500,000 1,000,000 $1,500,000 Note: Due to differences in data availability, UC amounts are for calendar year 2022, whereas private university amounts are for calendar year 2020. In April 2024, the UC Board of Regents announced a new chancellor at UC Berkeley. The new chancellor will start with a base pay of $946,450. In June 2024, the UC Board of Regents announced UC’s most recent new executive hire. The incoming chancellor at UC Los Angeles will start with an annual base salary of $978,904. Average Pay for UC Managers Has Somewhat Outpaced Inflation Average Salary for Manager Positions, 2022 Dollars $200,000 180,000 160,000 140,000 120,000 100,000 80,000 60,000 40,000 20,000 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 In 2022, the average salary for a UC manager was 8 percent higher than in 2012 after adjusting for inflation. By comparison, the average salary for other administrative and office support workers was 10 percent higher. 13 analysis full gutter Faculty and Staff Administrator Salaries Adjusted for Inflation, CSU Manager Salaries Are Slightly Higher Than a Decade Earlier Average Salary of CSU Employees in Supervisory/Management Positions, 2022 Dollars $200,000 175,000 150,000 125,000 100,000 75,000 50,000 25,000 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 In 2022, the average salary for a CSU manager was 2.7 percent higher than in 2012 after adjusting for inflation. By comparison, the average salary for other administrative and office support workers was 6.1 percent lower in 2022 compared to 2012. CCC Administrator Salaries Also Are Slightly Higher Than a Decade Earlier Average Salary of CCC Educational Administrators, 2023 Dollars $200,000 175,000 150,000 125,000 100,000 75,000 50,000 25,000 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 Educational administrators include college presidents, vice presidents, deans, and other administrative executives. In 2023, the average salary for a CCC educational administrator was 2 percent higher than in 2013 after adjusting for inflation. Compensation for CCC educational administrators is decided locally, with resulting variation among districts. In 2023, Ohlone Community College District (CCD) provided the highest average salary to educational administrators ($269,138), while Barstow CCD had the lowest average salary for these employees ($135,308). 14 analysis full gutter Faculty and Staff Recruitment About Two-Thirds of New UC Faculty Hires Have Been at the Assistant Professor Level New Tenured/Tenure-Track Faculty 800 Assistant Professors 700 Associate and Full Professors 600 500 400 300 200 100 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 2014-15 2015-16 2016-17 2017-18 2018-19 2019-20 2020-21 2021-22 Note: "Assistant Professors" includes faculty with the potential for security of employment. "Associate and Full Professors" includes faculty with security of employment. Most CSU Searches for Tenure-Track Faculty Result in a New Hire New Tenure-Track Faculty 1,000 88% 900 86 800 84 700 82 600 500 80 400 78 300 76 200 74 100 72 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 Searches Appointments Success Rate On average, CSU received 60 applications per search in 2022, with the Long Beach campus receiving the highest number of applications per search (99) and the Maritime campus receiving the fewest (14). Key Issue Unlike UC and CSU, CCC has not collected centralized data on the outcomes of faculty searches at community colleges. Having this data could be useful to the state for budgetary and policy purposes. For example, knowing whether districts are having trouble attracting faculty could help inform legislative decisions regarding CCC base funding increases as well as CCC faculty recruitment programs. Going forward, the Legislature may want to require the CCC Chancellor’s Office to start collecting annual data on the number of faculty searches and corresponding success rates. 15 analysis full gutter Faculty and Staff Retention UC Faculty Separation Rate Hovers Around 4 Percent Share of Tenured/Tenure-Track Faculty That Separates From UC Each Year 6% 5 4 3 2 1 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 2014-15 2015-16 2016-17 2017-18 2018-19 2019-20 2020-21 2021-22 Staff Separate From UC for a Number of Reasons Share of Career Staff Leaving for Each of the Following Reasons Other Reasons or No Reason Given Released During Probationary Period Left to Attend School Retired 2016 2023 Personal Reasons Accepted Another Job 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50% Note: Leaving for personal reasons was not a category included in UC's 2016 data. Turnover Among CSU Tenured/Tenure-Track Faculty Has Been Below 6 Percent Separations Among Full-Time Faculty as of Fall Term 7% 6 5 4 3 2 1 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 Tenured Tenure Track Key Issue Unlike UC, CSU only reports separation rates for faculty and CCC does not report separation rates for either faculty or staff. The Legislature may want to have CSU and CCC provide regular updates on their separation rates by employee group. Better understanding the share of employees that are leaving and why they are leaving could inform the Legislature’s budget and policy decisions. For example, if a segment has very low separation rates, it might indicate that faculty and staff retention are not major challenges at that segment, thereby allowing legislative attention to be directed to other higher education priorities. 16 analysis full gutter Faculty and Staff UC Medical Center Employees Staffing at UC's Five Medical Centers Has Increased Almost Every Year Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) Employees 50,000 45,000 40,000 35,000 30,000 25,000 20,000 15,000 10,000 5,000 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 Note: UC has teaching hospitals at its Davis, Irvine, Los Angeles, San Diego, and San Francisco campuses. Since 2012, UC medical center staff has increased 43 percent. Nurses and Other Medical Staff Are the Largest Group of UC Medical Center Employees FTE Employees by Job Category 50,000 45,000 Administrators/Managers Medical Residents 40,000 Senior Professionals 35,000 30,000 25,000 20,000 15,000 Support Staff 10,000 5,000 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 Note: "Support Staff" include nurses, pharmacists, and lab scientists, among others. "Senior Professionals" include doctors and dentists. Chart excludes a small number of other staff, such as clinical faculty and student staff providing clerical support at the centers. Over time, the proportion of medical center staff comprised of support staff has declined slightly, while the proportion of staff that are senior professionals and managers has increased. UC's Medical Residents Are Becoming a More Racially/Ethnically Diverse Group Share of UC Medical Residents by Race/Ethnicity, Fall Headcount 2013 2023 White Asian Latino Black Other Note: "Medical residents" refers to individuals who have graduated from medical school, are employed by a UC medical center, and are completing their medical training. It includes interns, who are in their first year of residency. "Other" includes Native American, Native Hawaiian, two or more races, and residents whose racial or ethnic origin is unknown or unreported. As the share of UC’s medical residents who are white has declined, the share who are Latino and Black have increased. These groups, however, continue to comprise a small share of UC’s medical residents. In 2023, 12 percent of UC’s medical residents were Latino and 5 percent were Black. 17 analysis full gutter 18 analysis full gutter 19 analysis full gutter LAO PUBLICATIONS This report was prepared by Paul Steenhausen. It was designed by Vu Chu. It was reviewed by Jennifer Pacella and Ross Brown. The Legislative Analyst’s Office (LAO) is a nonpartisan office that provides fiscal and policy information and advice to the Legislature. To request publications call (916) 445-4656. This report and others, as well as an e-mail subscription service, are available on the LAO’s website at www.lao.ca.gov. The LAO is located at 925 L Street, Suite 1000, Sacramento, California 95814. 20