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College HR officers share opinions on retirees, adjunct professors, sexual assault by employees

Survey finds adjunct professors seen to be underpaid

A new survey of human resource officers in higher education released by Inside Higher Education found 61 percent of public institution officials and 36 percent of private school officials are at least moderately concerned about filling positions of non-academic retired employees. Additionally, more than 60 percent of all officials are concerned that faculty were working past traditional retirement age.

The report, Inside Higher Ed's annual College and University Higher Education Human Resources Officers Survey, focused on retirement, adjunct professors and sexual harassment by employees.

The Gallup Organization, which conducted the survey, looked at public, private, profit and nonprofit institutions. In total, 330 human resources professionals were sampled.

According to an Inside Higher Ed press release, the economic recession forced many professionals to remain in the workforce longer than expected.

“Campus officials ... seem increasingly concerned that not enough professors are retiring,” the release reads.

The survey also found interesting responses regarding sexual assault among employees. According to the survey, most chief human resources officers think their institution is doing more to prevent sexual harassment by employees than higher education institutions are in general. Among all administrators surveyed, 87 percent said their institutions were doing enough to prevent sexual assault by employees, but only 65 percent said higher education in general was doing enough.

According to an Inside Higher Ed press release, individuals surveyed displayed a tendency “frequently seen in Inside Higher Ed's surveys of key campus constituencies: believing problems are worse elsewhere than at their own colleges and universities.”

The survey included several questions on the subject of adjunct faculty as well. Only 51 percent of those surveyed agreed or strongly agreed that their adjunct professors were being paid fairly. Public and private institutions both expressed similar sentiments.

The University did not participate in this survey and the Human Resources department declined to comment on its results.

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