Changing Roles, Changing Salary Requirements
As the complexities of the portfolios of senior student affairs
officers (SSAOs) have grown, a new world in contract negotiating has evolved. SSAOs are integral players in the leadership
of higher education institutions, and we have the right to
expect compensation packages that are competitive with
campus peers—primarily vice presidents and deans. Simply
put, we can ask for much more and expect to get it. Naturally,
not all types of institutions have the same resources, cultures,
or potential for negotiation. Learn what is appropriate and
reasonable for your prospective institutions before beginning
the negotiation process. Remember, you are not likely to
receive what you do not request. Always approach the negotiation process with a willingness to say no if the final contract
offered to you is not acceptable.
Personal and Family Needs
After you have received the job offer, it is generally considered
appropriate to request a follow-up visit to the campus and
community before accepting the position, often accompanied
by your spouse or partner. A second visit is especially important if the interview process allowed little time to explore
your potential new home. Spend some time alone getting
to know the university setting, looking at neighborhoods
and schools, learning about nearby healthcare facilities, and
researching your other requirements. Your new colleagues
will want to use this time to strongly recruit you. Expect to
spend a portion of the visit with them, but do not allow them
to monopolize every minute.
start a new position, are very legitimate requests to put on the
table as you negotiate your needs. The best way to learn about
many of these matters is to talk with the outgoing SSAO,
members of the search committee, key staff in the division,
and senior budget officers in the division of student affairs
and the institution.
You want to be an integral member of the university leadership team and have broad influence on the direction of the
university. Will you have access to budget information and
fiscal control over auxiliaries? How will you partner with the
leadership of those areas to improve the quality of student life
on campus? Can you be involved in discussions about enrollment management and student retention even if those areas
do not report directly to you? What kind of involvement will
you have with the governing board of your institution? If you
have not completed your terminal degree, is there release time
and tuition support available? It is much easier to bargain for
these types of requests and opportunities as you enter your
new position.
The most important issues in
considering whether to take
a new position, of course, are likely
to be financial.
Remember, you are now in the most advantageous position
with your new institution to seek what you and your family
need to feel welcomed and comfortable in your new setting.
Do not underestimate the importance of researching your
new surroundings.
Get What You Need to Make a Difference
As you begin this process of discernment about your new role,
ask yourself what is important and what is critical to success
in the position. Do you need new staff positions, salary
increases for key employees, resources to start or enhance a
program, support for staff professional development, and/or a
new facility for students? What would enhance the quality of
student life as you assume your new position? These enhancements, which can help you create a win-win situation as you
Your Paycheck is Only One Piece
The most important issues in considering whether to take a
new position, of course, are likely to be financial. Your starting
salary is the amount upon which future raises are based, so you
want to go as high as possible. It is critical to assess your worth
by comparing yourself to the going market rate, not to your
current salary. While a 10 percent raise might seem consider-
able, check the indices using multiple sources to determine if it
is a reasonable increase. If you are recruited to a public univer-
sity, administrative
salaries are public
information and can
be obtained relatively
easily. If you are
recruited by a private
university, consult
colleagues at similarly
ranked and organized
institutions. Always
review the NASPA
salary survey. Look at
what the other senior
administrators on the
campus earn relative to their portfolios. Signing bonuses are
not uncommon, and you might want to consider what would
be appropriate for the position. In very rare instances, you may
take a pay cut to go from a lower position at a large institution
to the SSAO role at a smaller institution with fewer resources.
It may be worthwhile to work at a different type of university
that is more closely aligned to your personal values or to relocate to a part of the country that you find particularly
desirable. But carefully analyze if your lifestyle, your budget,
and your ego can handle a reduced income.
Be realistic about what it will cost to move to a new location. Cost-of-living disparities across the country may
dramatically change the resources you will need to maintain,
let alone enhance, your quality of life. As SSAO, you may be
expected to host university receptions or other events in your
