Fully Staffed is a Concept: Proactively Addressing Staffing of Higher Education Teams
Career and Workforce Development Supporting the Profession Mid-Level Senior Level
July 19, 2026
In a meeting with my direct reports, one of them uttered the phrase, “Once we’re fully staffed…” and continued to list the projects she would soon have the bandwidth to tackle. My ears perked up. Fully staffed is a mirage (Franco, 2022)... or an albino squirrel.
On an idyllic private liberal arts campus, in St. Paul, Minnesota, where I used to work, an albino squirrel hides within the recess of a white oak tree. By now, my former colleagues and I realize that there is a family of squirrels with the albinism gene– as it would be impossible for a single squirrel to live as long as an albino squirrel has been known to roam campus. At least one white squirrel has inhabited the campus grounds since before any of us can remember. Spotting her on campus always felt fortuitous.
Perhaps being fully staffed is a little like catching a glimpse of a rare albino squirrel. Chairing yet another hiring committee, it is natural to feel excitement– the finish line in sight– considering all the duties that will soon be assigned to the new hire. When a candidate accepts an offer, one might heave a sigh of relief. Kicking up their feet, they may proclaim, “We’re fully staffed!”
Yet, how common is this heartbreak: just when the new hire is selected, someone tenders a letter of resignation? Not so fully staffed anymore!
As a leader who has worked in higher education leadership for 8 years, and a current doctoral student studying higher education, I am particularly interested in the ripple effects of the Great Resignation on middle managers. While economists have declared the Great Resignation “over” (Morgan, 2023), higher education institutions continue to experience churn– specifically in staff positions. The College and University Professional Association- Human Resources ([CUPA-HR] 2025a; CUPA-HR, 2025b) conducted a survey of turnover in higher education, and found that in academic year 2023-2024, turnover for full-time non-exempt employees was 12.6% and full-time exempt employees was 11.4%. These percentages were slightly down from the spike the previous year, but about in line with the numbers from 2021-2022 (which were 12.8% and 12% respectively). For reference, turnover rates below 10% are considered favorable. Turnover in higher education has largely recovered according to CUPA-HR’s most recent report, but the ripple effects of the Great Resignation will likely be palpable for years to come (CUPA-HR, 2025a; CUPA-HR, 2025b).
Questions for Higher Education Leaders to Consider
I’ve come to think of fully staffed as a concept– not only to prevent heartbreak– but because our staffing models are outdated. Several questions to consider when considering the appropriate number of staff to take on the tasks of a particular department:
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When was the last time a department’s staffing model was adjusted or modified to meet the current needs of the workload?
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When was the last time leaders took the time to determine how the workload translated to a specific number of full-time equivalent (FTE) positions?
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Is it important that existing full-time, year-round positions continue as full-time and 12-month?
This last question leads to another question: Could the department draw upon temporary hires, contract workers or part-time status? This question could lead one down a slippery slope. If a department has been trimmed down to such a point that their staff struggle to complete their workloads, it may be time to collect data to support bringing on more employees. Intentionally cutting the workforce to the bare minimum is what Kim (2021) refers to as lean staffing, a practice that is becoming all too familiar in higher education.
When determining the staffing needs of a department, leaders must also keep in mind contingency planning– as even when fully staffed, teams may not always operate at full capacity (e.g., when an employee takes a leave of absence or vacation, or the workload unexpectedly increases). One significant contributor to lowered productivity is the time taken up by serving on hiring committees! Productivity also depends on employee engagement or lack thereof. A survey from Gallup identified that only 32% of employees are engaged in their work (Harter, 2025). Disengaged employees often wane in productivity, and disengagement can lead to disconnection (in other words: quiet quitting) and bad behavior (Barner, 2023).
Examples of Creative Staffing Solutions
It is not uncommon for workloads to ebb and flow over the course of the academic year. In the Interpreting/Captioning Unit within the Disability Resource Center (DRC) at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, which I oversee, we employ eight American Sign Language (ASL) interpreters. Half of them serve 12-month contracts, and the other half serve 10-month contracts. This works well for our team, because there are fewer requests for services in the summertime. In an adjacent unit, Media Accessibility’s busy season ramps up at the start of each semester. Their team relies on two temporary contractors for 3-5 weeks twice annually to assist with fulfilling textbook accommodations. This has worked well for many years.
The other unit I oversee, the Testing Center and Access Assistance Unit, proctors over 1,500 exams each final exams week. We utilize an “all hands on deck” approach, in which every member of the DRC, which boasts 60 full-time employees, is expected to sign up for at least three proctoring shifts during final exams. This creates buy-in to support our Testing Center’s important work, and shared responsibility across all units for ensuring smooth testing operations. During time periods of heightened work demands, teams may seem understaffed even when fully staffed. Within the DRC, periods of higher workload vary by unit. This opens the possibility of units supporting each other at various junctures during the academic year. As the old adage goes, many hands make light work.
By considering workloads holistically, leaders may identify opportunities for supporting colleagues across units. Importantly, when work demands ebb, leaders may provide opportunities for rest and recovery, including:
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Remote or hybrid work arrangements
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Flexible work schedules
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Fewer obligations
The need to consider the full range of responsibilities, and the seasons of higher and lower productivity demands allows leaders to consider staffing solutions for their teams– and perhaps larger divisions– to ensure productivity needs are met. When demands dip, it is a good time to allow time for staff to rest and recharge.
Conclusion
Departments, such as information technology (IT; DiGrazia, 2022), advancement (EAB, 2022) and student affairs offices– especially admissions (Fuesting, 2023; Zahneis, 2023) and financial aid departments (McClure & Sallee, 2025; National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators [NASFAA], 2022) have been hardest hit by the Great Resignation. Many departments are continuing to experience significant ripple effects, despite the reported turnover recovery (CUPA-HR, 2025a; 2025b). As our institutions continue to respond to budget constraints and decreased federal support, the time is ripe to reassess position descriptions, organizational charts and workloads to ensure that staffing models continue to evolve with the changes to our current workplaces. This requires data collection, responsibly stewarding university funds, and creative solution-finding.
It may be helpful to reframe your own thinking about what the phrase fully staffed truly means. And if the phrase conjures the image of an elusive albino squirrel, I hope it brings a smile to your face.
References
Barner, K. (2023, July 6). R.I.P. Great Resignation (2020-2023). Art of Procurement. https://artofprocurement.com/blog/supply-r-i-p-great-resignation-2020-2023
CUPA-HR. (2025a). Higher ed workforce turnover. College and University Professional Association for Human Resources. https://www.cupahr.org/surveys/workforce-data/higher-ed-workforce-turnover/
CUPA-HR. (2025b, September 20). New CUPA-HR survey results shed light on employee retention in higher education. HigherEdJobs. https://www.higheredjobs.com/Articles/articleDisplay.cfm?ID=4438
DiGrazia, T. (2022, December 16). How higher ed IT can stay fully staffed during the “great resignation.” EdTech.
EAB. (2022, August 11). EAB survey confirms higher ed advancement talent crisis. Education Advisory Board.
Franko, R. (2022, November 18). The mirage of “fully staffed.” LinkedIn. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/mirage-fully-staffed-bob-franko/
Fuesting, M. (2023, April). The higher ed admissions workforce: Pay, diversity, equity, and years in position. College and University Professional Association for Human Resources. https://www.cupahr.org/resource/the-higher-ed-admissions-workforce-april-2023/
Harter, J. (2025, August 5). Anemic employee engagement points to leadership challenges. Gallup.com. https://www.gallup.com/workplace/692954/anemic-employee-engagement-points-leadership-challenges.aspx
Kim, J. (2021, October 19). Higher Ed’s invisible understaffing epidemic. Inside Higher Education. https://www.insidehighered.com/blogs/learning-innovation/higher-ed%E2%80%99s-invisible-understaffing-epidemic
McClure, K. R., & Sallee, M. W. (2025). Research-based approaches to support and retain
higher education staff. Change, 57(1), 46–55. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.1080/00091383.2025.2442892
Morgan, K. (2023, August 2). The great resignation is “over.” BBC News. https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20230731-the-great-resignation-is-over-what-does-that-mean
NASFAA. (2022). Financial aid offices face intensifying staffing challenges amid pandemic. National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators.
https://www.nasfaa.org/uploads/documents/Financial_Aid_Offices_Face_Intensifying_Staffing_Challenges_Amid_Pandemic.pdf
Zahneis, M. (2023, April 18). Turnover is bad across higher ed. It’s even worse in admissions. The Chronicle of Higher Education.
https://www.chronicle.com/article/turnover-is-bad-across-higher-ed-its-even-worse-in-admissions