Data gathered between July 1, 2023, and June 30 showed that more Metropolitan State University of Denver employees are committing to developing their careers at the University.
A recent Human Resources data presentation to MSU Denver senior leaders showed that turnover remains below the College and University Professional Association benchmark for faculty members at 2.88%, while professional-staff turnover has decreased from 16.45% in 2023 to 12% in 2024. This brings the University closer to its professional-staff turnover-rate goal of 10% by 2030, said Stacy Dvergsdal, associate vice president for Human Resources.
“Turnover rates at MSU Denver are very competitive,” Dvergsdal said. “Sometimes, you hear that we are a revolving door, and that is not true based on the metrics. We’re really moving the needle on retaining our incredible talent at this University.”
Turnover at a Glance
- 9% University turnover
- Faculty:
- 3.24% faculty turnover (down from 4.4% in 2022)
- 50 years, median age of departing faculty
- $70,841 median salary of departing faculty
- Professional Staff:
- 12.67% staff turnover (down from 17.8% in 2022)
- 33 years, median age of departing staff
- $56,623 median salary of departing staff
The report does not include: Adjunct faculty members, Student employees, Temporary employees, Fee-for-service employees, Contingent workers.
A termination is defined as an employee leaving the University completely (not transferring to another position)
Turnover Analysis does not include employees leaving the University for retirement or because of death.
Career advancement, compensation clear priorities for employees
In exit surveys, outgoing employees shared that their top reasons for leaving the University were:
- Career advancement — 20%
- Dissatisfaction with pay — 13%
However, 39% of positions were filled by internal employees, which shows there are opportunities for career advancement within the University, according to Kibort. More employees are also attending the Leadership and Organizational Engagement professional development programs, and Kibort encourages all employees to participate in these compelling, impactful sessions.
“Career Advancement is one of the highest mentions for Reason for Leaving the University,” said Charles Kibort, director of Human Resources Operations and Strategy. “So HR is launching a Talent Management program to address career management and advancement. We want employees to see a clearer path toward reaching their professional goals at MSU Denver.”
To address compensation needs, the HR team recently completed the Compensation Equity Study to measure the University’s compensation against peer institutions, identify areas of compression and probe for potential pay inequities related to race and ethnicity, skill level and experience. Employees are invited to attend Thursday’s Compensation Equity Study Town Hall events to learn more.
Overall employment numbers remain consistent
Overall, employee demographics remained consistent over the previous fiscal year, as overall employee head count ticked up slightly. As of June 30, the University counted 3,454 total employees employees, including:
- 1,479 full-time professional, classified staff and faculty
- 569 full-time faculty members (up from 561 in 2023).
- 873 adjunct faculty members (up from 825 in 2023).
- 910 professional and classified staff members (up from 882 in 2023).
- Student employees decreased slightly from 1,224 in 2023 to 1,102 in 2024.
- Median employee age (excluding adjuncts and student employees) is 45.
Workday continues to be an asset
This also marks the second metrics cycle completed using the Workday system.
“Workday allows this data to be pulled basically instantaneously and allows more time to analyze the data and draw conclusions, rather than just ‘getting’ the data,” Kibort said. “Employees should continue to add their personal data (race/ethnicity, gender) in Workday. This data is critical to helping the HR team draw better conclusions across all demographics.”
What’s next
Employment data will be shared annually about every six months. Stay tuned for more information about succession planning, advancement opportunities, learning, development and mentoring.
