Overall Rating Gold - expired
Overall Score 73.13
Liaison Bridget Flynn
Submission Date March 9, 2017
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.0

Oberlin College
PA-9: Employee Compensation

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 2.43 / 3.00 Kim Wiggerly
Compensation and Benefits Manager
Office of Human Resources
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Number of employees:
1,295

Number of staff and faculty covered by sustainable compensation standards, guidelines, or policies; and/or collective bargaining agreements:
1,000

Does the institution have employees of contractors working on-site as part of regular and ongoing campus operations?:
No

Number of employees of contractors working on campus:
0

Number of employees of contractors covered by sustainable compensation standards, guidelines, or policies and/or collective bargaining agreements:
0

A brief description of the sustainable compensation standards, guidelines, or policies; and/or collective bargaining agreements covering staff, faculty and/or employees of contractors:

3 union contracts and all are paid a living wage.


Does the institution wish to pursue Part 2 of this credit (assessing employee compensation)?:
Yes

Number of staff and faculty that receive sustainable compensation:
1,100

Number of employees of contractors that receive sustainable compensation:
---

A brief description of the standard(s) against which compensation was assessed:

All non-union employees pay is based on like colleges with Oberlin looking at mid-range for starting purposes.
The living wage for Lorain County in Ohio is $9.71 per hour for one adult. Approximately 600 employees are represented by union a contract which each union negotiates their pay and benefits packages. New employees represented by union contract in positions requiring no education start upwards of $18.01 per hour.


A brief description of the compensation (wages and benefits) provided to the institution’s lowest paid regular, full-time employees:

Approximately 600 employees are represented by union a contract which each union negotiates their pay and benefits packages. New employees represented by union contract in positions requiring no education start upwards of $18.01 per hour. All non-union employees pay is based on like colleges with Oberlin looking at mid-range for
starting purposes. The living wage for Lorain County in Ohio is $9.71 per hour for one adult. Full-time employees may receive Oberlin College benefits package including holidays, vacation, sick days, retirement accounts, and insurance provisions.


A brief description of the compensation (wages and benefits) provided to the institution’s lowest paid regular, part-time employees:

Part-time wages start at $10 up to $15 per hour


A brief description of the compensation (wages and benefits) provided to the institution’s lowest paid temporary (non-regular) staff:

Temporary staff protocol vary. Wages exceed $10.


A brief description of the compensation (wages and benefits) provided to the institution’s lowest paid temporary (non-regular, adjunct or contingent) faculty:

Compensation varies and is considered in context of competitive wages, experience, and full compensation package (including benefits).


A brief description of the compensation (wages and benefits) provided to the institution’s lowest paid student employees (graduate and/or undergraduate, as applicable):

Student wages are determined by the employer. The Office of Student Employment has offered the following guide: In order to establish fairness and consistency in student hiring, it is highly recommended that all employers use the following grade level system when hiring students: this Grade Level will be reevaluated if and when the state increases the minimum wage.
Grade Level Minimum Pay Rate Maximum Pay Rate
I $8.10
II $8.20 Employer’s discretion
III $8.30
IV $8.40
A student job is assigned a grade level according to the following criteria:
 Level of skills required, including special skills
 Level of experience/training required
 Level of independent work, confidentiality and supervision
 Level of mental activity
 Level of accountability
Grade levels
I. Clerical work; does not require any special skills or previous training (excluding typing
and basic computer skills); routine tasks and clearly established duties; no decision-making/leadership involved. MINIMUM STARTING WAGE: $8.10 / hour
II. Some special skills required; low level of accountability; some decision-making may be required; may involve some supervisory tasks (for instance, supervising students from level I). RECOMMENDED STARTING WAGE: $8.20 / hour
III. Require special skills, knowledge, ability, and training. Leadership and decision-making involved; may require a certain level of confidentiality and independent work;
supervising students at levels II and I. Increased level of accountability.
RECOMMENDED STARTING WAGE: $8.30 / hour
IV. Requires highly specialized/advanced skills, knowledge, and training. Works with low
level of supervision; high accountability; job may require a high level of confidentiality;
high degree of mental activity; may involve a great deal of supervisory work (i.e.
supervising students at levels I, II, and/or III). RECOMMENDED STARTING WAGE:
$8.40 / hour
The following guidelines are recommended for a pay raise at the end of each semester and/or year. After a positive evaluation, a $0.05 to $0.10/hour increase in pay for a student working in the same position is fair.

Many student jobs are fairly flexible to accommodate student schedules and many jobs come with unwritten benefits, like free food.


The local legal minimum hourly wage for regular employees:
8.10 US/Canadian $

Does the institution have an on-site child care facility, partner with a local facility, and/or provide subsidies or financial support to help meet the child care needs of faculty and staff?:
Yes

Does the institution offer a socially responsible investment option for retirement plans?:
Yes

The website URL where information about the institution’s sustainable compensation policies and practices is available:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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The information presented here is self-reported. While AASHE staff review portions of all STARS reports and institutions are welcome to seek additional forms of review, the data in STARS reports are not verified by AASHE. If you believe any of this information is erroneous or inconsistent with credit criteria, please review the process for inquiring about the information reported by an institution or simply email your inquiry to stars@aashe.org.