Both candidates liked the students and enjoyed the campus. But citing concerns over salary pay, both took a pass on becoming the University of Idaho”s new director of Fraternity and Sorority Life.
“We offered the position to one, and then the other – both of whom said “no, thank you,”” said Jean Kim, vice provost for Student Affairs and Enrollment Management.
The search for a new director of Fraternity and Sorority Life failed this summer, but Kim said the university plans to start another search by the end of September.
Kim said both candidates had concerns over the position”s low salary and its “non-exempt” status. Non-exempt employees are paid by the hour where as exempt employees are paid an annual salary.
Under the previous director, Kim said the position was classified as exempt status and was paid through an annual salary.
After the previous director left the position at the end of the school year, Kim said the department of Human Resources decided to change it to a non-exempt status. Since many other positions around the country are listed as exempt, she the non-exempt status was a concern among the candidates.
In general, Kim said UI facility and staff salaries are lower than peer institutions.
“I mean they know what the positions are supposed to be getting,” Kim said. “And so I think our lower salary level certainly didn”t help us.”
With the new search, Kim said they hope to complete the search by November and have a new director start work in January.
“I am cautiously optimistic that we will be able to find the right person the second go around,” Kim said, adding that starting the search during the school year might be better timing for the university.
In the summer, when the search began, Kim said good candidates are often not paying attention to job opportunities.
With the search during the school year, Kim said she hopes to have more student engagement in this search compared to the first.
“I think the timing is better this time around,” Kim said. She said she will see if the university can improve the salary rate for the position.
The university will be looking for a candidate with a master”s degree that has worked within a Greek life office as an assistant director, associate director or director, Kim said.
“I think it”s important that that person have had a professional experience working with Greek organizations and Greek students,” Kim said, adding that the experience would make them qualified to coach and mentor students at UI. She said there is also the expectation a candidate would have had three or four years of working in a professional capacity in Greek life.
Dean of Students Blaine Eckles is currently oversees the responsibilities of the position, Kim said.
Ryan Tarinelli can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @ryantarinelli