About Us
Who Is CUPA-HR?
CUPA-HR is higher ed HR. We serve higher education by providing knowledge, resources, advocacy and connections essential to achieving organizational and workforce excellence.
What We Do
As the association for HR professionals in higher education, CUPA-HR provides leadership on higher education workplace issues in the U.S. and abroad. We monitor trends, explore emerging workforce issues, conduct research and promote strategic discussions among colleges and universities.
We provide opportunities for our members to connect with one another and to develop professionally by hosting conferences and webinars, publishing tools and resources, and offering online communities for collaboration.
We also partner with other higher education and HR management associations to advocate on legislative and compliance issues that impact the higher ed workplace.
Priorities, Values, and Ethics
Strategic Priorities
The ambitious and progressive work of CUPA-HR is grounded in our core values and ethics.
- Create and deliver learning and development resources to enable excellence and success for higher ed HR professionals and their institutions.
- Proactively influence legislative and regulatory issues that impact human resources, higher education and the higher education workforce.
- Build and foster an inclusive community that connects and engages higher ed HR professionals with each other, with other leaders and with the work of the association.
- Create and deliver research, analysis and reporting resources that are the benchmark for higher education.
(Approved by the CUPA-HR board of directors December 4, 2017)
CUPA-HR Values
Community and Belonging
We are an inclusive, welcoming community that helps higher ed HR professionals and higher ed institutions connect and engage.
Innovation
We constantly infuse new and different programs, resources and services to anticipate the challenges of managing the higher ed workforce.
Service Excellence
We hold to the highest standards in all that we do.
Integrity
We honor our commitments and make decisions in the best interests of our member institutions and higher ed HR professionals.
Code of Ethics
In support of CUPA-HR’s values, we will:
- Model inclusiveness and continue to cultivate a community of belonging
- Make thoughtful, informed and impartial decisions
- Do what we say we will do
- Challenge the status quo
- Create meaningful partnerships that benefit higher ed HR and higher education
CUPA-HR Membership Demographics
CUPA-HR’s membership is made up of more than 23,000 HR professionals and other higher ed leaders at more than 1,700 member organizations. Below is some detailed information about who our members are.
More than 955 of our organizations have 20+ years of membership.
Our membership is institution-based and includes:
- 87% of all U.S. doctoral institutions
- 63% of all master’s institutions
- 57% of all bachelor’s institutions
- More than 550 two-year and specialized institutions
Institution Types: 50% Public, 50% Private
Member Institutions by Budget Size:
- 11% <$20 million
- 22% $20-50 million
- 34% $50-155 million
- 33% $155+ million
Member Institutions by Carnegie Class:
- 25% Masters
- 24% Doctoral
- 19% Associates
- 17% Bachelors
- 16% Specialized
College and University Professional Association for Human Resources Membership Data as of October 2025
