Registration begins for Fall 2008 courses
April 22
Open House for Prospective PACE Education students at Parkland College
April 24
Open House for Prospective PACE Education students at Capital Area Career Center, Springfield
April 25
Alpha Sigma Lambda Honor Society Induction
April 29
5th Anniversary Celebration Reception for first PACE graduates and PACE faculty
May 6
Open House for Prospective PACE students- Decatur
May 16
PACE Commencement Dinner for graduating seniors
Announcement of PACE Outstanding Faculty and Graduate Awards
May 17
PACE Commencement Ceremony
May 26
Millikin campus closed for Memorial Day
June 3
Open House for Prospective PACE students – Decatur (Tentative)
June 13
Admission deadline for Fall 2008
June 21
Orientation for new PACE students
June 25
Orientation for new PACE students
July 7 (week of)
Fall semester begins for PACE students
According to the 2004 data presented by the Bureau of the Census, an individual with a high school degree can look forward to earning approximately $34,000 a year. With an associate’s degree from a Community College, that same individual would earn $44,000. Add two more years of education and receive a bachelor’s degree and the annual earnings increase to $63,000.
Of course, the amount an individual actually earns will be dependent on several factors, such as years of experience, field of study and location, among others. Salaries are higher in Chicago than in Decatur and those with a degree in Accounting will generally earn more than those with a degree in English. However, the data collected by the Bureau of the Census clearly shows that the higher the level of education, the higher the level of earnings, regardless of the field of study.
Many adults defer their educational aspirations due to family, work or personal commitments. The lack of educational credentials prevents many from reaching their desired monetary goals. The PACE Program at Millikin University offers adults the opportunity to complete their bachelor’s degree and compete for professional employment – with higher salaries.
Editor’s note: In the next issue of the PACEsetter, look for an article on How to Market Your Millikin Degree (and increase your earning potential).
Listed below is the average salary offer to new graduates as of January 2008, as reported in the NACE Salary Survey, for majors (or similar majors) offered through the PACE program. The salaries reflected are dependent on the number of job offers reported and may not reflect the true range of positions within each major.
Major |
Starting Salary |
Number of Offers |
Accounting |
$47,413 |
273 |
Business Administration/ Management |
$43,823 |
199 |
Marketing Management |
$43,459 |
133 |
Public Relations/ Organizational Communication |
$30,667 |
3 |
Communications |
$35.196 |
21 |
Nursing |
$52,129 |
14 |
Elementary Education |
$29,853 |
15 |
Early Childhood Education |
$29,750 |
2 |
Criminal Justice |
$30,457 |
7 |
Liberal Arts/Gen. Studies |
$37,351 |
9 |
Political Science/ Government |
$43,594 |
8 |
Source: National Association of Colleges and Employers, Winter 2008 Salary Survey
Submitted by Dr. Charles R. Smith, Tabor School of Business
However, there is a larger issue. There is a pay gap that exists between men and women. Since 77 percent of PACE students are women, I would like to bring some facts to your attention in particular. Did you know that…
- On average, women working full time earn only about 75 percent of what men working full time earn (AAUW, 2007).
- The pay gap between the genders can be documented as early as one year out of college when women earn only 80 percent as much as their male colleagues (AAUW, 2007).
- Ten years after graduation, that pay gap widens, women fall further behind and earn only 69 percent as much as men (AAUW, 2007).
- Men are four times as likely as women to negotiate a starting salary. In one study, eight times as many men as women graduating from the same program negotiated their starting salary, raising it by an average of $4,000 (Babcock & Laschever, 2003).
- Women feel a great deal of apprehension about negotiating. Research has shown that women are more pessimistic about the how much is available, so they ask for and get less, and they often undervalue their own worth (Babcock & Laschever, 2003).
- By neglecting to negotiate her starting salary for her first job, a woman may sacrifice over half a million dollars in lost earnings during her career (Babcock & Laschever, 2003).
Studies show that women consistently sabotage themselves by avoiding salary negotiations (Frankel, 2004). Consider this scenario offered by Babcock and Laschever in Women Don’t Ask: Negotiation and the Gender Divide (2003). Two young college graduates, one male and the other female, are offered a new job at the starting salary of $25,000. The young woman accepts the offer. The young man negotiates the salary up to $30,000 and saves the difference. With 3% in annual raises and 3% interest on the savings, by age 60 the male has earned $568,000 more than the female, all because he asked. The fact that she did not negotiate cost her over half a million dollars during her career, an unnecessary loss.
This example does not blame women for the pay gap, which exists for many reasons. Our whole society is to blame; this is a socially constructed problem. We teach women that it is not appropriate or feminine for them to ask for what they want or to be assertive. We socialize girls to focus on the needs of others rather than on their own. Women often don't realize that asking for something they want is even possible.
Yet, the fact that women typically avoid negotiation does perpetuate the pay gap. The good news is that women can learn how to negotiate to their advantage. Interestingly, when women do negotiate, they are quite successful; men are not better negotiators than women. In fact, women take a collaborative approach to negotiation and are more likely to listen to the needs and concerns of the other party and to find a win/win solution. According to Babcock and Laschever, “this approach not only leads to better outcomes for everyone, it often produces creative solutions to problems that might have been overlooked by men taking a more competitive or adversarial approach.” In addition, women tend to preserve and enhance long-term business relationships through their negotiation tactics. So, there are advantages beyond simply getting a higher salary.
Men and women alike should be aware that employers expect you to engage in negotiations with them when they offer you a position. Traditionally, women have avoided that process, and the consequences have been significant. When you begin searching for a new position, prepare for this part of the process as well. Read as much as you can on how to engage in negotiations. Help and advice can be found on the World Wide Web and in recent books. Do this for yourself and your own future, but also to take steps toward gender equity in society. But it is as simple as asking.
Submitted by Dr. Tracy Barton
For more information:
Babcock, L. & Laschever, S. (2003). Women don’t ask: Negotiation and the gender divide. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press. (http://www.womendontask.com)
Dey, J. G., & Hill, K. (2007). Behind the pay gap. Washington, DC: American Association of University Women Educational Foundation. (www.aauw.org)
Frankel, L. P. (2004). Nice girls don’t get the corner office: 101 unconscious mistakes women make that sabotage their careers. New York: Warner Business Books.