With students and families expecting an expanding range of services and amenities, it's no wonder that many schools have added to their administrative ranks at a financially unsustainable pace. An analysis of "administrative bloat" in higher education reveals five key forces that leaders should be mindful of when seeking to manage administrative expenses:
- Students want more from the experience: College and emotional counseling, state-of-the-art facilities, adventure trips, etc. — these and more require professional staff to run them. The effect is contagious in competitive markets, as many schools feel they must match what the school down the road is doing.
- The high-stakes game of student success requires more advisors who are focused on retention, graduation and college placement.
- Greater advancement needs mean more fundraising expenses.
- Widening regulatory requirements demand specialized compliance staffing.
- More staffing means more rules and procedures ... which may result in hiring more people to enforce them.
The Chronicle of Higher Education (premium) (05/25/17)
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