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An Exploration of Administrative Bloat in American Higher Education

By: Thomas Wesley Williamson, E. Shannon Hughes, Penny L. Head

Administrative bloat, the ballooning growth of administrative functions and personnel in U.S. higher education, is the unintended consequence of several factors and can be mitigated to some extent through deliberate strategies.

From Volume 46 Number 2 | January–March 2018

Abstract: This article evaluates administrative bloat, the ballooning growth of administrative functions and personnel, in American higher education. This evaluation was undertaken through a review of the available literature describing administrative bloat. Though unintentional, increased spending and government requirements for accountability may have contributed to overall growth and cost in higher education. Similarly, the changing composition of faculty—in terms of tenure-track faculty, annual contracts, and adjunct faculty—may have also played a role in the increased influence that administration has over campus policy and curricular decisions. Strategies to mitigate the cost of administrative bloat and to balance campus decisions between faculty and administration are suggested.

Institutions Mentioned: Central Connecticut State University, Eastern Connecticut State University, Southern Connecticut State University, Western Connecticut State University, University of California-Berkeley, University of Georgia
Planning Types: Resource Planning
Tags: Governance

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