As administrators within this system, we too find ourselves rendered powerless either by those above us in the organizational structure or by our own policies and procedures. How many times has a department head delivered unpopular information to his or her department with the only explanation being “I have no power to change this” or “This is out of my control”? How many times has a dean been presented with an innovative idea by a faculty member only to respond, “That’s a great idea but our system can’t accommodate it”? How many times do academic administrators find themselves modifying or accepting less than optimal conditions for learning because of policies or decisions made by other divisions within the institution, whether it’s the custodial crew determining classroom arrangements or the computer software system driving curriculum configurations? From our experiences at varying levels of administration in multiple institutions, we would answer, “too often.” In part, this sense of powerlessness has arisen from a rise in professionalization of nonacademic functions within the university. The American Association of University Professors (2008) describes this movement:
For most of the history of U.S. higher education, faculty members performed the key administrative functions. The college president, dean of faculty, dean of students, and director of admissions were professors who simultaneously wore faculty and administrative hats. The bird’s-eye view of the institution’s different functions that faculty administrators had gave them an advantage in understanding the pedagogical consequences of administrative decisions, and their institutions benefited from the broad base of knowledge. In the post–World War II years, however, college and university enrollments grew dramatically, and specialization increasingly characterized professional administrative staff positions. This movement away from generalists and toward specialists has accelerated during the past twenty years, creating a disconnect between administrations and academic progress. As a result administrators sometimes do not appreciate the effects their decisions will have across other parts of the institution.
For most of the history of U.S. higher education, faculty members performed the key administrative functions. The college president, dean of faculty, dean of students, and director of admissions were professors who simultaneously wore faculty and administrative hats. The bird’s-eye view of the institution’s different functions that faculty administrators had gave them an advantage in understanding the pedagogical consequences of administrative decisions, and their institutions benefited from the broad base of knowledge. In the post–World War II years, however, college and university enrollments grew dramatically, and specialization increasingly characterized professional administrative staff positions. This movement away from generalists and toward specialists has accelerated during the past twenty years, creating a disconnect between administrations and academic progress. As a result administrators sometimes do not appreciate the effects their decisions will have across other parts of the institution.
