College and University Administrators

Career summary

College and university administrators may also be called college presidents, deans, financial aid administrators, admissions administrators, provosts, registrars, and academic, alumni, athletic, or educational directors.

#This description is more detailed on the subject than wois 1136 Education Administrators, I added a few titles from the NWOIS narrative. Nothing else brought over.

#review 3/25/19 lh

College and university administrators perform a range of tasks. Administrators meet with students and faculty to address campus concerns. They make decisions on faculty tenure. Tenure is a status staff members can gain where they are given a permanent position at a college or university. Sometimes they meet with members of the local community as a representative of the college. They also coordinate student and faculty events. There are several different jobs within the administrative team. Administrators have specific duties that vary by job.

Presidents and provosts

Presidents and provosts set goals and priorities for a college. They create budgets and distribute funds to each department. In public schools, they work with state legislatures to get funding and to make sure they are meeting all legal requirements. They make sure buildings are in good shape and receive maintenance when needed.

Deans

Deans manage a specific college within a large university, such as the college of arts and sciences or the college of engineering. Deans also lead graduate schools and supervise student services administrators.

Department heads

Department heads are in charge of a specific department, such as math or business. They decide what courses are required to earn a degree in a major and what courses to offer each term. They help determine curriculum and may teach courses. They hire faculty and head their department's tenure committee. They develop budgets and write reports for top administrators. They may also meet with students because of academic misconduct.

Registrars

Registrars maintain and update student records. They assemble course catalogs and schedules. They register students for classes. Registrars collect fees and tuition. They make sure students have completed all graduation requirements before they earn a degree.

Financial aid administrators

Financial aid administrators manage funds that help students pay for college. They coordinate grant, loan, and work-study awards. In large schools, financial aid administrators hire and supervise counselors who work with students.

Admissions administrators

Admissions administrators are in charge of recruiting new students. They determine the criteria to use for selecting new students. They work closely with financial aid administrators to help new students learn about scholarship, loan, and grant programs.

Alumni directors

Alumni directors organize and attend functions that are designed to raise funds from the school's graduates.

Athletic directors

Athletic directors manage sports and other recreational programs.

Related careers

This career is part of the Education and Training cluster of careers.

Related careers include:

• Arbitrators and Mediators
• Business Executives
• Education Administrators
• General and Operations Managers
• Health Services Administrators
• Human Resources Managers
• Judges and Hearing Officers
• Marketing Managers
• Public Relations and Fundraising Managers
• University and College Teachers

Military careers

• Training and Education Directors

Job duties

Task list

The following list of tasks is specific to college and university administrators.

• Set academic goals and priorities for the college or university.
• Distribute funds to individual departments.
• Meet with faculty and students to address campus concerns.
• Make faculty hiring and tenure decisions.
• Negotiate with organizations for funding of educational programs, research, or new facilities.
• Lead academic or administrative department. May occasionally teach courses.
• Hire staff and manage a specific department.
• Decide what courses to offer, set course schedules, and develop curriculum.
• Develop budgets and write financial reports for departments.
• Manage registrar's office. Help students decide what courses to take. Register students for classes.
• Recommend admission and graduation requirements.
• Manage financial aid department. Oversee scholarship and fellowship programs and help determine tuition and fees.
• Review student misconduct activities, recommend disciplinary action if necessary, and meet with students to discuss the matter.
• Manage athletic department.
• Talk with governmental agencies to make sure the institution meets academic standards.
• Represent college or university in community.

Common work activities

College and university administrators perform the following tasks. These tasks are common to many careers.

• Make decisions and solve problems
• Establish and maintain relationships
• Get information needed to do the job
• Communicate with supervisors, peers, or subordinates
• Organize, plan, and prioritize work
• Evaluate information against standards
• Identify objects, actions, and events
• Think creatively
• Develop goals and strategies
• Analyze data or information
• Use computers
• Update and use job-related knowledge
• Develop and build teams
• Guide, direct, and motivate others
• Explain the meaning of information to others
• Process information
• Resolve conflicts and negotiate with others
• Judge the value of objects, services, or people
• Coach others
• Coordinate the work and activities of others
• Perform administrative tasks
• Communicate with people outside the organization
• Schedule work and activities
• Monitor events, materials, and surroundings
• Provide advice and consultation to others
• Teach others
• Recruit, interview, or hire others
• Document and record information
• Monitor and control resources
• Convince others to buy goods or change their minds or actions
• Estimate sizes, quantities, time, cost, or materials needed

Work requirements

Working conditions

In a typical work setting, college and university administrators:

Interpersonal relationships

• Have a high level of social interaction. They work with students, faculty, and other administrators.
• Communicate by telephone, e-mail, letters, memos, and in person on a daily basis.
• Occasionally give presentations or speeches, about once a month.
• Nearly always work as a part of a team.
• Are responsible for the work outcomes of the workers they supervise.
• Are sometimes placed in conflict situations, such as tenure proceedings, where people might become angry or unpleasant.

Physical work conditions

• Usually work indoors in offices. However, they may sometimes work outdoors at campus events.
• Work near others, such as when sharing office space.

Work performance

• Must be sure that all details of the job are done and their work is exact so that colleges and universities run smoothly.
• Make decisions that impact the reputation and finances of their institution.
• Make decisions that affect staff, faculty, and students on a daily basis. They rarely consult a superior before deciding a course of action.
• Set their goals and priorities for the day without consulting a supervisor. This is because they usually are in charge of entire departments.
• Must meet strict daily and weekly deadlines. This can make the work atmosphere competitive.

Hours/travel

• Usually work full time and generally work a set schedule.
• May work longer hours at the beginning and end of each term.
• May travel to conferences or to visit other schools.

Physical demands

College and university administrators frequently:

• Sit for long periods of time.

It is important for college and university administrators to be able to:

• Understand the speech of another person.
• Speak clearly so listeners can understand.
• See details of objects that are less than a few feet away.

It is not as important, but still necessary, for college and university administrators to be able to:

• See details of objects that are more than a few feet away.
• See differences between colors, shades, and brightness.
• Hear sounds and recognize the difference between them.
• Focus on one source of sound and ignore others.

Skills and abilities

College and university administrators need to:

Communicate

• Speak clearly so listeners can understand.
• Understand written information.
• Read and understand work-related materials.
• Write clearly so other people can understand.
• Understand spoken information.
• Listen to others and ask questions.

Reason and problem solve

• Notice when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong.
• Analyze ideas and use logic to determine their strengths and weaknesses.
• Combine several pieces of information and draw conclusions.
• Think of original, unusual, or creative ways to solve problems.
• Understand new information or materials by studying and working with them.
• Judge the costs and benefits of a possible action.
• Use reasoning to discover answers to problems.
• Recognize the nature of a problem.
• Follow guidelines to arrange objects or actions in a certain order.
• Think of new ideas about a topic.
• Develop rules that group items in various ways.
• Concentrate and not be distracted while performing a task.
• Identify what must be changed to reach goals.
• Recognize when important changes happen or are likely to happen in a system.

Manage oneself, people, time, and things

• Manage the time of self and others.
• Check how well one is learning or doing something.
• Motivate, develop, and direct people as they work.
• Decide how to spend money to get the work done and keep track of how the money was used.

Work with people

• Teach others how to do something.
• Use several methods to learn or teach new things.
• Be aware of others' reactions and understand the possible causes.
• Solve problems by bringing others together to discuss differences.
• Change behavior in relation to others' actions.
• Persuade others to approach things differently.
• Look for ways to help people.

Perceive and visualize

• Identify a pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) that is hidden in distracting material.

Education and training

Educational programs

The programs of study listed below will help you prepare for the occupation or career cluster you are exploring.

Programs of study directly related to this occupation

• Education Administration
• Higher Education Administration

Other programs of study to consider

• Business Management and Administration
• Curriculum and Instruction
• Organizational Leadership
• Public Administration

Training

To work as a college or university administrator, you typically need to:

• have a high school diploma or equivalent;
• have a bachelor's degree;
• have a master's degree; and
• have one to five years of related work experience.

Education after high school

Most college and university administrators have a master's degree in their field of academic interest. Academic deans need a PhD and many years of experience in their field. Smaller schools may hire administrators who have only a bachelor's degree. Some administrators have a degree in higher education administration.

College courses in educational supervision, higher education administration, and student services are helpful for this occupation.

Work experience

You must prove yourself in a related occupation, such as a university professor, before you can enter this occupation. You need several years of experience teaching at the college level or working for several years at the lower levels of administration.

Military training

The military does not provide initial training in this field. However, the military may provide work experience to administrators who have at least a bachelor's degree.

Helpful high school courses

In high school, take classes that prepare you for college. A college preparatory curriculum may be different from your state's graduation requirements.

You should also consider taking some advanced courses in high school. This includes Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate (IB) courses if they are available in your school. If you do well in these courses, you may receive college credit for them. Advanced courses can also strengthen your college application.

Helpful electives to take in high school that prepare you for this career include:

• Communications
• Computer Applications
• Public Speaking
• Technical Writing

The courses listed above are meant to help you create your high school plan. If you have not already done so, talk to a school counselor or parent about the courses you are considering taking.

You should also check with a teacher or counselor to see if work-based learning opportunities are available in your school and community. These might include field trips, job shadowing, internships, and actual work experience. The goal of these activities is to help you connect your school experiences with real-life work.

Join some groups, try some hobbies, or volunteer with an organization that interests you. By participating in activities you can have fun, make new friends, and learn about yourself. Maybe one of them will help direct you to a future career. Here are examples of activities and groups that may be available in your high school or community.

Things to know

Employers look for managerial experience when hiring administrators. They also look for people who have at least a bachelor's degree. However, employers often prefer applicants who have a master's or doctoral degree (PhD). Some employers prefer applicants whose degree is in higher education administration.

Experience working with people or computers is extremely helpful.

Costs to workers

Many college and university administrators join a professional association after entering this field and may pay annual dues.

Job listings

Listed below are links to job categories from the National Labor Exchange that relate to this career. Once you get a list of jobs, you can view information about individual jobs and find out how to apply. If your job search finds too many openings, or if you wish to search for jobs outside of Washington, you will need to refine your search.

• Education Administrators, Postsecondary 

To get a listing of current jobs from the WorkSource system, go to the WorkSource website .

Wages

Earnings vary by the size and type of the educational institution. Four-year universities and colleges pay more than community colleges.

Benefits usually include paid vacations and holidays, health insurance, and tuition waivers for their families. Some administrators receive free housing, expense accounts for entertaining, and tickets to sporting events.

Employment and outlook

Washington outlook

The table below provides information about the number of workers in this career in various regions. It also provides information about the expected growth rate and future job openings.

National employment

Major employers:

• Colleges and universities
• Career and technical schools

National outlook

Demand for college and university administrators will grow due to the growing number of students attending colleges and universities. More administrators will be needed to work in admissions and as registrars. Also, the increased number of online schools creates demand for administrators.

Career and technical schools will also create many job opportunities.

Job openings in public institutions will be dependent on state and local government budgets. Budget deficits will limit the number of employees at colleges and universities but a budget surplus may lead to an increase in employees. 

Openings will occur as people leave the occupation to retire. Prospects will be the best for those have prior experience working in higher education.

Other resources

American Association of University Administrators 
10 Church Road
Wallingford, PA 19086
814.460.6498

American Council on Education 
One Dupont Circle NW
Washington, DC 20036
202.939.9300

Chronicle of Higher Education 

Higheredjobs Online 

NASPA-Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education 
111 K Street NE, 10th Floor
Washington, DC 20002
202.265.7500

National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and Administration 
1029 Vermont Avenue NW, Suite 1100
Washington, DC 20005
202.628.8965

References

Career cluster

• Education and Training

Career path

• Enterprising (Business Communications)

O*Net  occupation

• Education Administrators, Postsecondary (11-9033.00) 

O*Net job zone 

• Job Zone 5 - Extensive preparation needed. Extensive skill, knowledge, and experience are needed for these occupations. Many require more than five years of experience.

DOT occupations

• Academic Dean (090.117-010) 
• Alumni Secretary (090.117-014) 
• Business Manager, College or University (186.117-010) 
• Dean of Students (090.117-018) 
• Department Head, College or University (090.167-010) 
• Director of Admissions (090.167-014) 
• Director of Institutional Research (090.167-018) 
• Director of Student Affairs (090.167-022) 
• Director, Athletic (090.117-022) 
• Director, Extension Work (090.117-026) 
• Director, Summer Sessions (090.167-026) 
• Financial-aids Officer (090.117-030) 
• Registrar, College or University (090.167-030) 

Holland occupational cluster

• Enterprising/Conventional/Social

COPSystem

• Business Professional