The chief problem besetting universities in the US is administrative bloat, administrative bloat and reduced NIH funding lines. The two problems besetting universities are bloat, reduced NIH funding, and a collapsed endowment due to the funding crisis. And reduced state funding. Amongst the problems besetting universities are bloat, reduced NIH funding, and a collapsed endowment due to the funding crisis, reduced state funding, and reduced alumni donations.
Says Cardinal Ximenez. Pinning the very real problems facing colleges and universities on one cause, top-heavy administration, and then insisting that it can be remedied somehow through technology is simplistic.
I did not say it was the only problem, nor do I believe it is. I do think it may be the most critical one, but that is just an opinion with only data from having worked in the higher ed vertical once upon a time.
The reason I think it is most critical is two-fold. First, extra administration just pulls money away from the actual teaching in salaries. But worse, the costs grow exponentially, as administrators ensure people know the "value they bring" or grow their "fiefdoms". The actions wind up creating additional costs and drag throughout the organization.
Universities have seen a near doubling of non-teaching staff[1][2]. These people do not bring much value to students, instead, they focus on the university. But it's the students that pay their salaries.
Now, a bigger question is how to fix it. The reading I've done on it lays much of the blame on the easy availability of student loans: they've allowed universities to jack up tuition prices well beyond the consumer index. Universities kept the teaching ratio about the same[1], so students get roughly the same education, while employing many other professionals and administrators with the extra money they could pull out of the system. Because they can continue raising tuition, they have a way to keep their staff through spending cuts from their funding sources.
To fix the administration problem, you have to fix the student loan problem. Unfortunately, it's a catch 22.
Says Cardinal Ximenez. Pinning the very real problems facing colleges and universities on one cause, top-heavy administration, and then insisting that it can be remedied somehow through technology is simplistic.