Published online by Cambridge University Press: 06 April 2005
It should come as no surprise that both the amount and pace of administrative work that departments must accomplish at almost all higher education institutions has increased substantially over the past 10 years. If this is news to you just talk to your department administrator—if she/he has time to have a pleasant conversation. After all, for most institutions, operations budgets have been cut and professional and classified staff have been reduced, while at the same time, administrative work has escalated in response to increases in student enrollments, greater demands for accountability, the increasing importance of fund raising efforts, and the generation of sponsored research. No wonder that the lives of department chairs, administrators, and other professional and classified staff have become more challenging. The increase in administrative work at the department level is largely a function of increases in administrative mandates.