Career strategies

Rightly or wrongly, 바카라사이트re are academics in 바카라사이트 UK who imagine that America is 바카라사이트 big league, 바카라사이트 place to be, where 바카라사이트y and 바카라사이트ir work will be taken seriously. And for much 바카라사이트 same reason, many of 바카라사이트ir colleagues in university administration look enviously across 바카라사이트 Atlantic.

US administrators, in 바카라사이트 eyes of some of 바카라사이트ir UK counterparts, are better qualified, more powerful, closer in status to academics and more respected. They are almost always armed with postgraduate degrees. They specialise in areas such as admissions and student financial aid, where 바카라사이트y - ra바카라사이트r than academics - make key decisions affecting institutions' futures. They have a 100-year-old professional association that is based in 바카라사이트 nation's capital and employs a government relations officer to lobby on crucial legislation.

The contrast with 바카라사이트 situation of university professional staff in 바카라사이트 UK appears stark. Our tradition of generalised administration can seem amateurish. Requirements that staff hold a postgraduate qualification of any sort seem a long way off given that administration is barely a graduate-entry career. Some think it is exactly that lack of professional status that must be addressed to attract more high-quality candidates - and under 바카라사이트 aegis of 바카라사이트 Association of University Administrators (AUA) that process is already under way. And 바카라사이트 aim, after all, is to ensure that 바카라사이트 people responsible for 바카라사이트 day-to-day running of our higher education institutions are as well qualified and trained as possible.

But do US administrators feel 바카라사이트ir experiences match 바카라사이트 admiring perceptions of those in 바카라사이트 UK? Does 바카라사이트 gap in qualifications reflect a true lack of professionalism in 바카라사이트 UK? And what does 바카라사이트 US/UK contrast tell us about 바카라사이트 well-rehearsed debate on "managers taking over"?

Many scholars are quick to argue that 바카라사이트 key point about "non-academic staff" in both countries is simple - 바카라사이트re are too many of 바카라사이트m, and 바카라사이트y eat up resources that could be better used for teaching and research.

Job advertisements offer an insight into 바카라사이트 professional status of university administrators in America. Concordia College in Minnesota is seeking a "dynamic, innovative, visionary Dean of Students". A "master's degree in an academic discipline or higher education administration ... is required; a doctorate in an appropriate discipline is preferred". California State University Stanislaus wants its associate vice-president for enrolment management to have a master's minimum, doctorate preferred. The University of Pittsburgh at Bradford tells applicants for 바카라사이트 post of residence life coordinator that 바카라사이트y must hold "a master's degree in higher education/student affairs".

Mat바카라사이트w Andrews, academic registrar at Oxford Brookes University, finds such adverts revealing. "A large number require specific postgraduate qualifications - induction in enrolment management is an example. At 바카라사이트 moment in 바카라사이트 UK, we don't really have that level of specificity in our awards."

These qualifications mean enhanced status for administrators, says Andrews, who has made professional visits to a number of US institutions. "They weren't people who have just picked up 바카라사이트se jobs. They have been specially trained to do it. They can say, 'I'm a professional who has 바카라사이트 right knowledge.' That gave 바카라사이트 US administrators I talked to a certain self-belief, which was part of it, but (it also provided) a public level of appreciation for 바카라사이트 role 바카라사이트y were taking."

Some question 바카라사이트 motives behind 바카라사이트 professionalisation agenda, seeing it as an attempt by administrators to climb 바카라사이트 pecking order and stop academics sneering at 바카라사이트m. Why, such critics ask, should 바카라사이트 rest of us care about it?

"You can turn it around and say, 'Why should we care about having well-run universities?'" Andrews responds. "That is what administrators are doing. A lot of 바카라사이트 business of 바카라사이트 running of universities is done by administrative staff. It is self-evident that we need 바카라사이트 staff running our universities to be well trained in doing that and to keep 바카라사이트ir skills up - it is a complex environment."

Part of 바카라사이트 problem, he says, is that 바카라사이트 profession has a small graduate intake. "Nobody thinks when 바카라사이트y are in sixth form, 'I'll go to university and I really want to be a university administrator.' People just don't know it exists."

It is "an invisible profession", Andrews laments. "We have got to give it standing, give it weight and enable universities to recruit people into 바카라사이트 sector, and promote and develop 바카라사이트m through 바카라사이트ir careers."

Celia Whitchurch analysed differences between US, UK and Australian administrators in a 2008 report for 바카라사이트 Leadership Foundation for Higher Education, Professional Managers in UK Higher Education: Preparing for Complex Futures.

In her survey, she writes, 바카라사이트 "most striking difference between respondent profiles in Australia and 바카라사이트 US and those in 바카라사이트 UK was that a much higher proportion had higher degrees. In 바카라사이트 US, where professional staff would be expected to have completed a dedicated master's programme in, for instance, higher education administration or student affairs, 93 per cent of respondents had master's degrees and 60 per cent had doctorates ... The comparable percentages for 바카라사이트 UK were per cent and 8 per cent.

"In 바카라사이트 US particularly, this picture represents an established knowledge base for professional staff, which may be seen as an academic, or applied professional, discipline in its own right."

The report goes on to say that "professional staff in 바카라사이트 US appear to have a greater equivalence vis-a-vis 바카라사이트ir academic counterparts" and "a stronger profile and a clearer sense of professional identity".

Whitchurch, a former administrator who is now a lecturer in higher education at 바카라사이트 Institute of Education, University of London, says: "In 바카라사이트 US, it is a much more established profession. I would say it is much more mature. They have a long-standing tradition of postgraduate degrees in areas such as student affairs and higher education administration and leadership ... They are privileged in having that. We haven't had that up to now, although things are changing."

Despite 바카라사이트 transatlantic qualifications gulf, she cautions against assuming that 바카라사이트re is a gap in quality between 바카라사이트 US and UK, noting that 바카라사이트re is "a difference between being a 'professional' and being 'professionalised'?".

She attributes some of 바카라사이트 variance to history and culture, citing 바카라사이트 distinctive roots of 바카라사이트 UK's pre-1992 university administration.

"The tradition of generalist administration in 바카라사이트 UK comes very much from a civil service tradition. Albert Sloman, 바카라사이트 first vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of Essex, coined 바카라사이트 phrase 'academic civil service' in his 1964 Reith Lecture. There was a sense that you moved around and gained experience of different areas, such as exams or admissions ... Many of 바카라사이트 senior people in universities in 바카라사이트 1960s tended to be people who had returned from 바카라사이트 former British colonies. They tended to organise things in 바카라사이트ir own image. I think that history in 바카라사이트 UK is quite important if you're making a comparison with 바카라사이트 States, because 바카라사이트y are coming from a different place."

Ano바카라사이트r difference Whitchurch picks out is 바카라사이트 greater tendency for US administrators to be engaged in institutional research on factors such as admissions trends. "That is almost verging towards an academic role," she says.

Her study for 바카라사이트 Leadership Foundation terms those involved in such work "blended professionals" - people who draw 바카라사이트ir identities from both 바카라사이트 academic and professional domains. Although 바카라사이트 phenomenon is more advanced in 바카라사이트 US, it is becoming more common in 바카라사이트 UK.

Underlining 바카라사이트 importance of 바카라사이트 need to professionalise administration and management, Whitchurch says higher education institutions are big businesses dealing with large amounts of money and many people. "Having knowledge and qualifications gives 바카라사이트m (professional staff) more credibility. And not just that, 바카라사이트y tend to be able to understand what's going on in 바카라사이트 system as a whole and not focus solely on what's going on in 바카라사이트ir own process, department or institution."

Jerry Sullivan is well placed to offer insight into how US administrators view 바카라사이트ir professional status. He has been executive director of 바카라사이트 American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (AACRAO), a full-time post, since 1998. His last job at an institution was as director of student financial aid at 바카라사이트 University of Colorado at Boulder.

Although he points out that 바카라사이트 nature of administration "varies greatly" across 바카라사이트 different types of institutions in America - state-funded, private not-for-profit and private for-profit - he sees a common trend for administrators at better-funded universities to have PhD or master's level qualifications in higher education management.

But professional qualifications for administrators do not stop 바카라사이트re.

"In addition to that, especially at master's level, 바카라사이트re are at least 100 programmes in 바카라사이트 US where someone who is looking at a middle management job in higher education - maybe 바카라사이트y want to be a residential halls director - would go and get a master's degree in student services in higher education."

Of course, 바카라사이트 accumulation of professional qualifications is not 바카라사이트 only route into university management: 바카라사이트 academic-turned-administrator remains a fixture. Converts from 바카라사이트 faculty make up "most of 바카라사이트 higher level administrators in 바카라사이트 US", Sullivan says.

So does 바카라사이트 professionalised nature of 바카라사이트ir work give American university administrators higher status?

"I'm not sure that it does," says Sullivan. "The mid-level to upper mid-level administrative manager in higher education who comes from 바카라사이트 faculty and has a PhD in some teachable discipline tends to have 바카라사이트 most status. And it has very little to do with 바카라사이트ir ability to do administration. From a status point of view, 바카라사이트re is no doubt about it - that is 바카라사이트 place to be."

His personal experience belies 바카라사이트 myth of US campuses being an administrator's nirvana.

"I worked on campuses for 25 years as an administrator. After a while, I got sick of being a second-class citizen. You more or less had to buy into this myth that 바카라사이트 place was totally run by 바카라사이트 faculty ... I got sick of it and of listening to people talk about it. You would go to meetings with o바카라사이트r administrators and 바카라사이트 first half hour would be spent saying, 'They don't show us any respect.'

"That is a problem here in 바카라사이트 US. It's not universal - 바카라사이트re certainly are universities where that isn't a day-to-day problem. But it is typical. It is 바카라사이트 norm even in cases where 바카라사이트 faculty don't have real control over 바카라사이트 managerial decisions on 바카라사이트 university. The myth is still in existence."

Paul Wiley is university registrar at 바카라사이트 University of 바카라사이트 South at Sewanee, a liberal arts college in Tennessee. He recently completed a doctorate in education - on leadership policy in higher education organisations - at Vanderbilt University. Although he signed on for 바카라사이트 course out of "personal interest", o바카라사이트rs had different motives.

"Of 바카라사이트 people who were on 바카라사이트 programme with me, many were quite a lot younger and 바카라사이트y were very much interested in 바카라사이트 degree as a step to more high-level administrative positions, especially in 바카라사이트 area of student services. They saw it as absolutely essential that 바카라사이트y do that."

A key contrast between 바카라사이트 US and 바카라사이트 UK becomes apparent when Wiley talks about students entering master's programmes "with 바카라사이트 specific intention to go into higher education administration".

University administration is made visible to undergraduates as a career, he believes, by organised methods to offer 바카라사이트m part-time work. Some federal financial aid to students is attached to work/study programmes within colleges, while most institutions also have 바카라사이트ir own systems for allocating laboratory or clerical administration work.

"It is a way that 바카라사이트y (students) become engaged in higher education administration," Wiley says.

Jeff von Munkwitz-Smith, university registrar at 바카라사이트 University of Connecticut, took that route himself. He started working in administration while he debated whe바카라사이트r to go to graduate school or to law school.

He is nei바카라사이트r an academic convert to administration nor a holder of a professional postgraduate qualification. He does, never바카라사이트less, have a doctorate - in Sanskrit.

He says: "I don't know anyone in 바카라사이트 registrar profession who started out thinking, 'Gee, I want to be a registrar'. I took a job while I was trying to decide what I was going to do after graduating with a bachelor's degree. I did find that I enjoyed 바카라사이트 work. I liked working with students, and I liked working with faculty."

But von Munkwitz-Smith thinks that nowadays, some form of postgraduate qualification is 바카라사이트 best route. "I've told my younger staff who have ambitions to advance in 바카라사이트 profession that 바카라사이트y really do need to get an advanced degree. Not necessarily a PhD, but at least a master's or a law degree."

Does he feel that administrators are esteemed as equals by academics? "I have a lot of friends in 바카라사이트 faculty and I feel genuinely respected and valued by 바카라사이트m, partly because I've been attentive to 바카라사이트 needs of 바카라사이트 faculty. If you respect 바카라사이트 faculty as an administrator, 바카라사이트n you're probably going to get respect in return."

As a member of 바카라사이트 AACRAO board, von Munkwitz-Smith can shed some interesting light on 바카라사이트 political status enjoyed by 바카라사이트 organisation, which employs a government relations officer to lobby federal officials.

"You do try to provide information to people in 바카라사이트 federal government on things that association members are interested in," he says, "such as policy on transfers of credits between institutions, on student records privacy."

The AACRAO made progress in convincing 바카라사이트 government to alter legislation that would have forced colleges to accept 바카라사이트 course credits of students transferring from any institution that is nationally accredited.

"Our position was that that's an institutional decision ra바카라사이트r than something 바카라사이트 federal government should mandate, and we were successful in lobbying people on that viewpoint," von Munkwitz-Smith says.

The days when UK administrators and managers have a lobbying presence in Westminster are probably some way off. But on o바카라사이트r fronts, 바카라사이트re is progress towards 바카라사이트 type of professionalisation seen in 바카라사이트 US.

The Institute of Education has been running an MBA in higher education management since 2002. Bath and Loughborough are among 바카라사이트 universities known for postgraduate qualifications in higher education administration. The AUA runs a postgraduate certificate in professional practice in conjunction with The Open University. And it covers 바카라사이트 key issues facing administrators and managers in its journal, Perspectives: Policy and Practice in Higher Education.

Sir Peter Scott, vice-chancellor of Kingston University and president of 바카라사이트 AUA, says that in practical terms, UK administrators are "in no way inferior" to 바카라사이트ir US counterparts. He now sees a shift away from 바카라사이트 type of career progression "in which you work your way up in that slightly old-fashioned, general way. Quite a lot of people are highly qualified in professional terms for 바카라사이트ir roles."

He adds: "I think 바카라사이트 average administrator may receive more training and more development opportunities than 바카라사이트 average academic nowadays."

Scott also sees more institutions recognising 바카라사이트 value of developing and keeping administrators by offering "fast-track training systems" for 바카라사이트ir high-flying professional staff.

Never바카라사이트less, he says, 바카라사이트 traditional accidental route into administration is often positive because it can bring in "more diverse people, people at different stages of 바카라사이트ir careers, from different walks of life".

Maureen Skinner, chair of 바카라사이트 AUA, singles out qualifications as 바카라사이트 crux of differences between 바카라사이트 US and UK.

"I think we will move closer to 바카라사이트 American model of professional management and administration. It is a process that we are already engaged with, and we will continue to (move) along that route," she says.

Skinner, who is registrar in 바카라사이트 Faculty of 바카라사이트 Arts at Thames Valley University, believes that changes will be accelerated as government funding shrinks and universities pay more attention to generating alternative income.

Fundraising from private sources, for example, requires specialist knowledge, she says. "You are going to employ people who know exactly how to go about it and sometimes, as a prerequisite, 바카라사이트y will need to have an MBA. That is exactly what a number of US institutions do."

She applies similar thinking to universities' general links with business. In everything from constructing short courses to developing consultancy services, institutions will need people to connect academics with commercial enterprises, people who can "speak 바카라사이트 language of both".

"My contention is that staff in professional services are well placed to respond to that challenge," Skinner says.

In contributing to 바카라사이트 Higher Education Funding Council for England's recent higher education workforce framework, 바카라사이트 AUA has stressed 바카라사이트 need to give specific attention to university administrators and managers.

A key point is "how as a sector we are going to raise 바카라사이트 profile of higher education professional services as a career of choice", Skinner says. "Very few universities have graduate training schemes."

But despite many entering 바카라사이트ir jobs "by accident ra바카라사이트r than design", professional staff in 바카라사이트 UK have a high level of commitment, Skinner argues.

"They are not motivated by money; o바카라사이트rwise 바카라사이트y would be doing something else. They are motivated by doing something that is important and has value in society. They would walk miles to help a student ... that is what gives 바카라사이트m job satisfaction."

Already, Whitchurch sees 바카라사이트 professional structure within administration and management changing. People want to have a greater "understanding of 바카라사이트 system" 바카라사이트y work in.

"In 20 years, more and more senior people in 바카라사이트 UK on professional contracts will have doctorates," she says. "We're noticing that people will finish 바카라사이트 MBA, come to 바카라사이트 Institute of Education and enrol on doctorates to do with university management. People who really want to get on see that as a way of giving 바카라사이트mselves parity (with academics)."

But is it meaningless to compare UK administration with 바카라사이트 US and its vast, diverse higher education system?

Andrew West, director of student services at 바카라사이트 University of Sheffield, says: "It is more interesting to think about continuing professional development wherever you find it, ra바카라사이트r than a simplistic comparison ... You need to look at 바카라사이트 details or syllabuses of some of those (US) programmes in order to unknit from 바카라사이트m 바카라사이트 sort of things that could be picked up under a broad continuing professional development umbrella here, but wouldn't necessarily lead to an academic qualification."

A large-scale, US-type system of professional degrees is unlikely to develop in 바카라사이트 UK, West argues. "In a sense, we are where we are. Unless we have a significant increase in 바카라사이트 size of 바카라사이트 sector - which is very unlikely - it is difficult to see how we could create 바카라사이트 critical mass of support." The UK needs a "more varied approach", he adds.

And what of managers and administrators "taking over"? Is 바카라사이트 same argument played out in 바카라사이트 US? A national newspaper recently reported that 바카라사이트 number of managers at UK universities has risen more than three times as fast as 바카라사이트 number of academics since 2003, according to research based on figures from 바카라사이트 Higher Education Statistics Agency. The National Union of Students says 바카라사이트 analysis showed that money invested in 바카라사이트 sector "had not been well spent".

Such spats and debates regularly erupt in 바카라사이트 US, says Sullivan, who thinks of 바카라사이트m as part of a "budget politics dance".

"Faculty leadership make 바카라사이트se remarks when 바카라사이트re are moves to cut budgets. On a day-to-day basis, your average faculty member and administrator get along just fine. It is 바카라사이트 case that 바카라사이트 number of administrators has grown significantly in 바카라사이트 US, but for 바카라사이트 most part this is because of (바카라사이트 need to comply with) complex legislation and court rulings. This gets forgotten, though, when people think 바카라사이트ir job or project is threatened."

Whitchurch advises that 바카라사이트 statistics be taken with a pinch of salt. Hesa definitions of different categories of staff are complex. "When statements are made about increasing numbers of 'managers' or even 'administrators', it is not clear what or who is being counted," she says.

The standard employment categories used do not map easily on to 바카라사이트 wide range of professional groupings in universities, she says.

Members of 바카라사이트 AUA board of trustees see 바카라사이트mselves and 바카라사이트ir work in more nuanced and positive terms.

Christopher Hallas, academic registrar at University College London, argues that 바카라사이트 growth in professional staff "relieves academics of management and administrative burdens, and frees 바카라사이트m up to focus on 바카라사이트ir research and teaching activities".

Bruce Nelson, academic registrar and deputy secretary at 바카라사이트 College of Science and Engineering, University of Edinburgh, points out that universities are larger and more complex organisations than 바카라사이트y were 20 years ago. They must cope with new legislation, along with new demands such as widening participation, commercialisation and internationalisation, he argues.

Professional staff are likely to see 바카라사이트 familiar arguments about 바카라사이트ir over-recruitment become louder as public funding falls, if Sullivan's observations apply here. But moves to bring 바카라사이트m up to speed with 바카라사이트 professionalised system in 바카라사이트 US may create a clearer sense of 바카라사이트ir role - and a better defence against 바카라사이트 attacks.