Students Up, Staff Up More

The New York Times recently ran an article of the type that makes you go "hmmm."

Over the last two decades, colleges and universities doubled their full-time support staff while enrollment increased only 40 percent, according to a new analysis of government data by the Center for College Affordability and Productivity, a nonprofit research center.

During the same period, the staff of full-time instructors, or equivalent personnel, rose about 50 percent, while the number of managers increased slightly more than 50 percent.

The data, based on United States Department of Education filings from more than 2,782 colleges, come from 1987 to 2007, before the current recession prompted many colleges to freeze their hiring.

One is loath to draw too many conclusions, but the article does, gingerly, point the finger at ballooning administrative superstuctures:

[T]he findings raise concerns about administrative bloat, and the increasing focus on the social and residential nature of college life, as opposed to academics.

“On a case-by-case basis, many of these hiring decisions might be good ones, but over all, it’s not a sustainable trend,” said Pat Callan, president of the National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education.

As we tick down to the Legislature's report on the state of the economy (Tee minus one day and counting), the question of prioritizing precious dollars becomes all the more pointed. Add this to a growing body of reports illustrating that it's the adminstration, not staff represented by AAUP, who have seen the most growth in the past two decades. We've mentioned on some of those reports here:

• Decline of Tenure Track Faculty
• Facutly Salaries Are Not Driving Up Costs
• The Trouble With "Flexible Faculty"
  
• OU Administrative creep