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How the administration grows: A longitudinal study of growth in administration at four universities

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Abstract

Despite numerous speculations regarding the rampant growth of administrative sectors in higher education little concrete research has been generated. The current study takes an objective look at the increase in numbers of administrative personnel at four regional universities in Kentucky during an 11-year period. A tally of the numbers of titles included in university personnel rosters during that time indicates that the growth in numbers of administrators and administrative staff exceeded that of most other indicators of university growth such as numbers of faculty, numbers of students, and numbers of graduates. Suggestions are offered for the causes of the marked growth in administrative sectors. The methodology used in this study could be replicated in other types of institutions.

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Brown, A. How the administration grows: A longitudinal study of growth in administration at four universities. Res High Educ 14, 335–352 (1981). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00976683

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