Saturday, June 8, 2013

Career FAQs - Academic Administration

What is academic administration?
               Academic administration includes the maintenance and supervision of an institution or research group and are often separate from academic positions, although some positions may have joint responsibilities.  

Why switch?
               Working in administration is an attractive option for Ph.D.s who want to remain associated with institutions of higher education and work with academics but do not want faculty positions. Since administrative structure varies greatly amongst institutions and "administrator" may refer to diverse personnel from secretaries to deans, numerous administrative positions are only open to Ph.D.s. For instance, for jobs in career services, some institutions require graduate training because they want someone who can relate to graduate students and provide adequate counseling and advice.

What are the major types of administrative jobs?
               According to the Chronicle of Higher Education, academic administrative jobs can be divided into four major categories:

Academic affairs – admissions, supervision of hiring, promotion, tenure, and evaluation;

Business/Administrative affairs - fundraising, grants and contract administration, institutional   

compliance with federal and state regulations;

Deans - approving faculty hiring, setting academic policies, overseeing the budget, fundraising, and other administration;

Student affairs - oversight of student life and activities, such as religious or cultural groups, disability services, career centers and public service centers.

Where will you work?
               Colleges, universities and institutes of technology that provide tertiary education are situated throughout the United States and across the world. Such institutions vary greatly in size and can be either teaching- or research- oriented.

How to make the transition?
               One piece of advice: use your university as a testing and training ground. Campuses offer many opportunities for part-time work, which can be used to test out one's likes and dislikes as well as to get valuable experience to put on a résumé.

Prepared by: Yan Gao

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