Education Administrators, Postsecondary

Description

Plan, direct, or coordinate research, instructional, student administration and services, and other educational activities at postsecondary institutions, including universities, colleges, and junior and community colleges.

Tasks

Advise students on issues such as course selection, progress toward graduation, and career decisions.
Direct, coordinate, and evaluate the activities of personnel, including support staff, engaged in administering academic institutions, departments or alumni organizations.
Recruit, hire, train, and terminate departmental personnel.
Participate in student recruitment, selection, and admission, making admissions recommendations when required to do so.
Formulate strategic plans for the institution.
Plan, administer, and control budgets, maintain financial records, and produce financial reports.
Establish operational policies and procedures and make any necessary modifications, based on analysis of operations, demographics, and other research information.
Participate in faculty and college committee activities.
Represent institutions at community and campus events, in meetings with other institution personnel, and during accreditation processes.
Promote the university by participating in community, state, and national events or meetings, and by developing partnerships with industry and secondary education institutions.
Appoint individuals to faculty positions, and evaluate their performance.
Direct activities of administrative departments such as admissions, registration, and career services.
Assess and collect tuition and fees.
Teach courses within their department.
Consult with government regulatory and licensing agencies to ensure the institution's conformance with applicable standards.
Coordinate the production and dissemination of university publications such as course catalogs and class schedules.
Develop curricula, and recommend curricula revisions and additions.
Determine course schedules, and coordinate teaching assignments and room assignments to ensure optimum use of buildings and equipment.
Provide assistance to faculty and staff in duties such as teaching classes, conducting orientation programs, issuing transcripts, and scheduling events.
Write grants to procure external funding, and supervise grant-funded projects.
Review registration statistics, and consult with faculty officials to develop registration policies.
Review student misconduct reports requiring disciplinary action, and counsel students regarding such reports.
Direct and participate in institutional fundraising activities, and encourage alumni participation in such activities.
Plan and promote sporting events and social, cultural, and recreational activities.
Confer with other academic staff to explain and formulate admission requirements and course credit policies.
Direct scholarship, fellowship, and loan programs, performing activities such as selecting recipients and distributing aid.
Audit the financial status of student organizations and facility accounts.
Oversee facilities management for the university, including construction, repair, and maintenance projects.

Knowledge

Education and Training: Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
English Language: Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
Customer and Personal Service: Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
Psychology: Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
Administration and Management: Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
Therapy and Counseling: Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.
Personnel and Human Resources: Knowledge of principles and procedures for personnel recruitment, selection, training, compensation and benefits, labor relations and negotiation, and personnel information systems.
Sociology and Anthropology: Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures and their history and origins.

Skills

Reading Comprehension: Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Writing: Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Monitoring: Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.

Abilities

Oral Comprehension: The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
Oral Expression: The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
Written Expression: The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
Written Comprehension: The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
Inductive Reasoning: The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
Fluency of Ideas: The ability to come up with a number of ideas about a topic (the number of ideas is important, not their quality, correctness, or creativity).

Work Activities

Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work: Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work.
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates: Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships: Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.
Communicating with Persons Outside Organization: Communicating with people outside the organization, representing the organization to customers, the public, government, and other external sources. This information can be exchanged in person, in writing, or by telephone or e-mail.
Making Decisions and Solving Problems: Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
Coordinating the Work and Activities of Others: Getting members of a group to work together to accomplish tasks.
Guiding, Directing, and Motivating Subordinates: Providing guidance and direction to subordinates, including setting performance standards and monitoring performance.
Resolving Conflicts and Negotiating with Others: Handling complaints, settling disputes, and resolving grievances and conflicts, or otherwise negotiating with others.
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge: Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.
Processing Information: Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or verifying information or data.

Work Context

Electronic Mail: How often do you use electronic mail in this job?
Indoors, Environmentally Controlled: How often does this job require working indoors in environmentally controlled conditions?
Telephone: How often do you have telephone conversations in this job?
Face-to-Face Discussions: How often do you have to have face-to-face discussions with individuals or teams in this job?
Contact With Others: How much does this job require the worker to be in contact with others (face-to-face, by telephone, or otherwise) in order to perform it?
Freedom to Make Decisions: How much decision making freedom, without supervision, does the job offer?
Structured versus Unstructured Work: To what extent is this job structured for the worker, rather than allowing the worker to determine tasks, priorities, and goals?
Work With Work Group or Team: How important is it to work with others in a group or team in this job?
Responsibility for Outcomes and Results: How responsible is the worker for work outcomes and results of other workers?
Coordinate or Lead Others: How important is it to coordinate or lead others in accomplishing work activities in this job?

Interests

Enterprising: Enterprising occupations frequently involve starting up and carrying out projects. These occupations can involve leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes they require risk taking and often deal with business.
Conventional: Conventional occupations frequently involve following set procedures and routines. These occupations can include working with data and details more than with ideas. Usually there is a clear line of authority to follow.
Social: Social occupations frequently involve working with, communicating with, and teaching people. These occupations often involve helping or providing service to others.
Investigative: Investigative occupations frequently involve working with ideas, and require an extensive amount of thinking. These occupations can involve searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally.
Artistic: Artistic occupations frequently involve working with forms, designs and patterns. They often require self-expression and the work can be done without following a clear set of rules.
Realistic: Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.

Work Style

Dependability: Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.
Leadership: Job requires a willingness to lead, take charge, and offer opinions and direction.
Self Control: Job requires maintaining composure, keeping emotions in check, controlling anger, and avoiding aggressive behavior, even in very difficult situations.
Integrity: Job requires being honest and ethical.
Initiative: Job requires a willingness to take on responsibilities and challenges.
Cooperation: Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude.
Concern for Others: Job requires being sensitive to others' needs and feelings and being understanding and helpful on the job.
Persistence: Job requires persistence in the face of obstacles.
Attention to Detail: Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.
Adaptability/Flexibility: Job requires being open to change (positive or negative) and to considerable variety in the workplace.

Work Values

Independence: Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to work on their own and make decisions. Corresponding needs are Creativity, Responsibility and Autonomy.
Achievement: Occupations that satisfy this work value are results oriented and allow employees to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment. Corresponding needs are Ability Utilization and Achievement.
Relationships: Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to provide service to others and work with co-workers in a friendly non-competitive environment. Corresponding needs are Co-workers, Moral Values and Social Service.
Working Conditions: Occupations that satisfy this work value offer job security and good working conditions. Corresponding needs are Activity, Compensation, Independence, Security, Variety and Working Conditions.
Recognition: Occupations that satisfy this work value offer advancement, potential for leadership, and are often considered prestigious. Corresponding needs are Advancement, Authority, Recognition and Social Status.
Support: Occupations that satisfy this work value offer supportive management that stands behind employees. Corresponding needs are Company Policies, Supervision: Human Relations and Supervision: Technical.

Related Occupations

Chief Executives

Education Administrators, Elementary and Secondary School

Food Service Managers

Medical and Health Services Managers

Management Analysts

Instructional Coordinators

First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers

Lay Titles

Academic Affairs Dean

Academic Affairs Director

Academic Affairs Vice President

Academic Dean

Academic Department Chair

Academic Director

Academic Support Director

Academic Vice President

Administration Dean

Administration Vice President

Administrative Assistant

Admissions Advisor

Admissions Dean

Admissions Director

Admissions Officer

Admissions Representative

Adult Basic Education Manager

Alumni Secretary

Applied Science and Technologies Dean

Arts and Sciences Dean

Assessment Coordinator

Athletic Coordinator

Athletic Director

Athletics Director

Behavioral Sciences Department Chair

Biology Department Chair

Business Dean

Business Division Chair

Business Manager

Business Services Director

Business Services Vice President

Campus Administrator

Campus Dean

Campus Director

Career Development Director

Career Services Director

Chairperson

Chancellor

College Administrator

College Admissions Counselor

College Dean

College Director

College of Education Dean

College or University Business Manager

College or University Department Head

College or University Registrar

College President

College Recruiter

Commandant

Communications Department Chair

Communications Director

Continuing Education Dean

Continuing Education Director

Controller

Coordinator

Counseling Director

Dean

Dean of Men

Dean of Students

Dean of Women

Department Chair

Department Head

Development Director

Development Vice President

Director Career Services

Director of Admissions

Director of Athletics

Director of Institutional Research

Director of Physical Education

Director of Research

Director of Student Affairs

Director of Student Financial Aid

Director of Testing

Director of Veterans Affairs

Division Chair

National Wages and Employment Info

Median Wages (2008):: $41.58 hourly, $86,490 annual.

Employment (2008):: 122,930 employees