Deploying systems-theoretical conceptuality, this paper improves understanding of the organisational consequences of the intensified societal engagement of a research university. Aligning its work with Luhmannian organisational analysis, it addresses the dynamic interplay between two modes of administrative decision-making communication, namely,…

Anecdotal evidence suggests that there is growing concern about increasing administrative burden within universities around the world. At the same time, the literature explicitly devoted to the issue of administrative burden within universities remains relatively scant. Drawing on various bodies of literature and reflections on the situation at…

Building a foundational approach for strategic enrollment management (SEM) is necessary to succeed in today's volatile higher education environment. It all begins with a mutual understanding of SEM and aligning the campus with the enrollment management organization. This article shares how to bring campus stakeholders together to optimize…

How do a university leader's publication patterns change after appointment? Until now, few studies have examined whether administrative burden has a significant effect on a leader's publication patterns. This study seeks to evaluate changes in individual publication patterns in relation to academic productivity and increased administrative load.…

Institutions of higher education (IHE) are increasingly prioritizing diversity, necessitating the recruitment of more faculty and staff leaders from marginalized populations to better support the university and underrepresented minority student groups. However, Muslim women leaders, as a religious minority group, have been largely overlooked in…

Numerous universities throughout the world have established top-level advisory boards -- informal bodies and councils that the institutional leadership may consult on issues perceived as important. Through a series of qualitative interviews with members of such entities as well as representatives of the institutions appointing them, the article…

We explored the relationship between board characteristics and sustainability of higher education institutions in the United Kingdom (UK). We analysed 153 UK universities using data for the year 2019. Our analysis revealed that board size, the number of students on the board, and the number of academic members on the board were found to have…

This article examines the question of the purpose and benefit of professionalization of student affairs. We discuss how student affairs is positioned and positions itself at the "third space," in the intersection of administration, management, and the teaching and learning of students. In addition, the student affairs domain often…

University leaders do not have sufficient tools easily available to guide their decision-making related to institutional financial wellbeing. Currently, many financial indicators used by leaders of tuition-dependent higher education institutions are not focused on vital metrics such as liquidity and cash earnings. The twofold purpose of this…

Acting as a governmental tool to enhance competitiveness and integrate research and education by merging a local university and a provincial academy of sciences, this case study provides an example of a novel cross-sectoral complementary merger in higher education in China. Through a qualitative analysis of its three-stage process and the factors…

In this Voices: Reflective Accounts of Education essay, the author delves into the intersection of race, gender, and education, exploring the experiences and challenges faced by Black women leaders and daughters in the Academy. This piece emerges from the author's research and lived experiences. The breadth and depth of a little-addressed…

Leadership in administration does not operate in a vacuum. Every decision comes with consequences for those tasked to make them, and foreseen career consequences, which often materialize during performance evaluations, may support or constrain administrators' leadership. This article explores how and why administrators factor in foreseen…

This study explores the nomenclature surrounding professional services staff within higher education in the UK. Taking a case study method, it uses a qualitative approach to understand the term 'non-academic' to describe the diverse range of professional services roles. Both professional services and academic staff were interviewed and there is a…

The modern educational environment is characterized by an increase in the influence of factors of uncertainty and instability. Based on a comparative analysis of the concepts of control, their improved typology has been formed. To form the model of the risk control system, the authors have chosen the concepts of control, focused on the management…

Governing board professionals, described in The Chronicle of Higher Education as "a pocket of power advising both the board and the administration," (Jesse, 2023, para. 3) are charged with ensuring governing boards meet their fiduciary obligations and operate effectively. Despite the role's growing recognition as a "linchpin…