Education Administrators, Postsecondary

Career 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.

Industry: Management

Other Job Titles for Education Administrators, Postsecondary:

• 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.
• 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.
• Social: Social occupations frequently involve working with, communicating with, and teaching people. These occupations often involve helping or providing service to others.
• 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.
• First Interest High-Point: Primary-Rank Descriptiveness
• Second Interest High-Point: Secondary-Cutoff/Rank Descriptiveness
• Third Interest High-Point: Tertiary-Cutoff/Rank Descriptiveness

• Recruit, hire, train, and terminate departmental personnel.
• Plan, administer, and control budgets, maintain financial records, and produce financial reports.
• Represent institutions at community and campus events, in meetings with other institution personnel, and during accreditation processes.
• Participate in faculty and college committee activities.
• Provide assistance to faculty and staff in duties such as teaching classes, conducting orientation programs, issuing transcripts, and scheduling events.
• Establish operational policies and procedures and make any necessary modifications, based on analysis of operations, demographics, and other research information.
• Confer with other academic staff to explain and formulate admission requirements and course credit policies.
• Appoint individuals to faculty positions, and evaluate their performance.
• Direct activities of administrative departments such as admissions, registration, and career services.
• 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.
• Consult with government regulatory and licensing agencies to ensure the institution's conformance with applicable standards.
• Direct, coordinate, and evaluate the activities of personnel engaged in administering academic institutions, departments, and/or alumni organizations.
• Teach courses within their department.
• Participate in student recruitment, selection, and admission, making admissions recommendations when required to do so.
• Review student misconduct reports requiring disciplinary action, and counsel students regarding such reports.
• Supervise coaches.
• Assess and collect tuition and fees.
• Direct scholarship, fellowship, and loan programs, performing activities such as selecting recipients and distributing aid.
• Coordinate the production and dissemination of university publications such as course catalogs and class schedules.
• Review registration statistics, and consult with faculty officials to develop registration policies.
• Audit the financial status of student organizations and facility accounts.
• Negotiate with foundation and industry representatives on issues such as securing loans and determining construction costs and materials.
• Plan and promote sporting events and social, cultural, and recreational activities.
• Direct and participate in institutional fundraising activities, and encourage alumni participation in such activities.
• Direct and conduct studies and research on issues affecting areas of responsibility.
• Attend and participate in meetings of municipal councils and council committees.
• Organize and approve promotional campaigns.
• Conduct or direct investigations or hearings to resolve complaints and violations of laws, or testify at such hearings.
• Represent organizations and promote their objectives at official functions, or delegate representatives to do so.
• Prepare bylaws approved by elected officials and ensure that bylaws are enforced.
• Direct and coordinate activities between the United States Government and foreign entities to provide information and promote international interests and harmony.

Emerging 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 and/or alumni organizations.
• Formulate strategic plans for the institution.
• Oversee facilities management for the university, including construction, repair, and maintenance projects.
• Promote the university by participating in community, state, and national events/meetings, and by developing partnerships with industry and secondary education institutions.
• Write grants to procure external funding, and supervise grant-funded projects.

• Analyzing Data or Information: Identifying the underlying principles, reasons, or facts of information by breaking down information or data into separate parts.
• Assisting and Caring for Others: Providing personal assistance, medical attention, emotional support, or other personal care to others such as coworkers, customers, or patients.
• Coaching and Developing Others: Identifying the developmental needs of others and coaching, mentoring, or otherwise helping others to improve their knowledge or skills.
• 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.
• Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates: Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
• Controlling Machines and Processes: Using either control mechanisms or direct physical activity to operate machines or processes (not including computers or vehicles).
• Coordinating the Work and Activities of Others: Getting members of a group to work together to accomplish tasks.
• Developing and Building Teams: Encouraging and building mutual trust, respect, and cooperation among team members.
• Developing Objectives and Strategies: Establishing long-range objectives and specifying the strategies and actions to achieve them.
• Documenting/Recording Information: Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.
• Drafting, Laying Out, and Specifying Technical Devices, Parts, and Equipment: Providing documentation, detailed instructions, drawings, or specifications to tell others about how devices, parts, equipment, or structures are to be fabricated, constructed, assembled, modified, maintained, or used.
• Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships: Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.
• Estimating the Quantifiable Characteristics of Products, Events, or Information: Estimating sizes, distances, and quantities; or determining time, costs, resources, or materials needed to perform a work activity.
• Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards: Using relevant information and individual judgment to determine whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.
• Getting Information: Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
• Guiding, Directing, and Motivating Subordinates: Providing guidance and direction to subordinates, including setting performance standards and monitoring performance.
• Handling and Moving Objects: Using hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, and moving materials, and manipulating things.
• Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events: Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.
• Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Material: Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials to identify the cause of errors or other problems or defects.
• Interacting With Computers: Using computers and computer systems (including hardware and software) to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.
• Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others: Translating or explaining what information means and how it can be used.
• Judging the Qualities of Things, Services, or People: Assessing the value, importance, or quality of things or people.
• Making Decisions and Solving Problems: Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
• Monitor Processes, Materials, or Surroundings: Monitoring and reviewing information from materials, events, or the environment, to detect or assess problems.
• Monitoring and Controlling Resources: Monitoring and controlling resources and overseeing the spending of money.
• Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment: Running, maneuvering, navigating, or driving vehicles or mechanized equipment, such as forklifts, passenger vehicles, aircraft, or water craft.
• Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work: Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work.
• Performing Administrative Activities: Performing day-to-day administrative tasks such as maintaining information files and processing paperwork.
• Performing for or Working Directly with the Public: Performing for people or dealing directly with the public. This includes serving customers in restaurants and stores, and receiving clients or guests.
• Performing General Physical Activities: Performing physical activities that require considerable use of your arms and legs and moving your whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling of materials.
• Processing Information: Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or verifying information or data.
• Provide Consultation and Advice to Others: Providing guidance and expert advice to management or other groups on technical, systems-, or process-related topics.
• Repairing and Maintaining Electronic Equipment: Servicing, repairing, calibrating, regulating, fine-tuning, or testing machines, devices, and equipment that operate primarily on the basis of electrical or electronic (not mechanical) principles.
• Repairing and Maintaining Mechanical Equipment: Servicing, repairing, adjusting, and testing machines, devices, moving parts, and equipment that operate primarily on the basis of mechanical (not electronic) principles.
• Resolving Conflicts and Negotiating with Others: Handling complaints, settling disputes, and resolving grievances and conflicts, or otherwise negotiating with others.
• Scheduling Work and Activities: Scheduling events, programs, and activities, as well as the work of others.
• Selling or Influencing Others: Convincing others to buy merchandise/goods or to otherwise change their minds or actions.
• Staffing Organizational Units: Recruiting, interviewing, selecting, hiring, and promoting employees in an organization.
• Thinking Creatively: Developing, designing, or creating new applications, ideas, relationships, systems, or products, including artistic contributions.
• Training and Teaching Others: Identifying the educational needs of others, developing formal educational or training programs or classes, and teaching or instructing others.
• Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge: Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.

Detailed Work Activities

• administer educational institutions
• advise students
• analyze financial data
• analyze operational or management reports or records
• analyze organizational operating practices or procedures
• analyze survey data to forecast enrollment changes
• assess educational potential or need of students
• assign work to staff or employees
• conduct fund raising activities
• conduct or attend staff meetings
• coordinate banquets, meetings or related events
• coordinate employee continuing education programs
• coordinate instructional outcomes
• develop budgets
• direct and coordinate activities of workers or staff
• establish educational policy or academic codes
• establish employee performance standards
• establish policy or laws
• evaluate information from employment interviews
• evaluate performance of employees or contract personnel
• explain rules, policies or regulations
• hire, discharge, transfer, or promote workers
• interview job applicants
• maintain group discipline in an educational setting
• make presentations
• manage contracts
• motivate workers to achieve work goals
• organize educational material or ideas
• orient new employees
• oversee execution of organizational or program policies
• oversee site-based school management
• plan student extra-curricular activities
• recommend personnel actions, such as promotions, transfers, and dismissals
• recommend solutions of administrative problems
• resolve behavioral or academic problems
• resolve personnel problems or grievances
• resolve problems in educational settings
• schedule activities, classes, or events
• use conflict resolution techniques
• use counseling techniques
• use current social research
• use interpersonal communication techniques
• use interviewing procedures
• use public speaking techniques
• use teaching techniques
• use time management techniques
• write public sector or educational grant proposals
• write research or project grant proposals
• write public sector or educational grant proposals
• write sales or informational speeches

Overall Experience
Extensive skill, knowledge, and experience are needed for these occupations. Many require more than five years of experience. For example, surgeons must complete four years of college and an additional five to seven years of specialized medical training to be able to do their job.

Job Training
Employees may need some on-the-job training, but most of these occupations assume that the person will already have the required skills, knowledge, work-related experience, and/or training.

Education
A bachelor's degree is the minimum formal education required for these occupations. However, many also require graduate school. For example, they may require a master's degree, and some require a Ph.D., M.D., or J.D. (law degree).

Examples
These occupations often involve coordinating, training, supervising, or managing the activities of others to accomplish goals. Very advanced communication and organizational skills are required. Examples include librarians, lawyers, aerospace engineers, physicists, school psychologists, and surgeons.

• Average hourly wage (2007) -$36.43
• Average annual wage (2007) - $75,780.00

• Projected growth (2006-2016): 14.23%
• Projected need (2006-2016): 18,687
• Employment (2006): 131,293

• Chief Executives
• Education Administrators, Elementary and Secondary School
• First-Line Supervisors/Managers of Office and Administrative Support Workers
• Food Service Managers
• Human Resources Managers
• Instructional Coordinators
• Management Analysts
• Medical and Health Services Managers
• Storage and Distribution Managers
• Treasurers and Controllers