University managers and administrators becoming central pillar of institutional strategy, report says

A fundamental transformation is occurring in the upper echelons of European higher education (HE), shifting the Head of Administration (HoA) from a traditional "support" function to a central pillar of institutional strategy, according to a report from the Heads of University Management & Administration Network in Europe (HUMANE).

The primary finding of the report, entitled "Behind the Strategy, How Heads of Administration Shape Tomorrow's Universities", is that the HoA position (which can be called in different institutions registrars, chancellors or directors-general) is now a critical architect of the modern university.

Their role has evolved from one that was "primarily administrative to one requiring strategic vision and institutional strategic planning," the report says. This shift is often total; as one survey respondent noted: “There is greater emphasis on strategic leadership and organisational development over operational management”.

Many HoAs now juggle a complex, three-fold role: serving as chief of staff to the rector, secretary to the governing board and head of…