College Presidents may:

Recruit, hire, train and terminate department personnel

Confer with the Board of Trustees concerning the organization, operation, and instructional functioning of the campus

Establish the procedures, rules, and standards by which the institution will operate

Provide leadership for the college or university as it relates to students and faculty

Oversee the implementation of campus programs

Administer fiscal and physical planning activities, such as the budget and building expansion programs

Promote the objectives and policies of the college or university with business, community, and other groups

Meet with government officials to promote and discuss the needs and programs of the college or university

Represent the campus at formal functions

Supervise research activities

Presidents delegate duties to vice-presidents, directors, and deans in specific areas concerned with the operation and welfare of the university. Depending on the university, titles, and functions of vice-presidents may vary.

College Administrators work alone or with others in clean, well lighted, well ventilated offices. Administrators supervise instructional, professional, and clerical staff in their offices and, in turn, are responsible to the college or university president. They may be subject to pressure from other administrators, the governing board, the faculty, students, and the public.

They are usually employed on a 12-month basis. They may frequently work more than 40 hours per week. Irregular hours and overtime are often necessary for some Administrators. Some, such as Admissions Officers, travel frequently to other cities for recruiting trips, conferences, and conventions. Those who travel may have to furnish their own transportation, but travel costs are usually reimbursed.

College Administrators may belong to professional associations and pay periodic dues.

You Should Prefer:

Activities involving business contact with people

Activities resulting in esteem from others

Activities involving communication of ideas or information to others

You Should Be Able To:

Use reason and logic

Understand the meanings and relationships of words

Communicate ideas effectively, orally and in writing

Use arithmetic quickly and accurately

Notice detail in verbal materials and tables

Visualize drawings or pictures as solid objects

Have agreeable working relations with others

Plan/direct/control an entire activity or the activities of others

Influence others in their opinions about ideas or things

Make decisions based on personal judgment

Math Problem You Should Be Able to Solve:

If 5% of all freshmen drop out of college after the first year and your school has 5,000 freshmen, how many of these students do you expect to return to become sophomores?

Reading Example You Should Be Able to Read and Comprehend:

Admissions policy will dictate the frequency of review for course prerequisites, degree equivalents and accreditation of colleges and departments within the university.

Writing Example You Should Be Able to Produce:

You should be able to write reports to explain the progress of various programs to their sponsors.

Thinking Skill You Should Be Able to Demonstrate:

You should be able to decide on programs that would ease the process of transitioning into college and thus lower the drop-out rate.

It is recommended that Instructional Administrators have a doctoral degree or its equivalent, considerable teaching and/or experience at the college or university level, and progressively responsible administrative experience in colleges and universities.

NOTE: A Bachelor's Degree (four years of study beyond high school), a Master's Degree (five to six years of study beyond high school) or a Professional Degree or Doctorate (seven to ten years of study beyond high school) may qualify a person for this occupation.

The following education and preparation opportunities are helpful in preparing for occupations in this Career Exploration script:

***SCHOOL SUBJECTS***

0600 BUSINESS , 0700 CAREERS , 0900 COMMUNICATIONS , 1000 COMPUTERS , 1100 ECONOMICS , 2200 MATH , 2800 PUBLIC SPEAKING

***VOCATIONAL EDUCATION PROGRAMS***

There are no Vocational Education Programs related to this Career Exploration script.

***POSTSECONDARY PROGRAMS***

050 EDUCATIONAL ADMINISTRATION

Programs in Educational Administration provide opportunities to gain the necessary knowledge and skills to qualify for administrative positions in education. These positions include principal, assistant superintendent, superintendent, curriculum coordinator, dean, and other educational specialists. Positions in Educational Administration often require a master's degree.

Courses will differ from school to school but may include:

Part-time or summer employment in an Administrator's office or employment as an assistant Administrator will provide experience. Internships may also be available. Postsecondary programs in educational administration or related military training may be useful also.

School-to-Work opportunities include:

informal apprenticeships

mentorships

job shadowing experiences

touring a local College Administrator employer

internships

volunteer work with a College Administrator employer

community service work with an agency

Earnings vary according to duties, size and type of college, and school policies.

Nationally, the annual median salaries of College and University Administrators in the 2008-09 school year were:

*Two and 4-year public and private colleges and universities were included in the salary survey.

The median yearly earnings of "all" workers in the U.S. were $37,544 in 2008. The Annual salaries for Administrators at colleges and universities in Michigan are comparable to salaries paid nationally.

Most College Administrators receive paid vacations and holidays; life, accident, disability, and hospitalization insurance; retirement plans; and sick pay. These benefits are usually paid for, at least in part, by the college or university. Dental insurance may be included.

Advancement may mean moving from a staff position to an administrative position after gaining additional experience or education. Possible steps in a career ladder might include Administrative Staff Member, Assistant Administrator, and Administrator. Advancement might also be in the form of taking a new position such as Department Head, Dean, Vice-President, and President.

There were about 443,000 Educational Administrators employed nationally in 2006. Nearly one-fifth of these were administrators in 2- and 4-year colleges and universities. Employment in this occupation is expected to grow about as fast as the average for all occupations through the year 2016. College Administrators who are experts in integrating the rapidly growing online/distance education programs into schools' traditional curriculums will be strongly demanded by colleges/universities.

Two-year public colleges offer the best opportunities. For the most part, they have less serious financial problems because, unlike most 4-year institutions, their enrollments are growing and their operating costs are more moderate.

There were approximately 4,325 College Administrators employed in Michigan. Most worked for state-supported colleges and universities and local community colleges. The rest were employed at private colleges and universities.

Employment of College Administrators in Michigan is expected to grow faster than the average for all occupations through the year 2014. An average of 160 annual job openings for College Administrators are expected, with  50 due to growth and 110 to replace workers who retire, die, or leave the labor force. Many more openings will occur as workers change jobs or occupations.

The retraining at the postsecondary level, of displaced workers, and of employed workers who have outdated skills, will have a favorable impact on the employment of College Administrators. Colleges have also increased their enrollments by attracting large numbers of women and older adults (over the age of 24) who are interested in furthering their higher education.

MICHIGAN EMPLOYMENT OUTLOOK TO 2014