In today's labor market, students increasingly need greater levels of postsecondary education and training to enter or advance in many industries. Meanwhile, employers are calling for the education system to better align with industry needs, as their demands for a skilled workforce continue to rise. In response to the increasing emphasis for…

The "academic ratchet and administrative lattice" framework for examining costs and productivity in college administration is applied to the University of Delaware. The productivity of academic units is analyzed quantitatively and issues in overstaffing and overbudgeting of administrative units are discussed. Faculty staffing trends from…