2014-02-17

University Administrative Glut Worse Than We Thought – The American Interest

Overall, the industry has added an average of 87 administrative positions per day, a rate has scarcely slowed since the economic downturn, despite tuition increases. 

This is pretty funny (funny-clueless), in that it is the same sort of hilarious “logic” that gives us “US crime rate drops despite increase in prison population,” and “US bankruptcies increase despite growth in financial regulation.”

Education administrators control both growth in administration and in tuition.  Why is it a surprise that both rise in tandem?  I mean, what do you expect them to spend money on?  Teachers?

Remember Pournelles Iron Law: 

Current Chaos Manor mail

Pournelle’s Iron Law of Bureaucracy states that in

any bureaucratic organization there will be two kinds of people: those who

work to further the actual goals of the organization, and those who work for

the organization itself.

Examples in education would be teachers who work

and sacrifice to teach children, vs. union representative who work to

protect any teacher including the most incompetent.

The Iron Law states that in all cases, the second type of person will always gain control of the organization, and will always write the rules under which the organization functions.

Ipso, meet facto.

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