Universities see rise in managers

Who runs Scotland’s universities? Most people probably assume that academics take most of the key decisions. You might also suppose that academics make up most of the workforce. Figures released last week suggest that both assumptions are wrong, writes John Field for The Scotsman.

Data compiled by the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) show that academics account for 43% of all university staff, making them a clear minority. Almost three in five university staff are in non-academic posts, from administration and finance to libraries and cleaning.

The HESA figures are not altogether surprising. Seven years ago, the academic share was a shade higher than today, but non-academics were in a majority even then.

What is new is the dramatic rise in the number of managers working in universities – especially in non-academic areas. Since 2003-04, the number of non-academic managers in Scotland’s universities has risen by two-thirds – and this growth rate is much larger than in the other home nations.
Full report on The Scotsman site