> and administrative mismanagement & bloat Ding ding ding. Universities managed to function (by some miracle) before the current explosion in support staff. I

> and administrative mismanagement & bloat Ding ding ding. Universities managed to function (by some miracle) before the current explosion in support staff. It's doubly amazing because much of the work performed by support staff in the 1960's, 70's and 80's has been automated. Some examples: * The registar's office used to manage paper lists of students, and "signing up" for class meant showing up in person to write your name in ink. Your "permanent record" was a physical manila envelope with paper inside. That's all done in a web portal now. * The bursar's office handled physical checks or cash for nearly everyone. Today almost virtually all payment is handled electronically. * Professors (or their TAs) can now use a departmental copy/print machine to automatically create stapled exam packets instead of having an administrative assistant copy, collate and staple the exam. Somehow, the enormous technology-driven increase in labor productivity, seen in all other sectors of the economy, has not impacted colleges and universities. That "somehow" is mismanagement and bloat.