Staff Functions

Our last two KH Know-How newsletters addressed two controversial topics: increasing student fees and increasing faculty load. Similarly, colleges and universities find changing management and classified staffing configurations and workload hard to do. But austere times require new ways of working – and some of these staffing changes organizations should do because they are good business practices.

Broaden supervisory and management spans of control to at least 8 to 12 incumbents

Review secretarial workload in light of new technology and adjust staffing accordingly

Establish clerical pools to equalize workloads and provide better service

Replace some clerical positions with students on work-study

Establish tutorial volunteer programs to replace paid employees wherever feasible

Allow departments to share support staff

Have paid student workers perform custodial tasks at college

Promote better cross-use of personnel

Increase or decrease work week of classified staff and adjust pay accordingly

Investigate abuse of lunch or rest breaks

Establish stronger supervisory controls over classified staff and clarify reporting relationships

Reduce number of classified supervisory positions

Limit new or temporary classified employees assigned to instruction and hire (rehire) based on need for college semesters or terms

Restructure classified positions to better balance workloads and reduce overlaps


Yellow cat, black cat, as long as it catches mice, it is a good cat.
- Deng Xiaoping


KH Consulting Group (KH) started this Know-How site in 2009 to create a forum for sharing ideas on effectively enhancing revenues and containing costs in higher education in the near and longer term.

KH has posted more than 500 ideas. You can join the forum at:
http://knowhow-education.blogspot.com/

Note: The ideas shared are not prescriptive and will not work in all situations or at all institutions. Some of the ideas are tactical – quick victories to save money in easy ways. Others are strategic, requiring careful analysis before implementing.