This terminology often depends on that used in military strategy (as in Strategic Planning) and business management (including Public Relations).
[1] Digital era brings a communication overload and intense stresses of the job are threatening administrators mental or physical health.
Full-time tertiary education administrators emerged as a distinct role in Australia from the mid-1970s, as institutions sought to deal with their increasing size and complexity, along with a broadening of their aspirations.
[3] As the professionalism of tertiary administrators has developed, there has been a corresponding push to recognise the uniqueness and validity of their role in the academic environment.
The structures for administration and management in higher education in the United Kingdom vary significantly between institutions.
In the United States, a college or university is typically supervised by a president or chancellor who reports regularly to a board of trustees (made up of individuals from outside the institution) and who acts as chief executive officer.
Although the demographic picture of university leadership is changing, the majority of academic administrators remain middle-aged white men.
In some cases a provost supervises the institution's entire academic staff, occupying a position generally superior to any dean.