That’s a good point. I’m not very familiar with academic departments, particularly well-run ones. (I liked FHI, but the greater Oxford bureaucracy had issues).
By chance are there any examples of really good departments? Or writing on how to make a good academic department? I imagine this is a niche topic, but it seems like an important one.
Ozzie—I don’t know of any good writings about what makes for a good, high-functioning academic department.
I’m speaking mostly from personal experience of having worked in a dozen academic departments in several countries over the last few decades. Generally speaking, there seems to be less variance in the quality of ‘support staff’ (e.g. front office, finance, etc) than in the quality of faculty leadership. Most staff seem ‘pretty good’ or better. Staff typically have their own hiring protocols, promotion processes, and job security norms, quite separate from tenure-track faculty. Staff often switch between departments, since running grant finance oversight for a psych department isn’t that different from running it for a physics department (for example). Also, staff typically don’t need to have much intellectual, emotional, or social investment in the ‘cause area’ or research topics that a department addresses; they often seem to feel rewarded simply by being paid well, having reasonable job security, being respected by faculty and students, getting along with other staff, and being associated with a generally prestigious organization.
So, I think it’s useful for EA organizations to spend a fair amount of time and effort thinking about how to recruit and retain great staff. Maybe they have already; I don’t know.
That’s a good point. I’m not very familiar with academic departments, particularly well-run ones. (I liked FHI, but the greater Oxford bureaucracy had issues).
By chance are there any examples of really good departments? Or writing on how to make a good academic department? I imagine this is a niche topic, but it seems like an important one.
Ozzie—I don’t know of any good writings about what makes for a good, high-functioning academic department.
I’m speaking mostly from personal experience of having worked in a dozen academic departments in several countries over the last few decades. Generally speaking, there seems to be less variance in the quality of ‘support staff’ (e.g. front office, finance, etc) than in the quality of faculty leadership. Most staff seem ‘pretty good’ or better. Staff typically have their own hiring protocols, promotion processes, and job security norms, quite separate from tenure-track faculty. Staff often switch between departments, since running grant finance oversight for a psych department isn’t that different from running it for a physics department (for example). Also, staff typically don’t need to have much intellectual, emotional, or social investment in the ‘cause area’ or research topics that a department addresses; they often seem to feel rewarded simply by being paid well, having reasonable job security, being respected by faculty and students, getting along with other staff, and being associated with a generally prestigious organization.
So, I think it’s useful for EA organizations to spend a fair amount of time and effort thinking about how to recruit and retain great staff. Maybe they have already; I don’t know.