Professional Development Needs of Administrators in Higher Education* A. G. KONRAD, J. C. LONG, J. M. SMALL** ABSTRACT The professional development needs of middle-level administrators in western Canadian two-year postsecondary institutions were investigated. The needs identified reflect a broad range of knowledge and skill areas. Those regarded as most important included such needs as program and staff evaluation. Among those needs considered least important were those related to fund raising and the completion of a degree. Central to the study is an effort to design a research-based approach to professional development programs. From a practical point of view, the study offers a methodology for beginning with "target" group needs in the development of in-service programs. Some of the most important implications of the findings are explored with those for workshop planners receiving special attention. RESUME Les besoins de développement professionel des administrateurs dans l'éducation supérieure Les besoins de développement professionel des administrateurs au niveau moyen dans les institutions post-secondaire de deux ans au Canada de l'Ouest ont été investigués. Les besoins identifiés reflètent un bilan de connaissance et de dextérité. Ceux qui ont été évalués les plus importants y comprennent des besoins d'évaluation de programmes et de personnel. Parmi ces besoins considérés les moins importants étaient ceux qui avaient rapport au procurement de fonds et à la complétion d'un grade. Ce qui est important à l'étude c'est un effort de tracer un approche à "base-recherche" aux programmes de développement professionel. Au point de vue pratique, cette étude offre *A report of this study was presented at a symposium for the annual conferences of the Canadian Association for the Study of Educational Administration and the Canadian Society for the Study of Higher Education, June 6, 1975, at the University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta. The writers wish to acknowledge the contributions of graduate students Bevis Peters, Alfred Popoola and Alphonspo Onuoha in the conduct of this study, and the financial support of the Alberta Advisory Committee on Educational Studies. **A. G. Konrad and J. M. Small are associate professors and J. C. Long is a doctoral candidate in the Department of Educational Administration, The University of Alberta. 2 A. B. Konrad, J. C. Long, J. M. Small une méthodologie pour commencer par les besoins d'un groupe "désigné" dans le développement d'un programme d'entraînement interne. Quelques-unes des implications les plus importantes son explorées et on donne égard spécial aux projeteurs de "stages". Background of the Study Although neglected at the present time by most of the preparatory institutions and related agencies, the continuous in-service education of administrators is one of the most imperative needs for the revitalization of education in our society. To provide those experiences which can effectively assist the trained professional to modify his behavior, t o obtain the new knowledge which he needs, and t o build new skills based upon contemporary technology is probably the greatest challenge facing the field of educational administration and all of its institutions and agencies today. 1 The sense of urgency conveyed by Keith Goldhammer in the above quotation is important t o note, but what is most significant is the author's charge of neglect which has characterized the in-service education of administrators. Until the recent research and development activities of The University Council for Educational Administration (UCEA) 2 and the Ontario Council for Leadership in Educational Administration (OCLEA), 3 this neglect has been most serious with respect to basic research on the specific needs of administrators in higher education. Consequently, there has been a general failure to develop research-based in-service programs which meet the needs identified by administrators in the field. Support for these generalizations can be f o u n d , on a relatively broad scale, as early as 1966 in the results of a survey conducted by Howsam. Reviewing the data collected for his survey of continuing education programs in thirty-five UCEA member universities, Howsam observed that "we are, by and large, sitting on our collective hands at a time when we can ill afford to b e . " 4 According to Farquar and Piele, Howsam's study did indeed show "little evidence of any real ferment in continuing education and few responses t o a request for information on prospective new developments." 5 Similarly, a study in 1967 of in-service educational opportunities for school superintendents presented a discouraging picture for b o t h research and program development: " F e w , if any, of the programs are based upon a realistic perception of the needs of administrators in the field," observed Goldhammer and others. 6 More recently, Lutz and Ferrante have observed that t o o many in-service programs for practising administrators, "consist of a collapsed, watered down university course not appropriate to continuing education needs or processes." 7 Accordingly, they advise the development of in-service programs to meet specific needs of specific administrators within a comprehensive planning process which includes, as a discrete first step, the assessment of in-service needs. 8 This diagnostic approach is basically the strategy which was employed by OCLEA in a needs assessment survey of its constituent organizations in 1974. 9 A sample of administrators and supervisory personnel f r o m the Colleges of Applied Arts and Technology in Ontario were asked t o identify content preferences for future professional development workshops and the length and time of year considered most suitable for 3 Professional Development Needs such workshops. 1 0 A startling array of need areas were identified in 246 questionnaires from twelve participating colleges. The highest priority need areas identified were effective administration, management, and leadership, and staff and program evaluation and development. Rarely is it possible, however, to plan a development workshop around identified needs of individual participants. A more effective approach is to cater to the needs of sub-groups with common concerns. Purpose of the Study The above brief review of approaches in research and practice indicates that only recently have efforts to understand and respond to the professional development needs of administrators been systematic, planned and research-based. Previous approaches have not yielded a body of generalizations or significant relationships between needs and administrator characteristics and job circumstances. The investigation described here is an attempt to overcome some of these major deficiencies in research and program development. This study was conducted by a research team within the College Administration Program in the Department of Educational Administration at the University of Alberta. The investigation was part of an international research project coordinated by UCEA designed to identify the most significant performance-related needs of administrators in higher education. Data collection was delimited to identify the most important professional development needs of middle-level administrators who held major responsibility for instructional and faculty matters in two-year postsecondary institutions in the four western provinces of Canada. Two-year postsecondary institutions were chosen because of their newness and diversity. Since administrators in these institutions come from a variety of backgrounds, it was assumed that the career patterns of such administrators might reveal the need for special kinds of professional development. 1 1 Research Methodology Research Questions and Hypothesis Two main research questions guided the study. 1. What are the most important professional development needs of middle-level administrators in two-year postsecondary institutions in western Canada? 2. What relationships, if any, exist between the particular professional development needs identified by such administrators and their job circumstances, personal characteristics and professional background? It was hypothesized that the professional development needs of administrators are to a large extent a function of such variables as job circumstances, educational preparation and work history. This study was designed to identify not only the rank order importance of needs, but also the relationships, if any, between particular needs and institutional settings, administrator characteristics and professional experiences. Selection of Variables To obtain satisfactory answers to the main research questions and to test the general hypothesis required the selection of independent and dependent variables. The specific 4 A. B. Konrad, J. C. Long, J. M. Small independent variables chosen included: province, type of institution, size of institution, age, sex, level of present administrative position, years in present position, previous position, years in previous position, years of administrative experience, years of teaching experience, level of highest educational qualification, and field of specialization. A distribution of respondents by sub-category or group for each independent variable is shown in Table 1. With respect to the dependent variable — professional development needs — it soon became clear that importance was but one dimension of identified needs. Therefore, in an effort to refine the data, respondents were asked to regard needs as having three dimensions: importance (Is the need critically or significantly related to your job performance or not?), urgency (Is the need of immediate concern or can it wait to be addressed?), and occurrence (Does the need arise frequently or not?). In terms of the general hypothesis, differences among groups on the several independent variables could be investigated for all three of these dimensions of professional development needs. Data Collection and Analyses To identify participants for the study, the president/principal of each two-year postsecondary institution was invited to provide the names and positions of administrators within his own institution who had major responsibility for instructional and faculty matters. From these lists a 50% random sample, with a minimum of three respondents, was chosen from each institution. Of the 117 middle-level administrators selected, 82 or 70% of the sample participated throughout all stages of the study. Data were gathered by means of a modified Delphi procedure, ensuring anonymity of participants and providing formal feedback to all participants of the collective resTable 1 Profile of Respondents N = 82 Independent Variable Sub-Category Percentage Distribution Alberta British Columbia Manitoba Saskatchewan 37% Type of Institution* Community College Technical Institute 48 52 Size of Institution* 200 or more Full-Time Staff 100-199 Full-Time Staff 0-99 Full-Time Staff 35 43 22 Province* 28 16 19 5 Professional Development Needs Age 61 years and over 51-60 years 41-50 years 31-40 years 30 years and under 2 20 42 36 0 Sex* Female Male 11 89 Level of Present Position Vice-President Director Department Head 22 26 52 Years in Present Position 5 or more years 3 4 years 1-2 years 25 29 46 Previous Position* Administration Within Teaching Administration Outside Other 46 35 16 3 Years in Previous Position 6 or more years 3-5 years 2 years 31 34 35 11 or more years 7-10 years 1-6 years 38 34 28 11 or more years 7-10 years 1-6 years 38 34 28 Doctorate Masters Diploma 10 ] 28 ] 44 6 ] Bachelors Other 46 ] 10 ] Humanities/Social Sciences Natural Science Applied Science 42 22 36 Years of Administrative Experience* Years o f Teaching Experience* Level of Highest Educational Qualification* Field of Specialization* ""Statistically significant differences among sub-catagories were observed on these variables. 6 A. B. Konrad, J. C. Long, J. M. Small ponses generated in each previous round of information gathering. In three separate research stages the following kinds of responses were solicited by mail: 1. In the first mailing, each respondent was asked to identify his most significant professional development needs. 2. In the second stage, each participant was asked to assess on a four-point scale the importance, urgency and occurrence for him of each of 65 need statements generated by respondents in the first stage. 3. In the final stage, respondents were invited to reassess their responses to the second siage in the light of the distribution of all participants' responses. The needs identified by respondents in the first mailing were used to generate the list of 65 need statements for the second stage in data collection. Responses on the four-point scale were used to compute means on each dimension of the 65 need statements and to generate an intercorrelational matrix for these dimensions. The 65 need statements were rank ordered by means to identify their relative importance, urgency and occurrence. An attempt was also made t o generate main categories of need areas by factor analyzing the item scores on the importance dimension. Finally, differences of means tests were employed to examine the effects of the independent variables upon professional development needs. Findings Profile of Respondents Middle-level administrators of two-year postsecondary institutions appear t o be characterized by diversity — of job circumstances, personal characteristics and professional background — except for sex, a large majority being male (Table 1). It can be noted that the respondents in this study represented community colleges and technical institutes in almost equal proportion; all of the administrators surveyed were at least thirty-one years of age; women were a small proportion; and fully 75% of the respondents had been in their present positions for four years or less. Also noteworthy were the findings that 62% of these incumbents held an administrative position prior to the current one, that the largest single category of respondents by years of administrative experience (37%) had the least amount of such experience (1-6 years), and that more than one-half of the group (56%) had less than graduate level training. The general hypothesis was confirmed by the data. Statistically significant differences (p < .05) in item mean scores among the relevant groups were observed with respect to the variables, province, type of institution, size of institution, previous position, sex, years of administrative experience, years of teaching experience, level of highest educational qualification, and field of specialization. No statistically significant differences among groups were found with respect to the variables age, level of present position, years in present position, and years in previous position. Dimensions of Professional Development Needs Congruence and item ranking. Intercorrelations of the mean scores on importance, urgency and occurrence for the 65 need statements were highly significant ( p < . 0 0 0 1 ) . This suggests that the importance respondents attached to any need statement was 7 Professional Development Needs strongly indicative of the measures of its urgency and occurrence. Alternatively, we might say that the needs respondents regarded as important, they also regarded as urgent or frequently occurring. The congruence was greatest with respect to the dimensions of importance and urgency. In large measure, this congruence is evidenced by the ranking of means of the 65 need statements according t o their importance, urgency and occurrence (Table 2). Considering all three dimensions of needs, the most significant performance-related needs identified were evaluation of programs, program planning, evaluation of teaching and learning, motivating staff and staff evaluation. Those needs regarded as least significant included utilization of volunteer services, requisitioning and purchasing materials, office procedures, completion of one's certificate or degree and f u n d raising. Grouping and factor identification. In an effort to identify the major categories of professional development needs and to test the appropriateness of the conceptual grouping of the 65 need statements into eight categories early in the study, a factor analysis of the scores on importance was performed. The analysis suggested that 55 items could be considered as consisting of six factors and, by this analysis, almost 60% of the total variance among the scores on each item could be explained. The results of the factor analysis on six factors are shown in Table 3. A detailed analysis of the items clustered about each factor, suggested that the six factors — major dimensions or categories of the professional development needs of middlelevel administrators — could be described as follows: Institutional Maintenance (Factor 1), Program Development (Factor 2), External Contingencies (Factor 3), Change and Innovation (Factor 4), Institutional Role (Factor 5), and Community Relationships (Factor 6). 1 2 Some of the items still confounded the development of completely satisfactory descriptors for each of the six clusters. Significant Differences on Independent Variables Province. British Columbians identified their needs as more important, urgent and more frequently occurring than did administrators in other provinces. The opposite was true of Alberta administrators, especially with respect to need occurrence on items in factors 1 and 3. Type of institution. Evidence here was slight, but the data appear to show that, with respect to the need to develop knowledge and skills related to utilizing group process, human relations and recent theories and practices in education, middle-level administrators in technical institutes regarded these as more urgent than did college administrators. Of particular interest was the finding that college administrators regarded fund raising as significantly more important, urgent and more frequently occurring than did their counterparts in technical institutes. Size of institution. With very few exceptions, middle-level administrators in the largest institutions (200 or more full-time staff) regarded professional development needs — especially those related to factor 1 — as less important, urgent, and less frequently occurring than did second-level administrators in small institutions. Sex. On every statistically significant item except one (item 30), females regarded needs as more important, urgent and more frequently occurring than did males. They especially 8 A. B. Konrad, J. C. Long, J. M. Small Table 2 Professional Development Needs by Rank Order of Means Need Statement Importance Urgency Occurrence I need to develop knowledge and/or skills related to: 13. 10. 16. 6. 54. 55. 11. 12. 27. 7. evaluation of programs program planning evaluation of teaching and learning processes liaison with business and industry motivating staff staff evaluation implementation of programs curriculum development human relations cooperation with other educational institutions 1 2 3 4.5 4.5 6 7 8 9 10 1 4 3 11 5 2 8 7 10 14.5 2.5 2.5 6 10 8.5 4 12 13 1 23.5 5. communication with community agencies and groups change process and innovation community needs assessment contacts with persons in business and industry contacts with other post-secondary institutions development of alternative delivery systems political processes that influence my institution departmental/divisional coordination interviewing and selecting staff adjusting to change 11 12 13 14 15.5 15.5 18 18 18 20 34 6 22.5 17.5 24.5 9 20 14.5 22.5 24.5 21 20 39 14.5 40 31 35.5 14.5 31 18.5 21 22 23 25 25 25 17.5 16 29 35 28 12 18.5 11 5 31 8.5 26 27 28 32.5 26 44 41 18. 14. 30. 9. 17. 3. 45. 53. 19. 36. 44. 23. 8. 22. 56. 29. 37. administrative processes planning and allocating my own time communicating with peers communicating with the community interpersonal communication role clarification of staff contacts with peers from other educational institutions recent theories and practices in education 9 Professional Development Needs 24. 28. communicating with students selection and dissemination of information 30 30 48.5 20 16.5 7 63. 61. 59. 26. 2. 4. 35. 58. 48. 57. in-service training programs conflict resolution delegation of authority utilizing group processes local community characteristics legislative context for post-secondary education management theory generally staff consultation budget development and control staff assignments and utilization 30 32 33 34 36.5 36.5 36.5 36.5 39.5 39.5 13 27 38.5 30 44 50 31 20 38.5 32.5 35.5 45 22 34 31 57 37.5 16.5 26 28 65. 21. 39. 31. 60. 20. 62. 1. 40. 43. advising students self awareness and assessment organizational development (OD) participation in professional organizations democratization of decision-making adjusting to personal stress convening effective staff meetings the role of two-year post-secondary institutions management information systems (MIS) decision-making models 41 42.5 42.5 44.5 44.5 46.5 46.5 48 49.5 49.5 40 43 45.5 51 36 52 41.5 53 45.9 37 31 23.5 47.5 46 26 42 37.5 43 55 47.5 46. 38. 41. 25. 34. 64. 51. 52. 32. 49. application of research methods to teaching and learning management by objectives (MBO) systems approaches to management public speaking participation in non-credit courses working with non-faculty personnel space allocation collective bargaining participation in courses for credit inventory procedures 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 48.5 47 41.5 54 56 57 55 58 59 60 54 49 53 52 58 51 50 60 61 59 15. 47. 42. 33. 50. utilization of volunteer services requisitioning and purchasing materials office filing systems completion of my certificate or degree fund raising 61 62 63 64 65 63 61 62 64 65 63 56 62 64 65 10 A. B. Konrad, J. C. Long, J. M. Small Table 3 Professional Development Needs Item Groupings by Factors Factor 1 : Institutional Maintenance Factor 2: Program Development Factor 3: External Contingencies Factor 4: Change/ Innovation Factor 5: Institutional Role Factor 6: Community Relationships 15 22 24 25 26 27 42 44 45 46 7 9 10 11 12 13 35 36 37 38 39 3 4 32 50 51 17 18 19 43 1 20 29 30 34 5 6 8 14 33 (5 items) (5 items) 47 48 49 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 (4 items) (5 items) (11 items) 59 60 62 64 65 (25 items) Percent of total variance (57.7) 18.7 11.1 8.2 7.9 6.7 5.2 11 Professional Development Needs regarded needs as more urgent. The scope of needs covered all categories, b u t those related to factors 1, 2 and 4 (in this order) were dominant. Previous position. The greatest differences in the data were noted between those whose previous position was teaching as opposed to administration, whether inside or outside the institution in which respondents were currently working. Those whose previous position was teaching regarded needs as more important than those whose previous position was an administrative one. One item may be of particular interest. Those administrators whose previous position was teaching regarded the need to develop knowledge and skills related t o "communicating with students" as more important and more frequently occurring than did administrators whose previous position was in administration. Two exceptions were also of interest. With respect to the evaluation of programs and staff evaluation, administrators whose previous position had been administrative, within the institution, regarded the first need as more urgent and the second as more frequently occurring than did administrators whose previous position was administrative outside the institution. It should be noted, too, that for significant differences among groups on this variable, items related to factor 1 dominated all others. Years of administrative experience. Here, invariably, middle-level administrators whose experience in administration was shortest (1-6 years) regarded needs as more urgent compared to more "seasoned" administrators. Further, in every instance those with the longest administrative experience (11 or more years) regarded needs as least urgent. All of the needs on which significant differences were noted related to factors 1, 2 and 6. Years of teaching experience. Consistently, administrators with more teaching experience regarded needs as less important, urgent and less frequently occurring than did administrators with less teaching experience. This was most evident with respect to the urgency of needs. Level of highest educational qualification. Invariably, administrators whose educational qualification was lower regarded professional development needs as more important, urgent and more frequently occurring, but especially more urgent than did respondents with graduate level training. This was evident on items which related to all factors, but especially to Institutional Maintenance. The evidence of significant differences was considerable on this variable. Field of specialization. With only one exception (item 50), administrators whose specialization was applied science identified their needs as more important, urgent and more frequently occurring than did administrators who had a humanities/social science specialization. The evidence here, as in the case of highest educational qualification, was substantial and especially noteworthy with respect to the importance and urgency of needs. It should be noted that more than half of the administrators involved in this study had applied science backgrounds. There were no statistically significant differences among groups with respect to age, years in previous position, years in present position, and level of present position. It would appear that information on these variables does not contribute to our understanding of the professional development needs of administrators in higher education. 12 A. B. Konrad, J. C. Long, J. M. Small Implications Administrator Needs and Characteristics The most important needs identified were those which dealt with leadership and program development, including knowledge and/or skills related to evaluation, planning and staff motivation. Thus we see in these findings an image of the administrator which differs markedly from the classic bureaucrat concerned with "running a tight ship." Postsecondary administrators are apparently "tuned i n " to some of the primary concerns of higher education — offering relevant programs, using up-to-date approaches, and developing a satisfied and motivated faculty. Middle-level administrators surveyed in this study constituted a diverse group. A primary implication from this profile is that no valid stereotype of a western Canadian postsecondary administrator exists. Thus, when in-service programs are planned for an unspecified group of college administrators, no firm assumptions about the nature of that group can be made. Another implication is that if "affirmative action" is important, much remains to be done in the selection and preparation of female administrators. Nine independent variables were statistically related to the importance, urgency and occurrence of professional development needs. These variables can be utilized to identify administrators characterized by greatest professional development needs. Figure 1 presents these variables in such a way that those characteristics nearer the base of the pyramid describe administrators who expressed the greatest need for professional developm e n t . 1 3 While the study presents no evidence to assume that these characteristics have a cumulative effect, it is not unlikely to be so. Some important implications arise from the associations between administrator characteristics and the expressed needs for professional development. Perhaps of greatest significance was the finding that administrators who had no graduate training expressed greater needs than did administrators holding advanced degrees. This should encourage university departments to offer graduate programs in college administration, because it appears as if graduate training makes some kind of contribution to a feeling among administrators of being equipped to cope with their jobs. Of interest, however, is the fact that the need to finish a degree was given a low priority rating by most respondents. This may suggest that degree credit programs are most appropriately offered as pre-service preparation rather than as part of the in-service development of administrators. Administrators with an applied science background expressed a greater level of need than those from the humanities, social and natural sciences. This was not surprising in view of the fact that postsecondary administration is largely a human enterprise. A greater level of need for professional development was felt in smaller institutions than in larger ones. Since smaller institutions are unlikely to have staff development officers on their administrative team, it may be unrealistic to expect professional development needs to be met entirely from within. Programs for administrators from small institutions, therefore, may become the function of an external agency such as a professional association of administrators, a university or government department. Females expressed a higher level of need than did males. Thus, though fewer in number, females should be catered to in planning professional development programs. 13 Professional Development Needs NEED Figure 1. Characteristics Associated with Need for Professional Development 14 A. B. Konrad, J. C. Long, J. M. Small Perhaps this could be accomplished by encouraging the participation of women as program development leaders. Administrators who previously held a teaching appointment had a higher level of need than those whose former position was an administrative one. This suggests the need for specialized workshops for first-time administrators. Similarly, administrators from British Columbia perceived their needs to be greater than did those from other provinces. It appears that professional development activities in British Columbia would be well received by administrators. Also, administrators with little teaching and/or administrative experience had greater needs than those with considerable experience. Teaching and administrative experience, therefore, appear to contribute something to the level of confidence an administrator has in his role performance. The implications of this finding may lie as much in the area of administrator selection and promotion as in in-service development. Finally, administrators from technical institutes expressed a higher level of need than did administrators from community colleges, especially with respect to group processes, human relations and recent theories and practices in education. From this finding one might speculate that technical institutes are becoming more aware of the broad foundational basis of education of which the vocational training function is just a part, albeit an important part. In-service activities designed specifically for technical institute administrators would likely be a good strategy. Professional Development Programs This study indicates that a broad range of needs exists among postsecondary administrators, and invites the conclusion that greater efforts must be made to provide for professional growth opportunities for middle-level administrators. Although the best way to provide these opporunities is by no means clear, this study offers guidance to in-service program planners in identifying appropriate topics and participants. The central issue or problem in program development is how to make sure that opportunities exist for administrators to meet their felt needs in ways that are acceptable to them. Action is required on at least two dimensions: the topical area and the target group. A conceptualization of these dimensions is presented in Figure 2. Area A in the figure represents a kind of acitivity where neither participants nor topics are defined with precision; such is the case in many annual conventions where a variety of topics are presented with the hope that everyone will benefit, at least in part. The annual meetings of the Learned Societies and the Association of Canadian Community Colleges belong in this category. Two other common thrusts are represented by quadrants B and D in Figure 2. Quadrant B indicates the situation where a specified group of administrators participates in a workshop or conference which is broad in scope. An example is the annual College Administration Program Workshop sponsored by the Department of Educational Administration at the University of Alberta. Quadrant D represents the situation where a specific workshop is offered to a large population of professionals who "self-select" on the basis of topical interest. A workshop on Management by Objectives, for example, which draws a variety of participants from across the country falls into this category. While programs typed as A, B and D have their uses, perhaps a more satisfactory 15 Professional Development Needs Topic generalized B Postsecondary Conventions Administration conferences Group membership restricted -• -4- Group membership open D Skill development sessions Administrator development workshops Topic focused Figure 2. Dimensions of Professional Development Programs 16 A. B. Konrad, J. C. Long, J. M. Small approach to professional development is represented by quadrant C in which an attempt is made to identify the development needs within some designated group of administrators as the starting point for program planning. In this way the selection of both participants and topics are given equal precision. The most promising way to bring about a matching of administrator needs and in-service topics is through collaborative planning and program implementation. Clearly, the involvement of the target group of administrators is an imperative. This involvement should run all the way from initial conceptualization of the in-service program design to participation in it. In the early planning stages involvement is likely to be by representation. This requires an effective exchange of ideas between the representative and the group of administrators whom he represents. Institutions have an important support role to play in the professional development of their administrators. Not only must the institution provide the motivation for professional development activities, but also the necessary financial support. A budget item for administrative development should be included in all institutional budgets. Finally, it seems appropriate to comment on the role of the university in the professional development of administrators in two-year postsecondary institutions. A university department can assume one of two alternative postures: it can assume an active leadership role, or it can act as a source of expertise if, and when, called upon. The latter stance requires little action beyond announcing the willingness of certain faculty members to act as program consultants. The former is much more demanding on university resources and requires detailed planning. University departments that offer pre-service preparatory programs for administrators in higher education should be in a position to facilitate professional development programming regardless of the posture adopted. Conclusion Administrators in two-year postsecondary institutions need opportunities for professional development on the j o b . What is required is an adequate support base if this is to occur, with governments, institutions and individuals each contributing a fair share. This study could serve as a guide to professional development program planners. Too often in-service activities are developed on a "hit-or-miss" basis, having neither a topical focus nor a specified clientele. A broad data base, such as was generated by this study, could be used to identify the needs felt by administrators and the salient characteristics of those whose needs are greatest. In an ideal professional development program, an identified groups of administrators would address topics of direct relevance to their most important needs. 17 Professional Development Needs Notes 1 Keith Goldhammer, "Implications for Change in Training Programs," in Knowledge Production and Utilization in Educational Administration, edited by Terry L. Eidell and Joanne M. Kitchel. Eugene: Center for the Advanced Study of Educational Administration, University of Oregon, 1968, p. 183. 2 UCEA's membership consists of universities in the United States and Canada with a major interest in the professional preparation of educational administrators, including both resident pre-service and in-service programs. 3 The major aims of OCLEA are to provide leadership in advancing educational administration in the province of Ontario and to provide professional development activities for the administrative personnel of its constituent organizations. 4 Robert B. Howsam, "Inservice Education of School Administrators" Background, Present Status, and Problems," in Continuing Education of School Administrators, edited by Patrick D. Lynch and Peggy L. Blackstone. Albuquerque: Department of Educational Administration of New Mexico, 1966, p. 17. 5 Robin H. Farguar and Philip K. Piele, Preparing Educational Leaders: A Review of Recent ature. Columbus: The University Council for Educational Administration, 1972, p. 50. Liter- 6 Keith Goldhammer et al., Issues and Problems in Contemporary Educational Administration. University of Oregon: Centre for the Advanced Study of Educational Administration, 1967, p. 157. 7 Frank W. Lutz and Reynolds Ferrante, Emergent Practices in the Continuing Education of School Administrators. Columbus: The University Council for Educational Administration, 1972, p. 14. 8 See Lutz and Ferrante, op. cit., pp. 32-40, for a description and elaboration of this diagnostic and planning process in a school district setting. An equally comprehensive but somewhat different approach to faculty development (including administrator in-service) is presented by William H. Bergquist and Steven R. Phillips in "Components of an Effective Faculty Development Program," Journal of Higher Education, 4 6 : 2 (March/April, 1975) 177-211. 9 See D. F. Musella and H. D. Joyce, "Professional Development Needs of Educational Administrators," OCLEA (April, 1975), 12-15. 10 William B. Stoddard, ". . . And Madly Administer the Community College," OCLEA (September, 1975), 8-9. 11 This supposition seems a useful beginning point in the light of certain practical concerns voiced in the College Administration Program by practising administrators and by a pilot study of middle management administrators in seventeen American universities in 1966. Findings reported concern, among other topics, career patterns and in-service education involvement of administrators surveyed. See J. L. Bess and T. M. Lodahl, "Career Patterns and Satisfactions in University Middle Management," Educational Record, 50:2 (Spring, 1969), 220-229. Further, it is useful to direct attention here to the administrative development plan at William Rainey Harper College. This plan rests on the recognition that because the colleges's administrators come from a variety of educational and occupational backgrounds, a variety of management development programs will be necessary. Administrators at the college participate in a professional development program as "new," "experienced" or "advanced" managers. See David A. Groth, "Administration's Achilles Heel," Community and Junior College Journal, 4 4 : 2 (October, 1973), 28-30. 12 It is useful to compare these factors with the eight categories identified at the end of the first phase of the study, i.e. after responses from the open-ended questionnaire had been summarized. The original eight categories of needs included: Personal and Social Growth, Finance and Facilities, Personnel Supervision, Institutional Management, Administrative Theory, Public Relations, Policy and Planning, and Contextual/External Conditions. 13 Figure 1 was developed by rank ordering (from the bottom of the pyramid to the top) the number of items on which the responses (the mean scores on importance, urgency and occurrence for each need statement) showed statistical significance on the independent variable.