University administration is, surprisingly, not the 'decision-maker'.

When people think of university administration work,
many might imagine tasks like handling inquiries at the counter, preparing documents, or setting up meetings.

Of course, there is plenty of that kind of work as well.

However, when working at a university, I sometimes think things like this:

"Wouldn't it be better to do this task a little differently?"
"Shouldn't we review this system?"

In fact, such discussions often come up in the administrative workplace.

We want to make things easier to understand.
We want to make things run a bit more smoothly.
It seems like we should change the current way of doing things a little.

But just because an agreement is reached there,

"Then let's change it starting tomorrow"

is rarely how it happens.

Administration is, surprisingly, not the 'decision-maker'

University administration is quite deeply involved in the operation of the university.

Researching regulations.
Creating materials.
Coordinating with relevant departments and faculty members.
Preparing for meetings.
Putting decisions into action.

Writing it out like this, it looks like we are really 'driving' things.

In fact, I think that is true.

But on the other hand, depending on the case,
the final decision is often made by internal committees, faculty meetings, executive meetings, or corporate-level meetings.

In other words, administration is,

the side that 'thinks about, organizes, and moves things forward,' but
not always the side that 'makes the final decision.'

I think that is the position we are in.

Universities are organizations where many things are 'decided through consultation'

I think one of the reasons why things at a university are not decided immediately
is that there are many people involved.

Matters related to education.
Matters related to research.
Matters related to student support.
Matters related to regulations and systems.
Matters related to corporate operations.

Even for a single project,
it is often difficult to say, 'We can decide this right here.'

As administrative staff,

Even if we think,
'This seems like a good idea,' or 'Perhaps we should proceed in this direction,'

that does not necessarily mean we can execute it as is.

We coordinate with relevant departments,
bring it to meetings if necessary,
gather opinions,
make revisions,
and explain it again.

That is how things gradually take shape.

It may seem overly cautious at times, but
I believe the university as an organization fundamentally values 'proceeding through consultation'.

We have the desire to change things. But we cannot change them immediately.

This might be the slightly frustrating part of university administration.

On the front lines, there are many things we want to improve.

We want to make things more efficient.
We want to make them easier to understand.
We want to create sustainable systems.
If possible, we want to create a form that can be continued into the future.

However, when you want to make a change, what you need
is not just ideas.

The ability to explain.
Materials to gain consensus.
Coordination with stakeholders.
And a system that can be operated after a decision is made.

In the end,
the university is a place that does not move just by saying 'this seems better'.

That is precisely why administrative staff
are not just creating documents,
but are actually constantly doing the work of 'shaping things so they can be approved'.

Even so, the role of administration is not small.

Having written this far,

'So, does administration not have much power?'

You might be thinking that.

However, I do not think so.

Certainly, it is often the case that they are not in the position to make the final decision.

But, how things are organized,
what options are presented,
and how they are explained,
can significantly change the direction of the discussion and how decisions are made.

It may even be that the outcome is already half-decided before the meeting begins.

Is that a bit of an exaggeration?

But, I believe that administrative work,
even if it is not about signing the approval line,
is about creating the path until things are decidedis what it is.

For a university to change, neither administration alone nor faculty alone is enough.

Changing a university is not easy.

That is not just because universities are old, but because they are organizations that support the important activities of education and research,
which is why caution is also necessary.

But on the other hand,
it does not mean things can stay the same.

Therefore,
not just the faculty,
not just the administration,
I think we have no choice but to move things forward little by little from our respective positions.

University administration is, surprisingly, not the 'decision-maker'.

But,
they may be the ones who support the time until a decision is made,
keep things running after a decision is made,
and sometimes prepare the catalyst for change
after all.

And today, too,
I am making materials for the next meeting.

Perhaps,
I will also be making the explanatory materials for the meeting after that from now on 🤣