July 12, 2023
2:34 PM
By OrgChart Team
Colleges and universities are navigating an era of unprecedented change and complex challenges. Amidst growing competition, rising costs, policy changes at the federal level, and students’ evolving career opportunities, academic institutions find themselves at a crossroads. A well-designed organizational structure becomes paramount as they navigate through these complexities.
In this guide, we explore the power of organizational charts in reshaping higher education. Many academic organizations struggle to adapt to the changing educational landscape. Often, they are working with old, inaccurate data housed in disparate locations, making it difficult to develop flexible strategies that align with their institutional vision and goals.
However, there is a better way. Universities can align their structure with their purpose by ensuring that form follows function. Well-designed organizational charts enable leaders to make informed decisions and improve efficiency and communication. They provide a visual representation of the institution’s hierarchy and relationships.
Innovative solutions like OrgChart meet the unique needs of higher education institutions by design. OrgChart integrates with HR databases, automating chart generation and streamlining workforce management tasks. It provides a powerful tool for visualizing personnel, analyzing HR data, and modeling organizational changes within a user-friendly platform.
This comprehensive guide explores the organizational structures in higher education, the strategic advantages of modern org chart builders, and best practices for designing your own. Whether planning workforce changes, evaluating performance, or optimizing HR processes, this guide will be your roadmap to achieving organizational chart success in higher education.
Within the vast landscape of higher education, organizational structure is the framework that defines how colleges and universities operate. It outlines the relationships and interactions between governing boards, departments, faculty, students, and external organizations. To bring clarity to this complexity, we rely on organizational charts — powerful tools that visually represent the hierarchy and reporting relationships within an institution.
An organizational chart presents the flow of authority, responsibility, and communication through boxes or shapes connected by lines. In the context of colleges and universities, these charts typically have multiple levels, representing different management and administrative responsibility layers. At the top, we find the governing board or political appointees with legal authority. Below them, the president or chancellor takes charge, followed by senior executives like vice presidents or provosts overseeing areas such as finance, academics, student affairs, and administration. As the chart extends downward, it reveals the schools, departments, and support units that make up the institution.
The primary purpose of an organizational chart in higher education is to provide clarity. By visually depicting reporting lines and interdependencies, it helps individuals understand their position within the larger framework of the institution. Faculty, staff, and students better understand whom to approach for specific matters, fostering effective communication and collaboration.
Organizational charts promote accountability and streamline decision-making. By defining reporting relationships, they establish lines of authority, helping individuals understand their responsibilities and the chain of command. This clarity improves decision-making efficiency by identifying those who make the decisions versus those who need to be consulted or informed.
Organizational charts also provide stability and structure. They serve as a guiding compass, helping institutions navigate the complexities of academic governance, administrative processes, and resource allocation. Leaders can effectively manage change, streamline operations, and optimize institutional performance with an organizational chart.
As colleges and universities strive to maintain efficient and cohesive operations, organizational charts become indispensable tools. They visualize an institution’s intricate hierarchy and relationships and promote transparency, accountability, and effective communication. By understanding the significance of organizational charts, institutions can navigate the higher education landscape with confidence and clarity.
As mentioned, colleges and universities face extraordinary challenges to stay relevant and competitive in our post-pandemic world. The rapid advancements in technology, changes in student demographics, fluctuations in public funding, and the influence of politics, coupled with the increasing demand for new education programs and online content models, have raised important questions about the role of higher education today. To address these challenges, universities must shift their teaching and administration approach.
To tackle these significant changes, university HR leaders must look closely at their organizational design. Unfortunately, many higher education institutions have become resistant to change, making them slow to adapt when necessary. Moreover, students are too often regarded as education consumers rather than as products of academic excellence. As a result, there is a growing need for higher education institutions to reevaluate and revamp their structures to better align with their institutional vision.
While the naming conventions of organizational structures can vary among institutions, most schools employ a hybrid of two or more structures. It’s not unusual to find each academic division having its distinct organizational design.
Here, we examine the three most common types of organizational structures found in higher education and discuss the advantages and disadvantages of each. Focusing on these key structures helps us understand how organizational structures shape the educational landscape and contribute to institutional success.
The term “governance structure” is frequently used in higher education to describe a decentralized governing framework comprising boards, committees, or political officials. These governing bodies establish hierarchies, lines of authority, and mechanisms for oversight. They are responsible for strategic decision-making, evaluating the institution’s leadership, ensuring transparency, and upholding its integrity and mission.
While some schools use “governance structure” interchangeably with “organizational structure,” it is a broader term encompassing the executive layers of a school. Governing bodies may include boards of trustees, presidents or chancellors, faculty, administrative staff, or student-led committees. Some schools employ “shared governance” among multiple stakeholders, while others adopt a “collegiate” or “academic” form of governance where the faculty hold administrative power.
Beneath these governing bodies are divisions, colleges, and departments. Schools can be organized hierarchically, geographically, by divisions, etc. Some institutions have centralized governance, while others adopt distributed or shared governance models with significant stakeholder input. For instance, public universities may have governance structures shaped by legislation and government oversight, while private university structures may be guided by their charters, bylaws, and accreditation requirements.
UMass Amherst is an example of a multi-layered, decentralized “shared governance” structure with elements of other organizational structures. Its governance encompasses the institutional and broader system levels of the University of Massachusetts (UMass) system and the Massachusetts Board of Education.
Beneath the governing bodies, departments, and programs operate with hybrid organizational structures combining functional, divisional, and network elements. Administrative departments are functionally designed, academic programs operate within divisions, and the school’s external collaboration with the Five Colleges Consortium indicates components of a network structure.
UMass Amherst’s governance structure emphasizes shared decision-making, communication, collaboration, and resource-sharing. Despite the challenges of a large institution within a public university system, the structure remains responsive and supports academic quality, accountability, and communication across its different governing bodies.
The following pros and cons further characterize a governance structure in higher education:
The collegiate structure in higher education is a subset of the governance structure, dividing the university into semi-autonomous colleges or schools. Each college has its governance, faculty, and staff responsible for their area, promoting autonomy, community, and collaboration.
The central university administration and the individual colleges share responsibilities in a collegiate structure. The central administration handles strategic planning, resource coordination, policies, and funding, while colleges have authority over academic programs, admissions, student support, and internal policies.
Collegiate structures aim to create a more intimate and supportive environment within large universities. They often foster a sense of belonging and community among students and faculty, as well as provide additional resources and services tailored to the needs of the college members. They may have traditions, sports teams, and social events, enhancing the student experience.
University of Oxford campus map.
The University of Oxford primarily operates with a decentralized collegiate system. The “central university” oversees academic administration, policy-making, and coordination of resources. At the same time, the colleges are independent and self-governing institutions, each with its own administration, teaching staff, and academic programs.
Each college at Oxford has unique history, traditions, and culture. They admit students, provide accommodation, offer tutorials and support services, and play a significant role in academic and social life.
Let’s look at other pros and cons of the collegiate structure in higher education.
The divisional organizational structure in higher education is commonly used to organize administrative and academic departments. It divides the institution into specific divisions, each led by a vice president or a dean. Divisions can vary between schools, including academic, student affairs, administrative, research, and external relations. This structure facilitates efficient decision-making, coordination, and specialization within different functional areas.
The University of California (UC) system utilizes a divisional structure across its ten campuses and the Office of the President (OP). The OP is the central administrative body, providing system-wide leadership, policy development, budgeting, and coordination. Each UC campus operates autonomously, led by a chancellor.
Academic departments are organized into divisions or colleges, like arts and humanities, social sciences, and professional schools. Deans oversee academic programs, faculty, and research. Administrative divisions handle non-academic functions such as finance, student affairs, research, information technology, human resources, and external relations.
While there may be some variations, the divisional structure within the UC system promotes efficient governance, academic excellence, research support, and administrative services to the campuses.
Colleges and universities employing a divisional structure experience the following pros and cons.
Modern organizational chart platforms offer valuable benefits to colleges and universities, helping them optimize operations and enhance the academic environment. By visualizing roles and reporting lines, these platforms bring clarity and foster coordination and collaboration among faculty and administrators.
But they go beyond visualization. Platforms like OrgChart, designed for higher education, streamline workforce management. They help visualize the faculty and staff structure and plan for the future and provide valuable insights from personnel data. These insights enable strategic decision-making aligned with the institution’s mission and goals.
In the higher education context, organizational charts play a crucial role. Let’s explore some specific advantages:
Organizational charts play a vital role in providing a clear and visual representation of the hierarchical structure within an academic institution. Org charts establish a clear chain of command by illustrating reporting lines, starting from the president or chancellor and flowing down to department heads and faculty members. This clarity ensures that communication channels are well-defined and accountability is maintained. Students, faculty, staff, and external stakeholders can easily understand the institution’s organization and how different parts of the university or college interact.
Organizational charts tailored for higher education institutions can be valuable in managing faculty workload and course assignments. These charts offer an overview of faculty members’ areas of expertise, teaching assignments, and research responsibilities. Based on this information, academic administrators can make informed decisions about faculty workload distribution, course scheduling, and resource allocation.
Decision-making in higher education can be complex, involving multiple stakeholders. Organizational charts specific to universities and colleges streamline these processes by identifying key decision-makers and clarifying their roles and responsibilities. The visual clarity provided by org charts promotes faster decision-making, minimizes ambiguity, and ensures that the right individuals are involved at each stage of the decision‑making process.
Colleges and universities are hubs for interdisciplinary research and collaboration. Organizational charts facilitate a clear understanding of the roles and responsibilities of different academic units and departments, fostering effective coordination, information sharing, and collaboration. By highlighting reporting relationships and interdependencies, org charts promote better coordination and communication between departments, nurturing a culture of teamwork and shared objectives.
Efficient resource allocation is crucial for supporting collegiate and university academic and research endeavors. Organizational charts offer a holistic view of the institution’s structure, enabling administrators to assess resource distribution across departments and make informed decisions about budget allocations. This visual representation helps identify areas of over- or under-utilization, optimizing resource allocation for maximum impact.
For new faculty members, staff, and administrators, org charts are valuable tools during orientation. These charts help newcomers understand the institution’s structure, learn about reporting relationships, and quickly grasp the overall formation of the university or college. This understanding enhances the onboarding process, enabling individuals to integrate into their roles more effectively and navigate the intricacies of the higher education environment.
Organizational charts support performance management by aligning goals, assessing progress, and evaluating performance at different levels within colleges and universities. They create a framework for accountability, promote transparency, and enable effective performance management across faculty, staff, and departments.
Succession planning is crucial in higher education institutions to ensure continuity and effective leadership transitions. Organizational charts aid in identifying key academic leadership positions, potential successors, and career paths within the institution. This assists in talent management, workforce planning, and developing plans for knowledge transfer and institutional memory, particularly in academic departments and administrative divisions.
OrgChart is a game-changer for colleges and universities of all sizes and types, offering automation for chart building and visualization of HR data. Ditch the manual and do-it-yourself charting tools, and experience the difference with OrgChart:
Request a demo today and discover how OrgChart can transform your university.
In today’s diverse and multi-faceted higher education field, organizational charts have become indispensable for effective human resource management. Colleges and universities of all sizes and academic focuses can benefit from using org charts to visualize, communicate, and navigate their complex organizational structures. Whether it’s a large research university or a small liberal arts college, org chart software has the potential to make a significant impact. Next, let’s explore the different types of colleges that should use org charts.
Research-intensive universities often have intricate hierarchies with multiple schools, departments, research centers, and administrative units. Organizational chart software enables these institutions to visually represent their complex structures, clarify reporting lines, and promote effective coordination and collaboration among faculty, staff, and researchers.
Community colleges are vital in providing accessible education to diverse student populations. Organizational charts help these institutions streamline administrative processes by mapping out academic departments, support services, and administrative offices. This enables efficient communication and coordination between faculty, staff, and students.
Organizational charts are valuable tools for illustrating the interconnectedness of various academic departments and interdisciplinary programs in liberal arts colleges. These charts facilitate collaboration and cross-disciplinary initiatives, enhancing the liberal arts education experience and promoting holistic learning approaches.
Professional schools, such as law schools, business schools, and medical schools, often have specialized academic departments and centers. Organizational charts assist these institutions in showcasing different departments, faculty members, and administrative units. This aids in effective management, resource allocation, and coordination of professional programs.
As online education gains prominence, organizational charts become particularly important for institutions offering distance learning programs. These charts visualize the virtual organizational structure, including academic departments, virtual campuses, and administrative units. They facilitate effective communication and coordination in the online learning environment.
Organizational charts are essential for graduate schools and research centers as they clearly represent research clusters, graduate programs, and affiliated faculty members. These charts aid in research project management, resource allocation, and coordination of interdisciplinary collaborations.
Organizational charts are valuable for mapping out academic support services, such as libraries, tutoring centers, career services, and student affairs departments. They enhance the coordination of support services, promote collaboration between departments, and improve student experience.
Organizational charts are instrumental in illustrating the structure of administrative offices within colleges and universities, including human resources, finance, IT services, and facilities management. These charts enhance communication, clarify reporting lines, and optimize the allocation of administrative resources.
By embracing organizational chart software tailored for higher education, colleges, and universities can harness the benefits of visual representation, efficient communication, and streamlined coordination. These tools empower academic institutions to navigate their organizational structures effectively, promote transparency, and create an environment conducive to educational excellence and student success.
Many institutes of higher education already have organizational charts in place. However, these charts may be out-of-date, difficult to access, or limited to showcasing only executive-level personnel. To stay effective and relevant in today’s competitive higher education field, consider making all departments, divisions, and roles visible to internal and external audiences through comprehensive organizational charts.
Organizational charts are invaluable tools that clearly represent your institution’s structure, roles, and reporting relationships. By creating an up-to-date and accessible org chart, you can enhance communication, facilitate decision-making, and ensure clarity across your higher education institution.
If you work in human resources for a college or university and have been tasked with developing a new org chart, planning a reorganization, or revamping an existing chart, the following instructions may help guide you through the process.
Start by gathering all the relevant information about your institution’s departments, positions, and reporting relationships. Review existing documentation, such as job descriptions, existing org charts, and reporting structures. Engage with department heads, administrators, and key stakeholders to ensure you have accurate and comprehensive data. This step is crucial for creating an accurate and up-to-date organizational chart.
Consider the organizational structure that best represents your school. Evaluate whether a pyramidal hierarchy, divisional structure, or hybrid model aligns with your department’s goals and functions. Choose a format that is visually appealing and easy to understand for both internal and external audiences.
Identify the key positions and reporting relationships within your college. Begin with top-level executives, such as the president, vice presidents, deans, and department heads. Then, identify the reporting lines, including direct reports and their respective positions. Take note of any cross-functional collaborations or shared responsibilities that exist.
You can create org charts using free, do-it-yourself tools or specialized org chart software*. Alternatively, consider using online platforms that offer interactive and dynamic org chart capabilities. Add the identified departments, positions, reporting relationships, and hierarchy. Start with top-level positions and work your way down, representing reporting lines with lines or arrows.
Tailor the org chart to reflect the unique characteristics of your university. Incorporate specific department names, positions, and titles to ensure accuracy. Enhance accessibility by adding relevant information, such as contact details or departmental websites. Consider using color-coding or different shapes to distinguish faculty, staff, and administrative roles.
Share the draft org chart with department heads, administrators, and other relevant stakeholders for their feedback and input. Encourage collaboration to ensure accuracy and inclusivity. Incorporate any necessary revisions or suggestions to make the org chart a collaborative and representative tool that reflects the entire institution.
Ensure the org chart is easily accessible to everyone within your institution, including personnel, faculty, and students. Create a dedicated webpage or an intranet portal where staff can easily access the org chart digitally. Provide clear instructions on how to navigate and interpret the chart. Regularly update and maintain it to reflect any organizational changes or new hires. For transparency, consider publishing a public-facing version on the university website.
Creating an organizational chart for your college is an exciting endeavor that will enhance communication, improve decision-making, and foster clarity. These steps will help you create a valuable tool representing your institution’s structure and relationships.
*OrgChart makes chart-building easy by integrating with your HRIS and automating design. Skip manual entries and let OrgChart update all your charts when you have a personnel change. And when changes occur, OrgChart automatically handles the drawing and reformatting, saving you time. Request a demo today and discover how OrgChart can streamline your design process and maximize your workforce planning goals.
Maintaining a clear and accessible organizational chart is crucial for effective university functioning and collaboration. To help universities optimize their org charts, we have compiled a list of 10 best practices specifically tailored to the needs of higher education institutions.
Whether you’re creating a new organizational chart or updating an existing one, these best practices will guide you in designing a chart that reflects your university’s unique structure and goals. From embracing interdisciplinary collaboration to leveraging technology for seamless updates, these practices will empower you to create an org chart that promotes transparency, facilitates effective decision-making, and supports the success of your institution.
Before starting, be sure that you truly understand your university’s governance model and organizational structure. Many schools have complex governance structures or founding charters that date back hundreds of years. Other schools are part of an intricate network of partner institutions or collaborative research programs that are virtually unknown except to those who seek them out. Before you create an org chart, get to know the ins and outs of your university’s academic, administrative, and support departments. Identify key roles, reporting lines, and interdependencies to ensure accuracy in your organizational chart.
Aim for a straightforward, simple, and easy-to-understand org chart design. Avoid overcrowding the chart with too much information or unnecessary details. Omit lengthy titles or jargon in favor of concise titles and roles that anyone can understand. Use a straightforward layout that effectively communicates reporting lines, hierarchies, and relationships between departments and positions. Keeping the design clean and concise ensures that your organizational chart is easily digestible for your audience.
While the academic structure is crucial, don’t forget to include administrative and support functions in your organizational chart. These roles are essential for the smooth operation of your institution and play a vital role in supporting the academic mission. Incorporate departments such as human resources, finance, facilities, IT services, and student support services to provide a comprehensive view of your institution’s structure.
In today’s academic environment, interdisciplinary collaboration and cross-functional teams are becoming increasingly important. If your institution has such initiatives, include them in your organizational chart. Highlight the connections between different departments or teams to showcase the collaborative nature of your institution. This encourages innovation, fosters collaboration, and promotes a multidisciplinary approach to problem‑solving.
Organizational structures evolve over time, and keeping your chart up to date is essential. Regularly review and update your organizational chart to reflect any changes in personnel, departmental restructuring, or new initiatives. This ensures the chart remains accurate and relevant, providing an up-to-date representation of your institution’s structure.
An organizational chart is not just a static document but a tool for transparency and effective communication within your institution. Make your organizational chart easily accessible to faculty, staff, and students. Publish it on your school’s website or intranet, and consider displaying it in common areas on campus. This promotes transparency, helps individuals understand the organizational structure, and encourages open communication across departments.
While having a comprehensive organizational chart is necessary, you can also create customized versions for different audiences. For example, you might have a condensed version for new employees or prospective students, highlighting key departments and positions. This allows individuals to quickly grasp the overall structure without getting overwhelmed by too much detail. Similarly, you might use a different version for advancement, highlighting the faculty titles or research centers named after major gifts. Tailoring your organizational chart for different audiences enhances understanding and engagement.
Leverage organizational chart software and HRIS platforms to streamline the creation and maintenance process. Organizational chart software or cloud-based platforms automate many tasks for you, allowing you to make updates and generate different chart versions easily. This saves time and effort while ensuring accuracy and consistency. Explore software options that integrate with your HR or employee database, making keeping your chart up to date easier.
With automated syncing with your HRIS, OrgChart eliminates manual charting and reformatting, providing accurate charts and saving you precious time. OrgChart is a scalable and customizable solution that caters to workforce configurations of any size, from small teams to large workforces.
When creating the organizational chart, address relevant university policies, procedures, and guidelines. Consider any legal or regulatory requirements that may impact the structure or reporting relationships within the institution. Publicly subsidized schools may be required to submit org chart updates to their state department of higher education quarterly. Other schools may have to keep updated charts with an accreditation board. Whatever your compliance requirements are, be sure to adhere to them.
Collaborate with university leaders, department heads, and HR representatives to gather input and ensure that the organizational chart accurately represents the institution’s current structure and strategic goals. Encourage feedback from key stakeholders and ask for suggestions on improving its clarity and usefulness. By actively seeking feedback and adapting to the needs of your institution, you can continuously refine your organizational chart and make it a valuable resource for everyone.
Remember, creating and maintaining an effective organizational chart is an ongoing process. Embrace these best practices, adapt them to the unique needs of your college or university, and leverage technology to streamline the chart creation and maintenance process. Doing so will promote clarity, transparency, and efficiency within your institution, fostering an environment that supports collaboration and success.
By following these best practices, HR professionals can create an organizational chart that effectively represents their university’s structure, promotes clarity and transparency, and supports strategic decision-making and collaboration.
The OrgChart Framework
In the rapidly changing landscape of higher education, universities face the pressing need to enhance efficiency and economic performance. To achieve this, schools should look for answers in their organizational structure.
The organization begins with a vision. Find your school’s ultimate purpose, then set goals, objectives, and strategies to achieve that vision. Then, analyze your existing organizational design. Review your teams’ objectives and your employees’ competencies and responsibilities. Each role ought to align with your high-level goals. By aligning form with function, universities can set clear goals and develop strategies that inform the organization’s structure.
But perception shapes understanding. If you can’t see the network of people or visualize the data, you can’t uncover the connections and interactions at play. Modern organizational chart builders like OrgChart let you visualize your HR data fully, giving you the perspective you need to reorganize.
OrgChart is a game-changing solution designed specifically for HR professionals. It lets you parse analytics, visualize any reorg scenario, and automate tasks. Say goodbye to the hassle of manual charting and time-consuming reformatting. With OrgChart, you can effortlessly create visually appealing and accurate organizational charts that sync seamlessly with your HRIS, saving you valuable time and ensuring data accuracy.
With OrgChart, you have the power to revolutionize your workforce management. No more overwhelming spreadsheets or static lists. Use OrgChart to:
Don’t miss out on the opportunity to revolutionize your workforce management. Request a demo of OrgChart today and experience firsthand how it empowers HR professionals in higher education to embrace transparency, drive efficiency, and foster collaboration for the benefit of academic excellence.
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Unlock your college or university’s full potential with our comprehensive guide to organizational charts for higher education. In today’s dynamic academic landscape, a clear and efficient organizational structure is essential for success. In this guide, we’ll explore three common organizational models for higher education, give step-by-step guidance on how to create a university org chart, and uncover the ten best practices for designing and maintaining it.
Don’t miss this opportunity to elevate your college or university HR department to new heights. Download our comprehensive guide today and revolutionize your workforce management with OrgChart. Embrace change, improve efficiency, and shape the future of higher education.