Career Advice Advice

Administration calls. Should you answer?

The pros and cons of taking on admin roles in different stages of your career

Frédéric Deschenaux, Stéphane Allaire

February 26, 2026

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Today we’re tackling a question many professors ask themselves at some point in their career: whether to accept an academic administrative role. Collective agreements sometimes include administrative roles in the list of professors’ duties, often under the umbrella of “other academic activities” or service contributions.

Since universities operate based on a collegial system, the task of chairing departments and programs falls on faculty. As it’s such a major — and time-consuming — responsibility, understanding what administrative work entails might help you decide on the best time to tackle the role.

The duties of department and program chairs vary by institution, but they generally pose two major challenges. First, few professors have management training, which can lead to uninformed improvisation. Any training professors do have may be rendered moot by the unique environment of academia. Second, it can be very challenging to balance the demands of administration with other professorial tasks, like teaching and research. So: should professors wait to take on these roles until their careers are more established? Dive right in to strengthen their application for tenure or promotion? Or lend a hand just to help their department run smoothly? In truth, there’s no single correct answer.

To quote an old army slogan: There’s no life like it! If administration interests you, give it a try. You can chair a department, program or internship program — there’s no shortage of options. The election process is usually straightforward, since there’s rarely much competition, and your teaching load will be reduced after you’re elected to make room for your new responsibilities. Under the collegial model, department and program chairs don’t function like bosses; their purpose is to run a program and speak on its behalf in various meetings. They also ensure everything runs smoothly in the department (with budgeting, hiring, ensuring a pleasant work environment and orienting new hires) or the program (curating courses, recognizing equivalencies, modifying programs or renewing certifications).

Is this type of position the right fit for everyone? To put it simply, if somewhat bluntly: no. If you are already struggling in your academic role, taking on administrative duties is often a bad idea. As well, different people have different strengths, and this is essential to the proper functioning of universities. If every professor had the same interests — for example, an intensive focus on research — the entire system would collapse.

A diverse team helps ensure that every responsibility can be met. Some people are research powerhouses who help raise the university or department’s visibility. Others prioritize teaching or academic service work. Each person’s unique strengths should be recognized, including when assessing their performance for tenure or promotion. Assessments based on only one metric would be both reductive and counterproductive. If you choose to take on administrative duties, that colleagues should acknowledge that work and not begrudge you for letting other tasks drop.

Now that you know what’s involved, how do you decide if it’s the right time to accept an administrative position? Departments tend to limit newer professors’ access to these roles. While this is often well-intentioned, it may subtly (or overtly) encourage new hires to focus on research instead. Nonetheless, if you’re interested in administration, jumping head-first into could be a quick way to learn the ins and outs of your university.

On the other hand, you might want to reserve administration for mid-career, after you’ve invested some time into research and teaching. Finally, some professors prefer to wait until the end of their career to switch things up and free up their colleagues’ time.

Departments often limit successive administrative terms, to ensure that people with different backgrounds occupy these positions. This means that administration is unlikely to be a central feature of your entire career. Nor are you always free to choose when to get involved. Your department may collectively decide that everyone needs to take a turn. In smaller universities and departments, you may be tapped sooner than you’d think!

Our advice is the same as always: when in doubt, talk to your colleagues. It’s essential to talk about how administrative roles factor into your department’s performance assessment. In some departments, administration terms are planned years in advance, so everyone has time to prepare.

It’s important to remember that accepting an administrative role helps support academic collegiality. If too many people avoid these roles, the university may turn to alternative management structures. In the end, it’s not just about whether you should become an administrator: it’s also about when to do it; why to do it; and who will do it if you don’t.

Frédéric Deschenaux, Stéphane Allaire

Frédéric Deschenaux, PhD, is a full professor in the Departmental Unit of Education Sciences at Université du Québec à Rimouski. He specializes in the sociology of education. Stéphane Allaire, PhD, is a full professor in the Department of Education Sciences at Université du Québec à Chicoutimi. He specializes in high school educational practices.

1 Comments

This is a nice review of pros and cons. I think some other cons are dealing with conflict all the time and being blamed most of the time. It is also frustrating having no power, and watching Deans and provosts make really dumb or unethical decisions while refusing to listen or follow reasoned arguments. It is well known that many administrators have ‘failed up’ (research and teaching usually weak), so rather than having intelligent, nuanced conversations with friendly colleagues, you get embedded in monotonous meetings with little imagination or any sense of urgency. Admin types also tend to put a lot of emphasis on status, since that is mostly all they can claim, their official title. I hope these patterns are not as widespread as I think but not much evidence to the contrary. So I would really caution against young people taking on admin too early (it is like giving up on your academic dreams). And I would dissuade careerist types. But those who want to serve and try to improve things are to be encouraged. But they will face conflicts and frustrations so the hope to improve things should be sincere and worth the many headaches.

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