Good Afternoon,

Great discussion.  I think, as someone said earlier, much depends on how
your office does business.  There are many things that we do that are
clerk work and many others that are very demanding.  So, I think it
depends on the design of the position:  Does the job require receiving
and inputting information from faculty, checking the required
formatting, getting a proposal out on time, setting up an account,
sending report reminder notices, tracking final reports, tracking
spending, and closing up accounts?  OR does the job require generating
or updating policies, IRB or animal committee work, negotiating awards
and/or cost share, working with faculty to manage all of their awards
and how those awards inter-relate and/or stand alone, doing training,
representing your office on academic committees, etc.

What are the goals of the office?  From what offices or levels in the
university are policies generated or driven that affect the office?  How
well defined are the positions in the office?

I think the master's of higher education administration with a bent for
research administration would be desirable, especially for individuals
who enjoy what they do, would like an advanced degree, and aren't
interested in history, philosophy, Greek literature, or business!
However, the holder of that degree would have to work at an institution
that would challenge and utilize the acquired skills.

Ruth

Ruth Tallman
Office of Research and Sponsored Programs
Lehigh University
526 Brodhead Avenue
Bethlehem, PA  18015
Phone:   (610)758-3024
FAX:      (610)758-5994
E-mail:   xxxxxx@lehigh.edu

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