Organizational Structure, Models of

Higher education is one of the oldest enterprises in the world. Vestiges of the original medieval structure (e.g., devotion to the life of the mind, activities dedicated to the public good, presence of faculty and students, and administrators exercising organizational control), established with the earliest universities in Europe in the 10th century, carry forward in modern higher education organizations. Colleges and universities are organized to provide the highest educational value to students, stakeholders, and society as a whole.

A long-standing international endeavor, these complex and diverse organizations are connected to the societies and cultures in which they are located. This entry describes conceivable organizational structures within higher education. Several drivers shaping higher education organizations and the institutions in which they are embedded are described. An understanding ...