If they have a PhD degree, they can with a decision of the senate and if there is a real need.

I think they should teach in order to stay in touch with the students, departments, and faculties. This will ensure them to listen, see, and hear...although they just teach 1 or 2 courses per semester, and thus will not impact their strategic positions/jobs.

While teaching allows them to keep in contact with students and research give them credibility, I am fraid that top university adiministrators should not do so. Managing a university well is alreayd a formidable job and it is difficult to fulfil their duties even if they do no tteach and do research. Let there few people focus on their jobs. If they do their jobs well, their contributions to the university would be greater than thier teachign and research.

I think it is necessary otherwise how can they lead their emloyees????

I love teaching and try to do so when I can. It tends to give me energy and I feel I can do my job better after I teach.

It should be left to the administrator. It would be really tough for him/her to manage his responsibilities to fit into a course schedule. Teaching actually helps the administrator as well as university. I have seen some of the administrators at IIT Delhi taught a course per year without any problem.

Yes. Top university officials became so because they are outstanding teachers (prior to the admin position). It will be a very wonderful experience for the students to be able to experience learning from their top administrators as teachers. And it will also be a wonderful feeling for the top university officials to be able to do again what they always wanted to do- teach.

Yes. They should teach and keep updated in the domain.

I also have the opinion that top university administrators (Head of Departments, Deans and above) should teach and the number of hours in front of the students should be according to the level of their responsibilities within the university and their research activities.

In an ideal world, they should teach and do research; but in reality, I am afraid not, for large universities.

My university (University of Liverpool), The Vice Chancellor (the top executive) does not teach or do research. Nor are his deputies. They do not have time to do so. I do not know about other British universities but I doubt these top administrators do. Even if they do, it must be very rara.

No time for VC to teach though they look after policy education and research. No body stop them if they are really think that their course is useful and innovative

Usually, top administratives are coming from their previous positions as professors aren't they?? If yes, how can they brake their scientific life in order to be managers??? I do not believe that they can :)

I believe it should be optional. The duties of directors are always very demanding.

They should do so in order not to lose the capacity to teach.These jobs are not forever.

To impose teaching on all university top administrators may not be a wise policy. It might prove counter-productive, and worsen administration due t neglect. They should decide themselves whether they have the time and the energy to do so, without being forced for it. I do not see any point in such a compulsion.

I feel all University top administrators need not teach. Top administrators have to do administrative and non administrative jobs for smooth functioning of Indian universities. They should focus more on smooth functioning of the university.

It depends upon the administrator. If he/she has real passion of teaching, he/she does not want to be a fish out of water. He/she should continue to devote limited time towards teaching besides heavy administrative duties. Advantage of this process will be the administrator will better understand the problems of people under him/her.

Some university leader in my country do teach as they usually best lecturer and because of lack of skillfull lecturer.

Some doesn't teach as it is big universities that need them more on administering all department and manage also develop the univerasities to come out of best quality university.

Best practice on management they shouldn't teach but if their passion is teaching and they can spare their time for teaching why not.

After all teaching is passion and managing time for exprience teacher is it?

In our university, all top university officials are faculty members with designated administrative positions (President, VPs, Deans). Our policy requires that they handle 2-3 subjects to maintain their academic ranks. Actually in our case it is not a matter of choice.

Still I believe that top university officials must teach so as not to deprive the students of experienced, quality teaching and also not to deprive these officials of their first love- to teach.

It depends on the course of teaching , the situations of each university and the situations of the top university administrators. Basically, however, we have to be very careful of it, because the most significant duty for top administrators is to make decisions for various difficult problems for the futures of university based on information they have. In the process of making decisions, they have to spend plenty of time for various meetings and so on, that might affect teaching. But we also know some leaders sometimes have special ability and quality that other professors do not have. We also have to watch it.

I also think that top university administrators have very high responsibilities and therefore should not be required to teach. These persons usually have vast teaching experiences and understand the students quite well. My observation is that they generally opt to teach at least one course per semester.

I am sure that every administrator at the university must also give lectures to students. Administrator does not lag behind in knowledge of new trends in science that are growing logarithmically. The administrator sets the feedback from students. He understands the concerns of students, and it helps to make appropriate decisions. Not everyone is able to effectively combine the two heavy profession. At this situation, I regret that students are not lucky with the top administrator.

Dear Behrouz, thanks for understanding clear position.

Managing administration for top universities is always an intensive responsibility and exhaustive as well due to it's very nature of managing innumerous difficult and challenging aspects to retain quality and standard of education, research activities, administrative policies, generating resources to keep any program viable, atrtacting quality students across the globe, handling legal issues, industry-university interaction for tech transfer etc.

If those busy administrators are asked to take teaching responsibilities that could be an extra burden to them and they will be overwhelmed and administrative responsibilities have to be compromised.

But top administrator must always be top. Indeed, a lot of responsibilities, but we are talking about the most important responsibilities. He must maintain feedback with students. Otherwise the work becomes a regular administrator formality.

Thanks Fairouz, thank you.

A good university administrator should keep in interaction with the students and the peers, for better understanding administrative issues. As well as to keep updated in his field. He/she must take a course or supervise phd students. The same for a research institute administrator.

Dear All,

I think there are big differences among the main tasks and aims of various universities. Classical task of a university may be to provide the best education and knowledge for national and general welfare including the interests of biosphere. However, also political and national aims may play the main role in some countries. I am afraid, the most important aim may be the profit in case of many universities. Taking into consideration all these, demands towards administrators should be various. In profit oriented institutions the top administrator is a kind of manager without educational and scientific experience. In dictatorships and in countries with democracy deficiency the main value for an administrator is the loyalty.

I do believe administrators are meant to ensure and enable a conducive learning environment, which is their prime responsibility. In addition to this, however, option should be with them to teach or not but it should not be mandatory.

Agree with Fairouz, provided that the administrator is well-qualified to teach.

Dear All,

I feel the testimony of our friend Kamal - I love and enjoy teaching - is more than rare. Please, list top university administrators who loves and do teaching and at the same time are active at RG – except Kamal!

Dear All,

I agree with Fairouz! But what she said, is only a desire.

Dear Andras. Top administrator has the ability to read a special course. It will not be excessive load for him. However, it will help officials understand the desire to work lecturer and students. This feedback is absolutely necessary for a top administrator. But no need for top officials.

Dear Kamal I totally agree I love teaching and believe that we should grab every opportunity to teach. The past year was a transitional one for me with two administrative positions. Based on my beliefs and the responses I received to this question I have asked my departmental chairperson to assign me a class to teach next semester. I hope I can give it justice

For top administrator,teach also as one way to measure and evaluate implementation of strategic management in the university and also one way to get feedback from students about administration on university sop.

Dear Dony, thanks for understanding.

Dr. Kamal thanks so much for the support.

The very idea of teaching students is pleasant.But look at the possibility of an administrator go astray again and again from the lesson. An administrator is more interested in knowing or call it feedback on the affairs of the institution and who is doing what to advance his performance as an administrator.And the there is no better feedback than from students.Students also earn a high grade hallo effect. I have seen many good professors refusing administrative offers to keep track of the advances in their field.

It is however GOOD to keep interest in both. Good teachers miss teaching a lot, for quite some time, after becoming administrators but the lure haunts.

TEACHING IS ONLY WAYS TO DISSEMINATE THE RESEARCH AT WIDE SCALE. THE LEVEL OF TEACHING STANDARD WILL DEPEND ON TYPES OF AUDIENCE AVAILABLE. 

Daer Palani

My question was for top administrators President and vice presidents who tend to be senior faculty members.

If the top administrators are faculty members and they feel to teach a course, it is OK. A professional administrator that is not a faculty member should not teach, except by permission and required expertise.  

Thanks Costas I fully agree

In India, where , University top administrators are mostly academicians, they should get themselves engaged in teaching. it helps them to maintain the teaching habits, constant monitoring and understanding of the root level matters which needs promotion or support, students will be motivated to have them in the class and develop a respect to the post and importance of teaching. Also, it helps to administrator to directly convey the importance of academic development and its accosiated matters. howevr, for those who don't have academic background they also have to deliver talks to the students and get feedback about the academic developments.

The question of the lectures of top administrators in universities reflects the low professional level of the top administrators. Top managers are the symbol of the University of intelligence and the pride of the nation. The staff of the University shall be professionals (we are talking about the officials and personnel not directly related to the teaching and science) to be qualified to perform the duties of ensuring the success of the teaching and scientific process (accountants, lawyers, economists, technicians ...). In this case, the University will continue the tradition of teaching and scientific work.

If they have the expertise and the time..then why not?

Perhaps the reason is the lack of real knowledge and experience. And the time administrators need to learn how to plan.

When the university has maintain the standing honor the university becomes a respectable one offering the light for the invitation to students ,parents ,& media .

For top university the responsibility of the administrator should not be overlook & under estimated .It is his a line of working system to place the reason in the university & to establish a disciplinary approach & professional mode of working .

When the teaching for the administrators comes into the surface of his extra responsibility it is very clear fact that the administrator of top most university should a man of letters & with his academic excellence in the area of specialization he can certainly teach the student which in the line of his administrative & academic experience he can certainly win the applause  of the student for his teaching .

This is my personal opinion