August 3, 2001

Experienced Officials Are Not Necessarily Best for Colleges, Study Finds

By DAN CURRY

Seasoned administrators think long but play short.

A new study shows that experienced college officials are more likely to consider the long-term ramifications of their actions than their greener counterparts. But the veterans prefer to spend whatever they can get their hands on, rather than wait for bigger rewards down the road.

"It's a bird-in-the-hand-is-worth-two-in-the-bush mode of thinking," says Alexandra W. Logue, the study's author and vice president for academic