Ask AI
We and other alumni and commentators from around the country have been concerned about the growing administrative costs and related problems at U.S. colleges and universities. See, for example, “Stanford’s Ballooning Administrative Bureaucracy” at our Stanford Concerns webpage which, among other things, has detailed comparisons of Stanford’s numbers with the numbers at comparable schools. So we decided to ask different providers of AI (ChatGPT, Google Gemini, Microsoft Copilot, etc.) what they might do to address these and other concerns and are reproducing below, in both language and format, what AI recommended in response to our questions. ​See also our Back to Basics at Stanford webpage.
Our Question: What Would Peter Drucker Say About Organizational Complexity?
(9/6/25)
We asked Google AI – intentionally not mentioning Stanford although with Stanford and other major universities in mind – what management consultant and author Peter Drucker (1909-2005) would say about organizational complexity. This is the exact language we got in response:
Peter Drucker saw organizational complexity as an enemy of effectiveness that hinders performance and demoralizes employees. He famously quipped, "Most of what we call management consists of making it difficult for people to get their work done." Drucker believed that simplicity, decentralization, and a clear focus on the organization's mission were the best countermeasures to this natural tendency toward complexity.
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Here are Drucker's key views on overly complicated organizations:
Inefficiency grows with size
Drucker compared organizations to living organisms, noting that as they grow, an increasing proportion of their energy is spent on managing their own internal structure rather than producing results for customers. He believed that an organization's internal "mass" or bureaucracy grows faster than its "external surface" or output. To combat this, he advocated for organizations to "run lean" and prioritize having a few highly effective people over many mediocre ones.
Meetings are a sign of failure
For Drucker, an excess of meetings is a symptom of poor organizational design. He believed that the fewer meetings an organization needs, the better organized it is. Productive work is done between meetings, not during them. He stressed that a meeting should be a rare, focused event with a clear purpose and plan, not a substitute for clear communication, preparation, and follow-through.
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Information overload hinders clarity
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In the age of information, Drucker warned against being "swamped by the data we generate." He argued that organizations don't need more data; they need to ask the right questions and build an information system that gives knowledge workers exactly what they need to do their jobs effectively.
The answer is simple and decentralized
Drucker was a proponent of decentralization, believing that companies operate best when employees at every level are empowered with autonomy and equipped with the information to manage themselves. This principle is at the heart of his "Management by Objectives" (MBO) framework, which seeks to align individual employee goals with the larger organizational mission.
The remedy: Planned abandonment
To combat the organizational inertia that keeps unproductive and obsolete projects alive, Drucker emphasized the need for "planned abandonment." Leaders must constantly and systematically prune unnecessary activities, programs, and businesses to free up resources for new opportunities. He noted that organizations often cling to past successes, a dangerous habit that hinders growth and innovation.
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A focus on external purpose
To simplify things internally, Drucker insisted that organizations should maintain an intense external focus on their core mission and customers.... When an organization loses sight of its customer-focused purpose, it turns inward, adding internal complexities and losing its ability to create value.
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See also our long-existing webpage Back to Basics at Stanford.
Our Question: What are the major challenges facing universities today? (5/26/25)
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ChatGPT's response:
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1. Rising Costs & Student Debt
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Tuition Inflation: The cost of college has grown far faster than inflation or income levels.
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Student Debt Crisis: U.S. student loan debt exceeds $1.7 trillion, burdening millions and delaying life milestones like home ownership or family formation.
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Spending Priorities: Universities are often criticized for spending heavily on amenities, administrative staff, or real estate while cutting academic resources.
"We are pricing the middle class and working class out of higher education." -- Dr. Sara Goldrick-Rab, higher education policy scholar
2. Mission Drift & Administrative Bloat
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Expansion of Non-Academic Bureaucracy: There’s been a significant increase in administrative roles, sometimes diluting the core academic mission.
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Branding over Learning: Institutions are sometimes accused of focusing on rankings, prestige projects, and athletics rather than teaching or research quality.
“Universities risk becoming businesses that happen to offer classes.” -- Benjamin Ginsberg, The Fall of the Faculty
3. Free Speech, Political Polarization & Institutional Trust
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Campus Speech Tensions: There’s growing debate over whether universities are upholding academic freedom and intellectual diversity.
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External Pressures: Donors, politicians, and activists sometimes seek to influence curriculum and hiring, eroding public trust.
“Universities must remain places where difficult questions can be asked and ideas can be freely debated.” -- Brian Moynihan, CEO of Bank of America
4. Return on Investment (ROI) & Relevance
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Skills Gap: Many employers argue that graduates lack practical skills in communication, critical thinking, or digital literacy.
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Value of the Degree: With rising tuition and stagnating wages, the ROI of some degrees -- particularly in liberal arts -- is being questioned.
“The question isn't just: 'Can you get in?' It's: 'Is it worth it?'” -- Anthony Carnevale, Georgetown Center on Education and the Workforce
5. Mental Health & Student Well-being
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Rising Anxiety & Burnout: Students are increasingly reporting high levels of stress, depression, and burnout.
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Insufficient Services: Many universities are struggling to meet the mental health needs of their students.
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Student Perspective: "Is this worth it?"
1. Cost vs. Value
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Students are paying more than ever and questioning whether their degree will lead to a stable career or high ROI.
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Many graduate with crippling debt and few job prospects tied directly to their field.
“I’m $80,000 in debt and working a job that didn’t require a degree.”
2. Mental Health Crisis
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Anxiety, depression, and burnout are at record highs.
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Campus counseling centers are often under-resourced or overwhelmed.
3. Career Relevance
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Degrees can feel disconnected from real-world job markets.
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Internships, networking, and soft skills are often more impactful than coursework alone.
4. Campus Climate & Free Speech
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Many students report fear of speaking up -- on both the left and right -- due to political or social backlash.
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Navigating identity politics and “cancel culture” can be stressful and confusing.
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Faculty Perspective: "What happened to academic freedom and scholarship?"
1. Erosion of Tenure and Job Security
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Increasing reliance on adjuncts (often low-paid, no benefits) undermines faculty morale and teaching continuity.
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Pressure to publish and bring in grants often outweighs good teaching.
2. Administrative Overreach
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Faculty feel sidelined in key academic decisions by non-academic administrators.
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Strategic priorities often driven by branding, enrollment, or donor agendas.
“Faculty are no longer the soul of the university -- they’re consultants to a corporation.” -- Benjamin Ginsberg, The Fall of the Faculty
3. Academic Freedom under Threat
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Faculty increasingly report pressure to self-censor.
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Controversial research or public commentary may attract backlash from outside groups or university leadership.
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Administrator Perspective: "How do we stay solvent and relevant?"
1. Financial Pressure
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Tuition revenue is falling in some regions (especially with declining birthrates).
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Inflation, deferred maintenance, and tech demands drive up costs.
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Endowments often can’t be tapped freely, despite public perception.
2. Competing Stakeholders
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Must balance demands from students, parents, faculty, donors, alumni, and policymakers.
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Any misstep (speech controversy, Title IX issues, diversity complaints) risks public relations and funding fallout.
3. Innovation vs. Tradition
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Push to modernize curriculum and expand online offerings, but tradition-bound departments may resist.
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Risk of falling behind in rankings or tech integration.
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See also charts and data regarding Stanford's costs and overhead at our Stanford Concerns webpage, proposals for actions at our Back to Basics at Stanford webpage, and a set of principles regarding speech, institutional neutrality and criteria for the hiring and promotion of faculty set forth years ago by the University of Chicago faculty at our Chicago Trifecta webpage.
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See also “Guiding Principles” by President Jon Levin and Provost Jenny Martinez (March 31, 2025) at our Stanford Speaks webpage.
​Our Question: How can a university stop or reverse administrative bloat? (5/5/25)
ChatGPT's response:
1. Governance and Accountability
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Reform leadership incentives: Tie senior administrator evaluations to academic outcomes, cost-efficiency, and faculty/student satisfaction -- not just expansion of services or programs.
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Create oversight committees: Faculty-led bodies should review new administrative hires and budget allocations.
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Implement sunset clauses: Temporary administrative roles should automatically expire unless justified and renewed.
2. Budgetary Discipline
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Adopt zero-based budgeting: Instead of automatic increases, every department -- including administrative -- must justify its entire budget each cycle.
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Cap administrative growth: Set hard limits on admin-to-student or admin-to-faculty ratios.
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Redirect resources: Prioritize instructional and research expenditures over non-academic roles.
3. Recenter on Core Mission
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Reaffirm academic priorities: Ensure that new policies and spending support teaching, research, and student learning.
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Audit role alignment: Identify positions that duplicate services or whose duties have drifted from academic goals.
4. Process Streamlining and Tech Integration
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Digitize bureaucracy: Invest in technology to automate compliance, scheduling, and reporting instead of hiring staff.
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Simplify compliance: Work with regulators to reduce redundant or unnecessary compliance burdens.
5. Cultural and Structural Shifts
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Strengthen shared governance: Give faculty and students more influence over administrative policy and hiring.
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Decentralize decision-making: Empower academic departments to manage more of their own operations.
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6. Transparency and Data
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Publicly report admin growth: Regularly disclose metrics like admin salaries, staff-to-faculty ratios, and non-academic expenditures.
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Benchmark against peers: Use data to assess whether admin growth aligns with similar institutions or exceeds norms.
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Our Question: Suggest ways that a university can increase viewpoint diversity in its faculty and students. (5/5/25)
ChatGPT's response:
1. Inclusive Hiring Practices
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Broaden candidate pools: Actively recruit from a variety of institutions, including those with differing philosophical, political, or religious leanings.
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Use structured interviews: Minimize bias by applying consistent criteria across all candidates.
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Encourage intellectual diversity as a hiring value: Include questions in hiring processes that explore a candidate’s commitment to open inquiry and constructive engagement across differences.
2. Admissions and Outreach
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Widen geographical and demographic outreach: Target recruitment in underrepresented regions or communities that may have different perspectives.
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Consider a broader definition of diversity: Incorporate ideological and experiential diversity alongside race, gender, and socioeconomic status.
3. Curriculum and Course Design
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Offer courses in diverse traditions of thought: Include curricula representing a wide range of political, philosophical, and cultural viewpoints.
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Encourage debate and dialogue: Design courses that require students to engage with contrasting views, supported by evidence and respectful discourse.
4. Campus Culture
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Support student organizations across the spectrum: Ensure funding and support is available for a wide range of political, religious, and cultural groups.
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Host speaker series and debates: Bring in a variety of voices, including those that challenge mainstream or dominant campus perspectives.
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Foster a climate of civil discourse: Promote norms that encourage listening, questioning, and respectful disagreement.
5. Institutional Commitments
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Adopt free speech and open inquiry policies: Publicly affirm the institution’s support for academic freedom and diverse viewpoints.
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Create a viewpoint diversity advisory committee: Include faculty, students, and administrators tasked with monitoring and supporting intellectual diversity efforts.