The SRA Symposium - College of Medicine

Table 3: Will it provide you a promotion?
Help receive a promotion? Certificate Master’s degree
Yes 79 51% 87 56%
No 76 49% 68 44%
155 155
Hypothesis 3. The interaction with the representatives from SRA provided the insight as to
how the body of knowledge (Appendix 2) corresponds perfectly with the organizational structure
of the university’s Master of Public Administration (PA) program. The goals and the mission of
the PA program and the profession have plenty of common ground. Some research administrators
may find that healthcare administration enhances their technical expertise better, but at the
university where the program was evaluated, the master’s program in public administration has a
healthcare track. This only exemplifies the marriage between the profession and public administration.
Other Findings
The lack of definitions within the survey may have caused respondents to misrepresent the types
of organizations represented. For example, some institutions are a medical facility within a university;
some respondents may view themselves as the medical facility while others may identify
as a university. The study did not ask specific questions about the respondents’ views on whether
the career ladder can require relocation or whether they were looking to receive a promotion or to
maintain their current position.
Approximately 10% of the respondents’ additional comments indicate that academic programming
is needed, but do not believe that the profession is able to institutionalize the program.
Summary of Results
75% of the respondents indicated that they are interested in pursing an academic certificate, with
54% wanting to begin immediately. Another 34% indicated that they would like to begin the program
within one year. This equates to 136 SRA members who would enroll in an academic certificate
program within two years of the survey. Considering the course enrollment size limitations of
30 students, the academic course would have a four-year waiting list.
Summary, Conclusions, and Recommendations
Papers
Summary
The profession of research administration is pursing formal education in addition to the required
continuing education that is supplied by its associations. Surveying a sample of one professional
organization substantiates the hypothesis that the professionals are in search of academic education
that incorporates the needs of their specialization. Presenting the results to an academic
institution verified the need of this specialization, thereby placing the system in motion for the
academic institution to institutionalize the needs of the profession in academic programming.
2005 Symposium Proceedings Book 101