An informal 1994 study of 17 ERCs indicated that center support staff ranged in number from 3 to 19. All centers report changes in staff over time, but no clear pattern of change has been documented. Determine how large your ERC is expected to become, based on your strategic plan, and consider how ERC staff can be used to extend faculty expertise and time. In drafting employment agreements, be poised to balance the pressures of ERC growth and new program development against a simultaneous need for downsizing and reorganizing due to program shifts and funding changes over time. Traditional human resource practices and layoff policies may not accommodate simultaneous retrenchment and reallocation within one administrative unit.
Some centers have a very small staff.
In addition to general administration of the center, the Director and the AD may share responsibility for education programs, industrial collaboration, and outreach. This is not the most effective structure in the long run. A brief outline of essential ERC functions follows below. Chapter 2 of the Best Practices Manual describes the responsibilities of the ERC Director. It is essential that there be a good working relationship among these key individuals.