A related problem is that of the administrator/professor ratio, which at many research universities is now >1. The statement from U Waterloo went out under the President's name, but it was almost certainly instigated and produced (i.e. cut and pasted) by members of the administrative wing of the University.

What explains the recent increase in administrative FTEs in universities? One recent review of rising tuition in the face of declining expenditures on instruction suggested: "The steady growth in administrative and nonteaching staff positions is largely due to broader student support, often referred to as “wraparound services,” in areas such as mental health, entertainment, intramural sports, academic support, workforce preparedness and initiatives focused on diversity, equity and inclusion." (USNWR June 2023).

As university administrative cadres have been increasingly captured in recent years by Social Justice Ideology (the "Identity Synthesis" of Yascha Mounk), they have taken on the mission of providing "safe" spaces for certain identities.