Russian university pro-rectors: sociological portrait and structural changes

The article aims at studying the key features of the universities subordinate to the Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation on the basis of monitoring their pro-rectors. The study is methodologically based on the the functional, bureaucratic, and structural approaches to the organization management. The main research method is the analysis of documents and materials from the official websites of Russian universities in order to obtain analytical data on their pro-rectors’ gender, age, academic degree and rank, work experience, and activity profile. The sample totals 239 universities, which are departmentally subordinated to the Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation. The study was conducted in 2018-2019, the results of the 2006, 2008, 2012 analysis having been taken for comparison. The results of the research presented in the article include a generalized sociological portrait of a Russian university pro-rector and an analysis of changes in the pro-rectors’ structure according to the functional areas of their activities in universities. The study has certain limitations and possible consequences concerning a number of changes, which require a systematic search and justification of ways to increase the role of university pro-rectors in building a university’s reputation. These changes might be a basis for further special studies. In accordance with the latest changes in the management system of higher education, considering the features identified in the pro-rectors’ structure according to the functional areas of their activities in universities will allow university management to focus on the most significant areas of responsibility in the university management system, and on this basis to increase the reputation and competitiveness of Russian universities. Here, this research comes to be essential, as it shows a Russian university pro-rector’s sociological portrait and today’s features of the functional areas distribution of pro-rectors’ responsibility. It is proved that a prerequisite for forming a university’s sustainable competitiveness and maintaining its reputation at a high level is pro-rectors’ more active participation in managing the functional areas of a higher educational institution’s activity.