Since many senior academic administrators of colleges and universities first trained for academic careers in research and teaching, they have had minimal management training. Both academic and nonacademic officers with administrative experience find they must quickly develop the different knowledge and skills needed to manage an institution when they move into senior administrative positions. In surveys, organization and planning skills are seen by administrators as the most important, human skills are placed second, and financial management and control are ranked third. Professional development for management is accepted in business, industry, the military, and government. Although the benefits are easy to identify, value is difficult to quantify beyond anecdotal evidence. The benefits of professional development must also be balanced against the drawbacks of participating, including career timing, obsolescence of training, costs in time and money, and the issues of selection, integration, evaluation, and feedback. However, the evidence that does exist on the benefits still outweighs the disadvantages for many administrators. Effective professional development experiences must be part of an integrated, comprehensive organizational plan that links development activities with the actual tasks and responsibilities of the job. (MSE)