According to a recent study, University President Graham Spanier's longevity as a head university official may no longer be that uncommon among university presidents.

The American Council on Education (ACE) released a report last week indicating that university presidential terms have increased almost 30 percent in the last six years, with university heads now spending an average 8.5 years in office.

Spanier has served as Penn State's president for almost 12 years and has made no indication of any plans in the near future to leave his post at Penn State.

The study suggested that as university employers struggle to find suitable administrators in a limited pool, they are encouraging their presidents to stay on longer and hiring former presidents of other universities.

Roger Geiger, Penn State professor of education, said that higher compensation for university presidents and increased stability at universities may be the cause for longer terms.

"They're being paid very well," he said. "And we're not having the kind of system-wide crises that are causing a great deal of stress."

University spokesman Steve MacCarthy said the challenges facing a Penn State president have grown in recent years, making Spanier's experience invaluable to the university.

"In the last 20 years, the breadth of the things we do has expanded," he said. "I think today, Penn State stands alone in the scope of what we offer ... [the presidency's] a very big job."

The study also reported that universities are hiring older presidents. In 1996, only 13.9 percent of university presidents were older than 61; in 2006, the amount had grown more than threefold to 49.3 percent. Spanier is 58.

Geiger said he believes the increasing age simply reflects that university presidents are staying in the profession longer, despite moving between institutions.

"I wouldn't read much more than that into it," Geiger said. "Most presidents are able to maintain a very active pace until their late 60s, at least."

The Penn State Board of Trustees appoints Penn State's president. The last president, Joab Thomas, served for five years.

"Dr. Spanier serves at the pleasure of the board," Paula Ammerman, director of the office of the board of trustees, said. "It's a mutually understood relationship."

In his time at Penn State, Spanier has raised $1.37 billion through his Grand Destiny campaign, overseen numerous campus constructions including the Business and IST Buildings, and instituted such programs as the World Campus.

"He's done a great job," MacCarthy said. "Penn State is arguably the most complex job for a university president in the country ... I hope he stays a very long time."

The report also mentioned that women's expansion into top college positions has slowed.

Temple University recently appointed its first female president, Ann Weaver Hart, in 2006.

Penn State has yet to host a female president, but MacCarthy did not rule out such an appointment in the future.

"I think it's certainly a very real possibility," he said. "I think what the trustees look to find is the best person for the institution, and there's no reason a woman couldn't fill that role."