President Mark Hamilton isn't the only university president eyeing retirement these days.

A report released lin February by the American Council on Education found that the number of presidents 61 or older jumped in the past two decades from 14 percent to 49 percent. The findings suggest many university executives are preparing for retirement.

"When they retire," said Jim Johnsen, vice president of administration at UA, "it's going be big."

Hamilton, 62, has not said publicly when he plans to retire. But a university-commissioned report in August labeled Hamilton's current three-year contract as his "final" one. Regents have said he has talked about retiring in 2009. Hamilton has even purchased a house in Anchorage that he has said he would likely move to when he retires.

Still, Johnsen said the regents aren't ready yet to pull the plug on Hamilton.

"The Board of Regents want him to stay as long as he can continue," he said. "He's been doing a hell of a job."

Whenever he retires, the university will have to go through a process it hasn't dealt with since 1998, when Hamilton was hired.

During that process, the university advertised the position throughout the country, and the university retained a search firm for assistance. The firm contacted more than 200 prospective candidates. Hamilton came out on top.

With the potential mass exodus of college presidents comes the possibility of a smaller applicant pool, Johnsen acknowledged. But it shouldn't be too much of a problem.

"It's always difficult finding people for jobs, finding people who are the right fit," he said. "But you only need one."

Johnsen said he has talked to Hamilton about the council's report, which was released Feb. 12. The hope is that when Hamilton leaves, UA could find someone good at public advocacy for the university and who also could increase internal support, Johnsen said.

The report, "The American College President," is the sixth in a series of reports the council has released since 1986. The newest edition examined 2,148 presidents of public and private colleges, the largest group since the study began.

According to the report, the average age of college presidents has climbed from 52.3 years to 59.9 since 1986. The average time in office has increased from 6.3 years to 8.5 years.

Hamilton shares several characteristics of the typical president, according to the report. Most presidents in 2006 were white, male, and married. He's a little older at 62, compared to 60 for the typical president. Most had been in office 8.5 years by 2006, while Hamilton had been with UA for 7.5.

But Hamilton is also unique in two aspects, the report suggests. Most presidents have a doctorate degree and acted as provost before getting the president gig. Hamilton, in contrast, never received a Ph.D. He earned a master's degree in English literature from Florida State University. And he came fresh to UA from the U.S. Army, where he retired as a major general.

But according to David Ward, president of the American Council on Education, that might be different the next time around. Ward said the report shows that presidential search committees and governing boards like the Board of Regents "are increasingly selecting leaders with prior experience in senior executive roles in higher education.

"This approach to appointments limits opportunities for young leaders, women and people of color, and we need to ensure that a new generation of individuals are in the pipeline and are prepared for the new challenges of leadership positions in higher education," he said in a statement.