This much-needed resource offers new and aspiring deans the information they need for attaining, settling into, and managing the role of dean. The authors also show how a deanship has become a predictable phase in an overall academic career rather than a permanent shift from teaching to administration.

Preface. Acknowledgments. The Authors. Part 1 Becoming A Dean. 1 The Map and the Crossword: Ways to Think about Being a Dean. The Map. The Crossword Puzzle. Deaning as Part of an Ongoing Academic Career. 2 What It Takes to Be a Dean. Relevant Credentials and Experience. Necessary Skills and Expected Duties. How Do I Match Up? Do I Want a Deanship? 3 Finding the Right Position. Dean of What? What Is Available? Application and Nomination. Resumes and References. Letter. Interviews. Offer. Part 2 Administering the College. 4 The Shift to the Dean's Office. Setting Up and Settling In. Needing Immediate Attention. The First Full Round. 5 Balances of Power. The Office Staff. Faculty Governance. Faculty Unions. 6 Departments, Programs, and Their Leaders. Dealing with the Multiple Identities of Departments. Working with Departments and DEOs. Selecting DEOs. Supporting the DEOs. Part 3 The Work of the Dean. 7 Planning. Preliminaries. Where and How to Begin: Top-Down or Bottom-Up? The Planning Committee. Developing the Plan. Refining the Plan. Implementing the Plan. Pitfalls. 8 Budgets and Resources. Budget Assistant. When There's Month Left at the End of the Money. Budget Proposals. Grants and Contracts. Outcomes. Personnel. Physical Facilities. Technology. 9 Faculty Development. Recruiting Faculty. Mentoring. Developing Teaching. Encouraging Research. Academic Citizenship. Evaluation. Reward and Support System. Dealing with External Offers. Retooling and Retirement. 10 The Dean's Role in Academic Programs. Types of Programs. The Dean's Role. Reviewing Programs. Special Problems. Maintaining the Curriculum. 11 Working with Students. The Dean's Responsibility to Students. The Dean's Office and Students. Student Problems. Learning from Students. 12 Legal Issues and Other Special Challenges. Legal Issues. Grievances. Sexual Harassment. Special Challenges for Women and Minority Deans. Part 4 Beyond the College. 13 The Provost. The Provost's Role. Reporting to the Provost. Establishing a Relationship with the Provost. The Importance of Communication and Candor. Performance Reviews. 14 Other Deans and Directors. Deans as a Natural Cohort. Directors. Working with the Other Deans. Cooperating on the Academic Agenda. The Wider Community of Deans. 15 External Relations. Alumni. Parents. College Publications and Publicity. Advisory Councils. Media Relations. Development. 16 Beyond Deaning: Building a Balanced Career. Maintaining an Academic Identity. Endgame. The Decanal Afterlife. References. Index.

Advance Praise for Academic Deanship “The Academic Deanship offers clear, balanced, and comprehensive advice that, if heeded, should save future deans from a variety of painful mistakes and occupational hazards.” —Richard Saller, dean, Social Sciences Division, University of Chicago “David Bright and Mary Richards have combined their sixteen plus years of deanship to reveal the ‘why, what, and where’ of what many call the most interesting and satisfying of academic jobs. Aimed at those who aspire to be dean as well as those currently sitting, standing, or running as dean, this volume will entertain, enlighten, and educate all readers.” —Ernie Peek, executive director, Council of Colleges of Arts and Sciences, Arizona State University “Regardless of background, the job of academic dean holds surprises for anyone. The Academic Deanship provides a roadmap into the ‘wilderness’ for new deans and those who wish to be.” —David L. Shrock, dean, College of Business Administration, Marquette University “This is a book that a dean will return to time and time again to find practical advice as well as perspective on the many issues that emerge each day. It is the type of resource guide that I would have found valuable when I assumed the deanship.” —Glenda D. Price, president, Marygrove College, Detroit, Michigan