A year ago, I was appointed as interim dean of my university. My ex suddenly left us and as former school president and senior vice president, I was a predictable option. Here are some suggestions based on this unexpected journey.
Even before
Ask your provost to add an option to apply for a dean position just in case. I did, but it was soon confirmed that I would not be a candidate. I’ve become so many insiders over the past 13 years that I think my college needs an improver. In my experience, external employees are better at achieving critical changes because they do not have a fixed reputation and ingrained expectations. Several colleagues encouraged me to apply for a position to clearly show the fact that many people want things to stay the same. Many of them seem to be saying, “We know you, we know you won’t be rocking the boat.”
Seek staff fellowship
As interim dean, you are not just a complete dean, you also need to win the respect and goodwill of the university staff, associate deans, chairs and directors. I realize that the continued success of the university does not depend on me as a “decision maker” but on hands-on collaboration for everyone. Send a clear signal: “This is the team, not the dean.”
“Not all wandering people are lost”
I participated in the formal orientation of the University of Georgia Systems, Organizations, Organizations and Leadership Matters. Apart from that, I spent most of my time leaving my own equipment, especially when prioritizing the many events and meetings that invite the Dean. I ended up wandering in the event that I was the only dean, but ironically it earned me a lot of accidental appreciation. When demanding a meeting with newly elected Senate leaders, they told me my propaganda was unheard of. We had a huge dispute over double espresso and I learned about the burden of attention and hope for teachers.
Seek fellowship from other deans
Deans conducts activities at the intersection between senior leadership and department chairs and is in trouble in the middle to have good university collaboration. My dean communicated quickly and reliably and shared the draft document, and we often spoke in a common voice on the issue. I get their support by creating a quirky name (“serious decanalia”) for our monthly social gatherings at the hotel bar.
don’t want temporary
Don’t think of yourself as a placeholder who just keeps the train running. In fact, you are the dean and you can improve your predecessor’s strategy. While you should think twice before you (for example, for the university’s report structure), feel free to add your own signature. In my case, signature action is related to focusing on student success. For example, after two months of responsibility, I adjusted my existing budget priorities based on recent data and moved 40% of my new funding to support graduate education. I also convinced the University Advisory Board members to become “the donation committees” and helped fund the Dean’s scholarship based on needs.
Finally, I am amazed everyone by organizing a year of arts and arts at my STEM-focused university. Such activities can expand the reputation of the university, and when no one expects this level of activity, the temporary staff is the dean, more things. They signal potential dean candidates that your university is a vibrant place they might want to join.
And: Yes temporary
Does this sound contradictory? Well, if you take care of basic housekeeping items before you arrive, the temporary nature of your appointment can increase successor success. Your successor should not be one of their first actions, and must freeze spending on a department whose chairs exceed hundreds of thousands of dollars, and they do not have to impose units in memorandums of understanding to return their contractually (but secretly reduced) teaching burden. It’s easier for you to fix such issues, and new deans can start their work without becoming executor Draco.
Overall, pay attention to Gandalf’s advice this Lord of the Rings For your interim appointment: “What we have to decide is how to deal with the time given to us.” If you keep reminding you that the limited nature of the position will bother you, don’t do this kind of work. My appointment as interim dean was announced at the same time as the timeline, with the search committee details replacing me; the search process was carried out simultaneously with my daily work, and the eager staff changed the nameplate outside my office door two weeks before I moved out. So went.
If you like, you need six months to one year windows that improve the conditions for students, faculty and staff to thrive and seize opportunities. Your rewards include a steep learning curve and a better understanding of your own institutions and higher education in general.
Of course, as you embark on an exciting servant leadership journey, start planning as early as possible after the date is over. I admit there is a temporary relief for moving out of the included location, especially since January 2025, the political and budget emergencies have been more than I bargained. But I was equally quick to convince my new dean to support my new dean through the rest of the university leadership team, despite appointing what I have learned recently.
