Being president is difficult. Work hard. We are observing the rapid improvement of formal succession plans due to the lack of formal succession plans at a time when higher education is under significant political pressure. This is a serious problem in higher education.
But contrary to popular belief, presidents are not the only difference in institutional success. Once we are out of focus in the presidency, we remember the institution’s core mission: scholars. Proficient, effective academic leadership is essential to the continued success of the institution.
Standing at the forefront of academic tasks is the Provost. If you want to know what the Provost would do, on paper, they are the Chief Academic Officer responsible for the vision and oversight of all academic affairs. Sounds important, Larry A. Nielsen in his book Provost: Experience, Thoughts and Suggestions for Top 2nd Place on Campusdescribes the Provost as a “full-time parent” at the university. Not so charming.
It is those leaders, deans, who are under the Provost, who are responsible for the vision and supervision of their respective colleges or schools. It is in these departments that most of the college’s work is in the field of research, teaching and service.
In the current atmosphere of higher education, its value is challenged, while the struggle for student admission is high, the Provost and Dean are key to academic transformation as they strive to make their institutions a powerful destination to change student life and open doors for new careers. Furthermore, the dean and his teachers are closer to the ground when it comes to understanding what students and their communities need and want. They mainly shape which courses, programs, majors and minors are offered. They do the job. Not the president.
This raises the question: How to better support the Dean?
The dean operates at critical transition points. They are served as the Provost and the President, so they take guidance (or sometimes lack direction). Meanwhile, the Dean is serving and representing their faculty and staff, working to support them in a successful completion of education, promoting knowledge and serving institutions as practical work for good citizens and housekeepers. Even in the best case scenario, this austerity puts a lot of pressure on the dean.
So, over the years, I have provided the following strategies after guidance and/or consultation by nearly 100 deans.
Give them resources and get out of trouble
Compared with the Provost, the responsibility of becoming a dean is closer than the presidency. The dean is responsible for overseeing their schools by developing a vision, developing strategies, raising funds, building and overseeing administrative teams, managing politics and driving outcomes.
What is the Dean no He is a “full-time parent”.
To make the Dean most successful, the Dean needs to (to the best of its ability) provide the Dean with resources, professional development, time and clear direction. Subsequently, the Provost (sometimes the President) needs to clear the barriers, introduce them to key donors and stakeholders, and provide them to the Dean as needed. You might say that the Provost can consider the most important ingredients of the Dean. If the Dean succeeds, it will greatly improve the Provost’s success.
Allow the dean to meet regularly
Being a dean can be lonely. No one in school can express insecurity or speak frankly to them, especially about sensitive issues. Provide space for deans to talk and talk openly, frankly, and even vulnerablely, build a trusted group of peers and consultants, and create a safe space to discuss challenges and get feedback from colleagues from colleagues.
This process brings great benefits to the campus where challenges and opportunities across the school can be consistent, providing better institutional decision-making, accountability and communication. The Provost may think they should have these conversations in the room (listen to what is happening to the Dean, be helpful, etc.), but their presence limits the quality and openness of the conversation. If the Provost wants help, sponsor the monthly breakfast or dinner and let the Dean meet alone. On the large R-1 that I jointly proposed a new department chair program for many years, the program has been affectionately called the “Chairman”. The same support can be provided to the dean (Deanhabilitation? I’m still making a name for this).
Establish a Dean
The dean is an isolated character. The dean’s default setting is to have a turf war with other deans, everyone is fighting for attention and resources from the president, provost and CFO. As a result, many institutions fail to recognize how the Dean can be used as a true governing body on campus. Instead, both the Provost and the President will devote time and energy to support the Dean’s Council (as proposed by the Center for Creative Leadership) in a common direction, consistency and commitment. A unified team of deans allows for better decision-making, mutual support and resource sharing, and more consistent communication throughout the organization. Rather than fostering a shared narrative of a single pastoral, invest the dean and get the rewards of a better functional organization.
Provide information to the Dean
Deans like independence run a store with minimal disruption. However, the dean also needs information and all directions: above, below, across the outside. When information is lacking, rumors are filled with blank spaces. Teachers will speculate that staff will complain or withdraw, and stakeholders will wonder: “What is Dean doing?”
To alleviate these issues, stakeholders need to share information, especially to give context and reasons behind the issues. So if someone wants to help their deans, over-understand them and always include the reasons why information is important. If too much information is provided, please let the dean set restrictions. When the dean asks questions, please answer (legal reasons are prohibited not to do so). No withheld. The dean who stayed in the dark was only as good as a flashlight.
Become a thought partner
The dean attended numerous meetings. As one of my clients once shared with me: “I have more monthly meeting requests than a month.” To avoid smashing the dean with invalid time, any meeting with them should be generated, problem solving, decision making, strategies are forging and closing the deal. Come to the Dean through solutions, innovation and energy. As a famous line in the movie Jerry Maguire Go, “Help me help you!” proposes to be the dean’s thought partner and stand up (metaphorically) and think about a problem together.
Let them be coaches
As an executive coach, I recognize that this is my own inherent bias. But, I have witnessed first-hand the rewards of providing executive coaching to the dean. The return on investment can easily justify financial costs. I don’t want to go beyond this service. Just know it’s super useful – maybe some people even say it.
Ask the Dean what they need
Finally, if you are unsure how it will be helpful to the Dean, ask them. They will know. A savvy dean, given the right combination of resources, support and collaboration, can accomplish great things and ultimately guide their schools to have a lasting impact on higher education that is desperately needed these days: good news stories, student success, and positive contributions to the community and the country. The Dean’s success may be a great balance of politics, and the show distracts the attention that really makes the Academy priceless.
