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[fortune12]

The academic dean at our slac is pushing toward his 11th year. Growing discontent is a result of drift and a lack of leadership. Serious attempts to prompt change have been taken, including conversations between the dean and close friends, as well as a direct plea with the president. (The president is sympathetic, but has a short time horizon.) In the past three months, "no confidence vote" has begun to surface in conversations. That would be very harsh in our intimate culture. Plus, we would welcome the dean back to full time teaching. He is not badly disliked. He is just worn out and, some of us surmise, now in over his head as strategic planning and assessment have been implemented. (He is homegrown direct from faculty ranks.)

Does 10-11 years seem like enough time, typically, for for an academic leader to have contributed to the institution? Is there some value in more routine change simply to bring in fresh ideas and new ways of doing things? Or more experienced administrators? Any suggestions to move things along without great confrontation - or do faculty leaders simply need to step up and lay it on the line directly to the dean?

[zharkov]

If the dean has some pals among faculty, then a behind the scenes chat or two may be the way to go.  Also, if any of the faculty are friendly with the president, then letting him or her know about where things might be going would be helpful.  Of course, all this needs to be done with the greatest discretion.

[sibyl]

I don't believe that there is a universal "term limit" for a dean or indeed any other leader.  Some leaders can renew and adapt themselves several times over.  At the same time, leaders (and institutions) often have a problem seeing the end of the road.  What usually happens is that the leader is brought in to do A, B, and C and does them all quite well, so that the needs of the institution change and what is really needed is D, E, and F -- and the same leader is not well suited to deliver D, E, and F. 

So this really ought to be a question of how to handle the individual negotiation.  I agree with Zharkov about the best way to proceed, though it seems you've already tried those things.  If you have, you might consider sending a pal to the dean to say, "Look, some people are talking about votes of no confidence, and a loss -- or even a close win -- would really hurt you and everyone else.  You did such good work on A, B, and C, and everyone likes you; don't let that be tarnished by a vote of no confidence.  I'd hate to see you go out that way."

If the president is on her way out, maybe she can try to convince the dean that her successor will want input in appointing a new dean.  Would the dean be willing to announce that he will stay on the job only for the next year, to help orient the president, and then go back to the faculty?  Or would the dean step aside now, so that they don't have to do two searches at once, and accept a one- or two-year post as special assistant to the president to orient the new people, followed by a well-earned sabbatical?

Good luck.

[svenc]

Erastus Corning 2nd served as mayor of Albany, NY for over 40 years.  Just saying.

[mtnlover]

I would consider a 1-year sabbatical.  It would allow him time to think about what he wants and he may come back with a renewed enthusiasm.  During the 1 year, appoint a kicka** person to make changes.  I know nothing more than dead body is typically appointed but go the other way!  When the Dean comes back he will have to either jump in with the new program or decide to step down.

[neniaf]

While there are many people who believe that 10 years should be the upper limit for a dean, there are some who run out of ideas and energy after a year or two, and other legends who seem to have contributed substantially over a long tenure. 

I would suggest that the problem is with your Dean's management skills and approach, not with the longevity of his position alone.  Usually, if a well-liked dean has been around for over a decade, a no-confidence vote wouldn't even be considered, for fear of hurting his feelings. 

Does your university have in place any sort of mechanism for regular evaluation of administrators?  From several of the things you mentioned (the ideas of strategic planning and so forth as new responsibilities for a dean), I suspect that your institution is substantially behind the curve in a number of its approaches.  Many universities have been using these techniques for decades.  Perhaps someone could suggest to your Provost or VPAA this possibility.  It could be looked at as a way for Academic Affairs to help the Deans perform, but of course, if the Deans are unable to learn, it could lead to turnover.

[jruiz]

I worked under a dean who had been in office for 20+ years.  Problem was, he had absolutely lost it; taking candidates to meet him was a nightmare.  They'd walk out glassy-eyed saying he spent the whole time talking about early Gaelic poetry.  Other problem was all the faculty looked at him as a grandfather figure.  A new VPAA came in and essentially drove him into retirement.

[svenc]

I worked under a dean who had been in office for 20+ years.  Problem was, he had absolutely lost it; taking candidates to meet him was a nightmare.  They'd walk out glassy-eyed saying he spent the whole time talking about early Gaelic poetry.  Other problem was all the faculty looked at him as a grandfather figure.  A new VPAA came in and essentially drove him into retirement.

This would be particularly distressing if, for example, he were the Dean of Engineering!