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[new_dean_is_idiot]

My new Dean is an external hire.   He does not listen, is trying to make sweeping change without consulting the faculty, and makes denigrating remarks about my department and faculty.  He makes major assignments to my faculty without telling me.  He is micromanaging and changing our hiring processes.  He is abrogating departmental prerogatives to himself.

I'm an experienced chair, (fifth year), and have been very successful with previous Dean and Provost.

He comes from a very small mid-west public university, where he was the chair of a small department.  We are a much bigger, much different school (both in culture and mission) than his previous place.

Other chairs report similar difficulties, although we seem to be getting more than our fair share.

So: how do you handle an exceptionally difficult and misguided new dean?

[tuxedo_cat]

So THAT's what happened to our former Dean!  I was wondering where he went.  Sadly, he was replaced by an even more impressive j*****s.  I'm afraid I don't have enough experience with such administrative dilemmas to offer anything other than taunting suggestions.  Like: has anyone looked lately at how much your institution paid the consulting company that found him?  That's what always blows my mind about external searches for administrators.  Is there a law of the universe that requires an inverse relation between the amount of money spent on an external search and the suitability of the person who finally gets the job?

Sorry.  I'm not really helping you out here.  Actually, I'm now wondering if I know you.  If so, I will email you tomorrow to offer my condolences in person.  And if I don't know you, I hope something works out!

[aandsdean]

So THAT's what happened to our former Dean!  I was wondering where he went.  Sadly, he was replaced by an even more impressive j*****s.  I'm afraid I don't have enough experience with such administrative dilemmas to offer anything other than taunting suggestions.  Like: has anyone looked lately at how much your institution paid the consulting company that found him?  That's what always blows my mind about external searches for administrators.  Is there a law of the universe that requires an inverse relation between the amount of money spent on an external search and the suitability of the person who finally gets the job?

Sorry.  I'm not really helping you out here.  Actually, I'm now wondering if I know you.  If so, I will email you tomorrow to offer my condolences in person.  And if I don't know you, I hope something works out!

The consultant may have recommended this guy, but new_dean's search committee and president hired him.

We have met the enemy and he is us.

[unstuck]

If you're comfortable with the Provost, would it be possible to talk to that person and describe (gently) some of the problems?  Perhaps suggest that the Provost pays to send this dean to some "dean/leadership training" types of workshops where he can hear people (other deans) say how important it is to listen to the experienced people around him, and to learn the institutional culture before starting to make some appropriate changes?

[larryc]

Call the other chairs together for a happy hour. Not a formal meeting mind you, certainly not a seditious gathering, just a happy hour. The dean might possibly come up as a topic of conversation.

[thunt1688]

I'm fortunate to have a very good dean and higher-level administrators (something rare, it seems). But I have been in bad situations at other universities, and I would suggest that chairs and their departments start being proactive about issues that might be looming.  Go to the dean with your suggestions of how to address a situation or make a change BEFORE he gets to it. Emphasize that this is a recommendation in the best judgment of the department, and show how this meets department, college or university goals. At the very least, even if he doesn't listen, if enough chairs and faculty members go to meet with the dean, he won't have time to do as much micromanaging.

[new_dean_is_idiot]

Thanks for the suggestions.  Dean is still doing the elephant in a china shop imitation.

Much informal discussion is occurring between chairs, in ones and twos. 

I'm considering an early sabbatical.