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[science_expat]

Just curious.

I hear/read of Deans serving at the pleasure of the Chief Academic Officer and wonder i) if this is standard and ii) if the practice extends further down the food chain.

Specifically, as Chairs/Deans are you appointed for a fixed term (e.g. 4 years) and would you be expected to step down early on request from your Dean/CAO?

Cheers,
SE

[aandsdean]

Just curious.

I hear/read of Deans serving at the pleasure of the Chief Academic Officer and wonder i) if this is standard and ii) if the practice extends further down the food chain.

Specifically, as Chairs/Deans are you appointed for a fixed term (e.g. 4 years) and would you be expected to step down early on request from your Dean/CAO?

Cheers,
SE

1.  At the pleasure of:  Yes, it's standard. 

2.  Down the food chain:  The one time I had a permanent ("chair for life") position (which I held for 5 years), I served at the pleasure of the president.

5.  Fixed-term appointments:  Don't know, but probably yes:  the dean or CAO is your boss, and can revoke your appointment unless there's some contractual thing preventing it.

[sibyl]

Most administrative positions are "at the pleasure."  That's a polite way of saying, "we think you are probably going to serve indefinitely or until you leave, but we retain the right to fire or reassign you without making a federal case out of it (unlike tenured faculty); firing people is still a big hassle but we'll do it if we have to." 

Some institutions treat chairs and deans as fixed-term positions, others as indefinitely renewable positions.  Either way, though, fixed terms can be abrogated (or extended) for cause, at the pleasure of the muckety-muck.

[aandsdean]

Just curious.

I hear/read of Deans serving at the pleasure of the Chief Academic Officer and wonder i) if this is standard and ii) if the practice extends further down the food chain.

Specifically, as Chairs/Deans are you appointed for a fixed term (e.g. 4 years) and would you be expected to step down early on request from your Dean/CAO?

Cheers,
SE

1.  At the pleasure of:  Yes, it's standard. 

2.  Down the food chain:  The one time I had a permanent ("chair for life") position (which I held for 5 years), I served at the pleasure of the president.

5.  Fixed-term appointments:  Don't know, but probably yes:  the dean or CAO is your boss, and can revoke your appointment unless there's some contractual thing preventing it.

By the way, I suppose you could displease the president by not being able to count, but in this matter anonymity can be helpful.

[ploughandstars]

Chairs are three year terms here. Elected by the tenured and tenure track faculty of the Dept. Deans have no say. I'm just praying someone runs for the job to replace me or I'm stuck with the job.