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[ursula]

My dean is (finally!) retiring, and I've had people in our Faculty tell me I should run for the job.  I've been at this university for several years, earned tenure and been a department chair, as well as doing some other major administrative/committee/policy work.  I started here as an adjunct (part-time) instructor, which may work against me anyway.

Is it dangerous or foolhardy to even consider this? Are there pitfalls or benefits to being an internal candidate for the deanery, or (DV) an interally appointed dean?

[barred_owl]

Hi, ursula.

You didn't mention the type of school or its size and structure (e.g., larger school may be = more complex structure), but I can see some advantages to being internal:

--you have some support from faculty, which could carry over into the dean position;
--you already know the layout of the campus, in terms of organization and politics, so your learning curve won't be quite as steep;
--your administrative work has allowed you to interact with others in administration, so no need to start from scratch in building those relationships.

On the other hand, the disadvantages might be:

--your supportive faculty may become less supportive once you have to start saying "no" due to budgets or changes in strategic direction;
--higher admin may prefer someone with a fresh perspective that is not based on insider knowledge of personalities, programs, or current politics.

What you might wish to evaluate is your relationships with upper administrators--provosts, other deans, vice presidents, the president/chancellor.  Having faculty support is very important, but support from the other side of the fence is equally important as well.  Don't forget, your relationships with faculty will change, no matter how much they love you now.  You'll need upper admin support when the decisions you'll make don't go the way your faculty think they should.

Not sure why your prior adjunct appointment should matter; your TT and post-tenure work (especially the service work) should be the focus of a search committee's attention, I would think.

[scampster]

--higher admin may prefer someone with a fresh perspective that is not based on insider knowledge of personalities, programs, or current politics.

I am by no means qualified to answer this, but in all the dean (and department head) searches that I have witnessed, there seems to be a desire to hire up, i.e. they seem to hire people who come from institutions that are much higher rank, presumably with the hopes that this person will help elevate the program.

Of course, also in my limited experience, these people don't seem to have a high retention rate and presumably you are not going to skitter off to greener pastures as soon as you can...

(I started grad school the same time as the new college dean. I'm still here, he isn't.)

[tuxedo_cat]

First: the title of this thread sounds like a horrifying dental procedure.

Second:  I have never seen the internal candidate hired for the Dean's position.  I know of three cases (on 3 different campuses, 3 different types of institutions) of individuals with experience very similar to yours -- who were invited, nay, enthusiastically urged to put themselves up for the post.  They were all passed over, and in two cases, treated in a rather humiliating fashion.  In one case I think the internal candidate was justly turned down.  In the other two, the internal candidate would have been a superb appointment, for many of the reasons surmised above.  Sadly, they were passed over for a pair of jerks who have managed to create endless aggravation for the faculty.

I can't explain the psychology of this kind of administrative hiring decision -- after all, it's a committee made up largely of faculty who make the recommendation about whom to pick -- other than some tired "grass is greener" set of fantasies.

So if you decide to apply, just consider carefully in advance how much the experience will drain from your time and energy, and how you may feel if your colleagues go with the shiny new toy, even if it's perfectly obvious in a sane world that appointing you would be in the best long-term interests of the institution.

Good luck -- I hope you prove to be the exception to the rule that I've observed.

[octoprof]

Second:  I have never seen the internal candidate hired for the Dean's position.  I

I have seen it several times in my career, mostly in situations where the external candidates didn't pan out for whatever reasons, and/or budget considerations made hiring externally and/or hiring up impossible.

Please do not fine me for using two and/ors.

[barred_owl]

I, too, have seen internal candidates for dean positions be selected.  In one case, the person came up through the ranks, from TT faculty -->tenured-->assistant dean-->dean, and is still quite successful (going on 5 years now, which is "successful" as dean tenures go). 

Likewise, a friend of mine was an external candidate hired as a dean and has been in the position for nearly 10 years now.  Again, fairly long lifespan, as far as deans go.

One very important consideration, ursula, if you do decide to apply, make sure that your tenure with the institution carries over into your deanship!  That way, should the powers that be decide to upset applecarts, you will be able to go back to a faculty position.  I'm not saying that that will happen, but it happens often enough that you need to build that security into your contract.

[sibyl]

I've seen it as well.  I think it is most likely to happen when the institution thinks an insider can meet its needs better than an outsider.  For instance, a dean who shakes a lot of things up is often followed by someone who can smooth things over.

I think the risk you run in seeking the job is that it will change your relationships on campus, even (or especially) if you don't get it.  Everyone will interpret everything you do as part of your campaign to be the next dean; some people will think that you're too big for your britches or that you think you're better than they are; other people will suspect that your heart really lies with Satan administration rather than the wise and good needs of the faculty.  The new dean is likely to assume you are an enemy, and may try to coopt you -- or, worse, isolate you.

If you do decide to do it, you should set some clear boundaries for yourself, and convey them to your colleagues.  Make it clear that you are pursuing this only because others have encouraged you; that these others are all people who support an insider and/or someone who is committed to the success of Project X; that you will gladly support another insider with broader support or an outsider who is committed to Project X.  That way it doesn't become a referendum on you personally but on the goals you seek, and leaves yourself options for remaining on the faculty as an unsuccessful candidate.

[tuxedo_cat]

I'm very glad to know that what I've seen is not a very broad pattern.  Those "go with the flashy outsider" decisions were the source of great frustration at those institutions, especially given the exorbitant fees paid to outside consulting agencies to locate the bozos who were finally hired.  Good luck, Ursula!

[science_expat]

Strange.

Here at my place in the UK, Deans are almost always only advertised internally. Naturally, this often leads to a couple of unsuccessful candidates who end up the new Dean as their boss.

Seems to work ok, however.

[philo]

My college has a dean who was hired internally when that was all we had the money for.  We are doing a national search next year for his replacement; he is voluntarily steeping aside.  (I've heard that his wife wants him home more.)  The faculty are whispering that we hope some good internal candidates come forward; no one complains about the fact that we're doing the national search, but other things equal the general sentiment seems to be that it would be nice to make another internal hire.  Whether we still feel that way once specific candidates are identified remains to be seen. 

Here is a question, though... Suppose that you put yourself forward and are unsuccessful.  Would it be hard for you (psychologically, I mean) for you to remain in your current position after that?

[octoprof]

My college has a dean who was hired internally when that was all we had the money for.  We are doing a national search next year for his replacement; he is voluntarily steeping aside.  (I've heard that his wife wants him home more.)  The faculty are whispering that we hope some good internal candidates come forward; no one complains about the fact that we're doing the national search, but other things equal the general sentiment seems to be that it would be nice to make another internal hire.  Whether we still feel that way once specific candidates are identified remains to be seen. 

Here is a question, though... Suppose that you put yourself forward and are unsuccessful.  Would it be hard for you (psychologically, I mean) for you to remain in your current position after that?

I don't think so. We had an internal dean search recently and several folks put themselves forward and were unsuccessful. I don't perceive any ill effects for them.

[philo]

My dean is stepping down after a 6 year run, I think.  He was an internal hire made a time when we didn't have the money to look outside, so all candidates were internal.  We are doing a full search now, but our current dean has done so well that a number of people are hoping that we will end up hiring another internal candidate.  The unsuccessful finalist the last time around will have a lot of support---they were both strong and popular candidates---although he has told me that he isn't sure he will apply again, partly because putting the materials together is so time-consuming.

[neniaf]

I HAVE seen internal candidates get dean's jobs; in fact, I have lost out to several of them as a finalist.  And at a recent deans' conference, a speaker asked how many had become deans at their prior institutions, rather than moving to new places, and I was surprised at how many hands went up. 

However, you do say one thing which makes me concerned for you.  You say that the prior dean is FINALLY leaving the position.  This would imply that s/he has been there for a while.  In general, the provost will pick someone who fits the current needs of the institution.  That means that if there has been a lot of turmoil with a revolving door of deans, stability is what is needed, and an internal candidate might be a good choice.  If, on the other hand, there has been someone in place for a long time, the tendency is to look outside, from whence come new ideas and significant change.  They are likely to want someone who has led another College to greater heights and who can do the same for them.  My guess is that if your prior dean was in place for ten years or more, you won't have a chance.

And I hate to say it (but will, because I was in your position a few years ago), but comments from others that you should apply cannot be taken as evidence of a likelihood that you would get such a position.  If the comments came from other faculty, staff, or administrators within the College, they have a vested interest in sticking with someone they know will not push them too hard to change.  That is rarely the administration's agenda.  And even if administrators are suggesting it, it isn't a sure thing.  My Provost asked me why I wasn't applying for the position, but then realized himself that he needed someone who could be ruthless about creating changes.  Even if you personally want change, you need to realize that such change often means doing things like removing people from the positions to which they have come to feel entitled.  A newcomer can do that impersonally without bruising egos.  Such people are likely to feel a strong sense of betrayal if the same words and actions come from someone with whom they have worked for many years.  Even if you are capable of taking those actions, you will likely be stuck with a resentful enemy after doing so, while the outside dean won't have that handicap.

That isn't to say that you can't apply, and it may be a good time to start thinking about your future.  Applying for the position will signal to applicants your desire to get into administration.  In the event of a failed search, you may be considered for an interim position, which would give you experience on your resume when looking for deanships elsewhere.  Once the administrators at my old institution became aware of my interest in administration, they moved me into positions where I could pick up the skills I needed to move up, even though moving up meant doing so at another institution. 

If you would rather stay at your current institution than be a dean, then apply, but try not to get your heart set on it, and be a graceful loser in the event that you don't get the job.  You will need to prove to the new dean that you don't resent him/her for taking a job that you wanted.  If your main interest is in being a dean somewhere, then be prepared to leave, but use this opportunity as a chance to help you in those preparations.

[der_gadfly]

From what I have seen and heard, many institutions do wish to hire the 'superstar' from the higher prestige institution. Since a Dean after all should be someone who has published scads of papers, refereed conferences, sat on X number of dissertations committees at MorePrestigiousInstitution, this experience invariably makes them more highly qualified to manage a budget, do scheduling, and deal with labor relations than the insider who a) knows the culture; b) is respected by the denizens of the aforementioned culture; and c) can start right away with no relocation expenses.

Of course, the obvious erratta I noted above is completely immaterial to the hiring of a dean: after all any person with publications is definitely more qualified than someone who has actually managed a business or unit, and perhaps even (the shame of it all) taught undergrads!

I say apply. You have nothing to lose, and you might be pleasantly surprised. IF you have someone in the senior administration who can act as a mentor to you, all the better.

Good luck.

[ursula]

The dean's job has been posted; the deadline is Oct 31.  I have a few weeks to decide what to do.