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[yellow_dog]

I have been trying to understand the attraction of being a dean and still don't see how the benefits offset the potential mountains of grief which appear to come along with a deanship.

Please help me understand the pros and cons of being an academic dean.

[embitteredhistorian]

Money. Power.

[profxfiles]

In the case of my dean, it was a desire to help the arts & sciences faculty regain the ground they had lost to the business college and provide real leadership after several years of a a leadership void. He did not really want to be dean, but all of the chairs convinced him that he was best-suited to battle it our with our CoB for funding and to guide us into the next decade.

FYI-He has done a more than admirable job. I hope he stays.

[yellow_dog]

Money. Power.

Yes Dean's make more salary than faculty do but they work on a 12 month schedule and put a lot of hours in. The hourly pay rate is probably less for a dean than for a faculty member.

Power? I don't see it.

[neutralname]

YD

Why don't you ask them?

Your assumptions about what it is like to be a dean seem quite parochial, since the job varies a great deal from place to place.  Your bafflement about why anyone would want to be a dean must mean you can't understand why most people do any jobs.  Human motivation is myriad.

When the opporunity for faculty members came up to be the Dean at my school, several people were champing at the bit for the opportunity, even though the position has very little power.  I think they were bored with being faculty members and wanted a change. 

[yellow_dog]

YD

Why don't you ask them?

Your bafflement about why anyone would want to be a dean must mean you can't understand why most people do any jobs.  

1) I am asking in a forum frequented by Deans.

2) I do understand why people do certain jobs, it is only this one that I have questions on.

I find it interesting that faculty views of a Dean's motivations vary so much that I wanted to get input from Deans.   

[pocksuppet]

Here, it's for the oldest of reasons.  Deans get their choice of the prettiest maidens or most strapping lads in the college, plus a good parking space.

[science_expat]

Here, it's for the oldest of reasons.  Deans get their choice of the prettiest maidens or most strapping lads in the college, plus a good parking space.

There is this, of course.

More seriously, I'm thinking about going for Dean when the post next comes up. There a number of reasons but I guess the overwhelming one is that I care about my University and think there are things that we could do better. And as Dean, I would have a better chance of getting important changes made than I currently have as a director of research.

[anthroid]

There is not much power and the money isn't all that great given the responsibilities and expectations.  However, the chance to influence the academic course of an institution beyond one's narrow disciplinary borders is compelling (particularly with regard to the liberal arts and/or general education), and, for those unable or unwilling to nurture graduate students, being able to mentor junior faculty, work on booting out deadwood or underperforming faculty, and otherwise help to shape a faculty body are all important motivators.

[polly_mer]

 However, the chance to influence the academic course of an institution beyond one's narrow disciplinary borders is compelling (particularly with regard to the liberal arts and/or general education), and, for those unable or unwilling to nurture graduate students, being able to mentor junior faculty, work on booting out deadwood or underperforming faculty, and otherwise help to shape a faculty body are all important motivators.

From all the available evidence, these are the motivations of our dean.  He saw that he could do more good by providing necessary leadership as head of the college than as department chair of one small department.

[der_gadfly]

One of the older female wrestlers said it best:

"The Moolah, all the fabulous Moolah."

Deans usually do pretty well financially, plus they get to push forward agendi that as a faculty member, they could not. One must hone political skills, and learn more about budgets and such. It is also a step up the ladder.

Some want it, others do not.

[renji]

I understand YD's question because I love my research and the flexibility of my schedule. It is hard to imagine giving all this up for a few more bucks. If I wanted a 9-5 job, I'd work in industry.

But, people are different and, I thank God, there are people willing to do chair/dean's jobs so I can focus on my research.

I seriously doubt I will ever choose to go into administration, but I see colleagues that obviously have both the skills and the desire. I think they are crazy, but I wish them well.

[london1]

There is not much power and the money isn't all that great given the responsibilities and expectations.  However, the chance to influence the academic course of an institution beyond one's narrow disciplinary borders is compelling (particularly with regard to the liberal arts and/or general education), and, for those unable or unwilling to nurture graduate students, being able to mentor junior faculty, work on booting out deadwood or underperforming faculty, and otherwise help to shape a faculty body are all important motivators.

These are the noble reasons.  I want anthroid to be my dean!  Actually, I am very fortunate to have a wonderful dean who is motivated by the very things that anthroid mentions.  It is a pleasure to work with such a person.  I have also worked for (not with) deans who were on power trips and who viewed the deanship as a necessary stepping stone on the way towards vice president of academic affairs or provost. Not such a pleasure in those cases.....

[sirkdn]

Here, it's for the oldest of reasons.  Deans get their choice of the prettiest maidens or most strapping lads in the college, plus a good parking space.

If only (I don't get a parking space)..

OK, seriously ... when I was a faculty member, I had direct influence over the students in my classes and my lab; my ability to have a large positive impact was somewhat limited.  When I was a Chair, I could lead disciplinary curricular reform to improve student opportunities and success, and gather resources for faculty who were better at teaching and research than I was.  

As Dean I am able to do all that, but also allocate broader college-wide resources to buy faculty stuff, send them on trips, support student research, etc.  If I think about the influence I have had overall, I have done a MUCH better job in getting the resources for other people, than from working on my own teaching and research.

I actually enjoy doing a lot of the stuff that many faculty hate doing - and by my doing it, they can move the institution forward through their individual efforts.

[mended_drum]

My deans get to wear really elaborate tams at graduation.  So my theory is that people do it for the fancy hat.