I have been approached to consider being dean of a
very small private college. Having not worked in
academia very long I wonder what would be the first
three questions you would ask your potential employer
and what things have you learned that you wish you
knew on the first day of your job. Finally, knowing
then, what you know now, would you change from
teaching to administration?
You’ve been approached? Damn. Every job I’ve landed has involved campaigning.
Since my experience has been on the academic side (as opposed to, say, dean of admissions), I’ll focus on that.
Several (more than three, I’m afraid) quick questions to start:
- Does the position carry tenure, or, at least, tenure-eligibility? If you fall out of political favor, will there be a job for you on the faculty, or will you be out on the sidewalk?
- Assuming that department chairs report to you, how long have they been in their positions? Are they elected or appointed? Fixed terms? Term limits? Chairs-for-life?
- Why is the position open?
- How long has the VP/Provost been there? The President?
- How many full-time faculty are there? How many were there, say, five years ago? Is the change noticeable?
- Is the faculty unionized?
- What is the single most contentious issue on campus?
- In ballpark terms, what are the demographics of the students? (The culture of a spoiled-rich-kid school will be different from that of a first-generation-college school, which, in turn, will be different from a we-take-our-religion-very-seriously school.)
- How long does it take a new program to get approved? (If the answer is “what’s a new program?,” run.)
- How much of your budget is discretionary? (Sometimes it’s labeled ‘contingency.’) Does your college operate on use-it-or-lose-it?
- How long until the next reaccreditation visit? What’s the biggest issue the college needs to address by then? (Hint: it’s usually ‘outcomes assessment.’ If you aren’t familiar with that, you’ll need to get familiar with it.)
- How does the college distinguish itself from its competitors?
- Does the Dean’s office have a secretary of its own? (You’d be surprised how many don’t.) This should be a deal-breaker.
- Are there any immediate plans for construction or renovation on campus? (These projects are always, without exception, money-sucking nightmares.)
I’d also ask about usual recruitment practices. Since you’re apparently being courted, I’d ask about how vacancies are usually filled. Does the college usually do advertised searches with committees, promote from within, and/or go by personal connections? You can learn quite a bit from the answer to that.
A few questions to ask yourself:
- Can you keep your cool while being falsely accused by people who have tenure, and are completely insulated from the consequences of their own statements and actions?
- Are you comfortable with being a ‘public figure,’ and all of the scrutiny (both fair and unfair) that goes along with that?
- Do you have a clear idea of what ‘success’ in your position would mean? Other than preventing flare-ups, what would be your primary job function?
- Would you be insanely jealous of the folks who get to teach for a living? (I’m prone to bouts of this.)
I would do it again, but my teaching career was at a proprietary school where the annual teaching load was 5/5/5 and faculty weren’t eligible for tenure. Administration was my escape hatch. If I had a more traditional tenured position with a courseload closer to the industry standard, I’d have to think long and hard about it.
(A word about salaries: overheated faculty fantasies to the contrary notwithstanding, the salary premium for a dean is shockingly low, considering the increased number of hours you have to be around. Presidents make a lot, and vp’s do okay, but at smaller and non-elite schools, anything below vp shouldn’t be taken for the money. The situation may be different at research universities and/or elite colleges.)
Wise readers: what questions would you add?
Have a question of your own? Ask the Administrator at ccdean (at) myway (dot) com.
