Career exploration
Dean
Dean is a title given to an academic administrator employed in educational administration such as colleges or universities. They have significant authorities over a specific academic unit, a particular area of concern, or handles both academic unit and academic areas of concern. Deans are common in educational institutions.
Job titles
Provost
Dean of students
Academic affairs vice president
Roles of a dean
The functions, influence, and duties of a dean vary depending on the level of the institution, whether a college or a university. Generally, the roles carried out by deans are very similar. They may play a central role in the institution individually or as a group to meet the academic administrations in the university or college. Their job varies depending on the faculty or the department in which they are entitled to coordinate.
v Deans participate in strategic planning, budget, curriculum, facilities, and research in different universities. They sit in committees to plan for the activities in colleges or universities within a specific period of time, usually five or ten years. They allocate estimated budgets for these activities and projects so that they can be achieved without any hindrance. Moreover, a dean participates in external relations in the university, such as alumni relations, fundraising, and public relations.
v Deans support and promote educational programs. They give the necessary assistance to students through provisions of scholarship and finance the most important high quality research programs and economic activities in their respective institutions.
v Deans acts as an advocate for their institution both internally and externally. They have ultimate accountability of how fiscal, facilities and human resources are managed in their respective institutions.
v They engage both staff and students in discussing important collegiate matters in the institutions. In case of any problem within their departments, they give positive and quality working environments.
v Deans coordinates all important components of the institution such as departments, academic programs, economic development activities, public service and any other activity of the unit.
v They do an oversight role in accrediting, reviewing programs and other important processes for a continuous improvement of the activities within an institution.
v Deans hire chairs, directors and staff and evaluates their direct reports and monitors their accountability for a better performance and promotions within their areas of jurisdictions.
v In the council of deans, a dean engages in key discussions in representing the interest of their departments effectively.
Workplace of deans
A dean may opt to work in either a private or public academic institution. Deans work in the following areas
v Universities
v Colleges
v Community colleges
v Technical schools
v Trade schools
Important skills of a dean
An effective dean should have interpersonal skills, organizational skills and problem solving skills to effectively man his duties and achieve the institutional goals, visions and objectives.
Interpersonal skills
v A dean should have good communications skills which covers verbal communication, non-verbal communication and should be a good listener.
v Deans should be able to understand and manage their own and their colleagues emotions
v They should have negotiation, persuasion and influencing skills. Besides, they should be able to solve conflict and mediate when a disagreement occurs.
Organizational skills
v Deans should be organized to promptly manage records
v They should be able to prioritize tasks on the nature of importance and urgency
v They should be able to coordinate the activities within the institution and the staff’s activities.
Problem-solving skills
v A dean should be able to respond to difficult situations in an institution
v Deans often need to develop creative solutions to problems.
v Deans should react calmly when a problem arise.
Estimated salary of deans
Salaries of deans vary according to institutions and their experience.
v The lowest amount of salary is approximately $50,000
v The medium salary is estimated to be $100,000
v The highest amount of salary is $171,000