College deans are responsible for the leadership of departments within colleges or universities. From managing faculty, staff members and budgets, to supervising student programs and admissions, deans must balance multiple job functions to ensure that their universities run successfully.
If you are considering becoming a dean, this article can help answer the following questions:
If you would like more information on becoming a university dean or are interested in learning about the Doctorate in Education (EdD) programs offered by Gwynedd Mercy University, you can visit this link or call 844-707-9064 to request more information.
A dean is an academic administrator who has scholastic, programmatic, managerial, and fiscal responsibilities for a school or college within a university. Deans support the advancement of their university’s teaching, research, and service missions by providing vision and leadership for their college or school.
College deans juggle various managerial, financial and academic responsibilities to ensure that their departments run smoothly. They are ultimately accountable for the welfare of their departments and work to ensure that students and staff are happy and performing to the best of their abilities. Some of their responsibilities include but are not limited to:
The most successful college deans often possess the following qualities:
Becoming a college dean begins with building a solid foundation of education and then moving on to gaining practical experience in the field as a professor before making the transition into an administrative role.
The common steps to becoming a college dean are:
Earning your bachelor's degree will introduce you to the world of academia. There is no particular undergrad degree that deans are required to have, so follow your interest. While completing your bachelor's degree, try to find work in a dean's office, working as an office administrator, intern, or as a resident assistant.
Many deans hold a terminal degree, such as a Ph.D. or an EdD (like the Executive EdD in Education: Leadership and Teaching & Learning offered by Gwynedd Mercy University). These degrees are typically required by many post-secondary institutions in order to teach there (the majority of deans are former professors).
Before becoming a college dean, candidates almost always work in a post-secondary educational setting for at least several years, most commonly as professors or instructors in their field of expertise. Some college deans thrive in faculty positions for decades before transitioning to administrative roles. Other deans make the move to administrator relatively early in their careers. In every case, becoming a dean takes a considerable commitment of time, energy, and focus.
When you are ready to make the transition to department head, start letting your network know. The world of academia is small. Often, your associates or mentors will be able to point you towards available positions.
The best administrators make continued learning and improvement a priority. Adding another credential to your name, like the Online ABD (All But Dissertation) Doctoral Degree Completion program from GMercyU, can help you boost your earning power and be more effective in your position.
We hope this article answered your questions about pursuing a career as a university dean. If you have more questions or are interested in taking the next steps in your professional journey by earning your Online Executive EdD in Education: Leadership and Teaching & Learning or Online ABD (All But Dissertation) Doctoral Degree Completion program, don't hesitate to reach out by visiting this link or by calling 844-707-9064 to request more information.