The Academic Dean: An Imperiled Species Searching for Balance

The academic deanship is the least studied and most misunderstood position in the academy. The work of administration and the pursuit of scholarly endeavors do not make good bedfellows since deans' academic interests turn them firmly toward their departments, but their leadership of the college...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Research in higher education 1999-12, Vol.40 (6), p.717-740
Main Authors: Gmelch, Walter H., Wolverton, Mimi, Wolverton, Marvin L., Sarros, James C.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Academic achievement
Academic Deans
Academic departments
Academic education
Academic leadership
Academic tenure
Administrator Role
Australia
College Administration
Colleges
Cultural Differences
Data Analysis
Educational administration
Foreign Countries
Higher Education
Leadership
Quality of Working Life
Scholarship funds
Stress
Stress Variables
Universities
University administration
Citations: Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:The academic deanship is the least studied and most misunderstood position in the academy. The work of administration and the pursuit of scholarly endeavors do not make good bedfellows since deans' academic interests turn them firmly toward their departments, but their leadership of the colleges and schools depends largely on directions from the provost and university. The resulting paradoxical situation causes many academic leaders to burn out from the strain of trying to be effective administrators, on the one hand, and attempting to protect the academic autonomy and independence of faculty on the other (Gmelch and Miskin, 1993, 1995). Many academic leaders, such as deans, end their administrative careers fatigued and suffering from excessive levels of stress (Gmelch and Burns, 1994). The first phase of this study explores the sources of stress experienced by deans in both Australia and the United States.
ISSN:0361-0365
1573-188X
DOI:10.1023/A:1018717015528