Education Deans’ Ways of Thinking, Being, and Acting: An Expanded National Survey Shelley B. Wepner
Manhattanville College William A. Henk Marquette University Sharon E. Lovell Robin Dawn Anderson James Madison University Journal of Higher Education Management, 35(4), 15-24 (ISSN 2640-7515). © Copyright 2020 by American Association of University Administrators. Permission to reprint for academic/scholarly purposes is unrestricted provided this statement appears on all duplicated copies. All other rights reserved.
A recent portrait of colleges of education reported that education deans are expected to be skilled administrators, distinguished scholars, thoughtful collaborators with primary and secondary school colleagues, and persuasive fundraisers who have a compelling vision for their schools, colleges, and divisions (King & Hampel, 2018). Serving as an effective education dean has come to require even more capacity as teacher preparation programs have been charged with, among a host of other directives, intensely examining their impact on primary and secondary students’ learning. Accordingly, education deans, directors, and the like must provide concrete evidence of how their programs prepare teacher candidates to impact positively the learning that takes place in primary and secondary classrooms and schools. Adding to the challenge, education deans must work with their constituencies to demonstrate ways in which they are preparing their graduates for success with an increasingly diverse student population. Unlike most other academic deanships, education deans must routinely contend with a litany of public criticisms from politicians, legislators, news media, and entrepreneurs who scrutinize the quality of education programs, personnel, and students. As a result, they must be vigilant about others’ seemingly relentless quest to identify avenues to disparage, proactive in representing their academic units and institutions to the community, willing to work with detractors, and committed to engaging alumni, civic leaders, government agencies, non-profit organizations, and potential donors to help move their academic units forward (Montez, Wolverton, & Gmelch, 2003). At the same time, deans of schools and colleges of education bear ultimate responsibility for all internal matters, most notably budgets, curriculum and program development, faculty and staff hiring and performance, and teacher candidate achievement. In serving as academic facilitators and intermediaries between presidential initiatives, administrative operations, faculty governance, and student needs, these leaders need to be equipped to work successfully with an extensive range of interests, individuals, and groups to promote the missions of their institution and academic unit (Rosser, Johnsrud, & Heck, 2003). Given these challenges, the study of the education deanship and what is perceived as contributing to success in that key role qualifies as both timely and important. Such research can help standing deans reflect on their own attributes and practices and perhaps adapt them to better effect. As the key administrators for their schools and colleges, they need to capitalize on their most effectual individual traits and qualities to ensure success for their students, faculty, alumni, and staff. These inquiries can also assist prospective deans in understanding what capabilities figure to be necessary in increasing 15
