

George Justice
The essential guide to the hardest job in higher ed.
A deanship in higher education is an exciting but complex job combining technical administration and academic leadership. On one hand, the dean is an institutional leader, standing up for the faculty, staff, and students. On the other, the dean is a middle manager, managing personnel, curriculum, and budgets and trying to live up to the expectations of the governing board, president, and provost. But what is it really like to be a dean?
In How to Be a Dean, George Justice illuminates both of these leadership roles, which interact and even...
The essential guide to the hardest job in higher ed.
A deanship in higher education is an exciting but complex job combining technical administration and academic leadership. On one hand, the dean is an institutional leader, standing up for the faculty, staff, and students. On the other, the dean is a middle manager, managing personnel, curriculum, and budgets and trying to live up to the expectations of the governing board, president, and provost. But what is it really like to be a dean?
In How to Be a Dean, George Justice illuminates both of these leadership roles, which interact and even conflict with each other while deans do their best to help faculty members and students. Providing tested advice, Justice takes readers from the job search through the daily work of the dean and, ultimately, to the larger questions of leadership, excellence, and integrity the role provokes. He also explores the roles of "different" deanships in the broader context of academic leadership.
Based on the author's experience as a dean at two large research universities, How to Be a Dean is clear, engaging, and opinionated. Current deans will use this book to reflect on the work they do in productive ways. Faculty members considering administrative work will find in this book some idea about the day-to-day work required of their institutional leaders. And finally, readers who are simply curious about what deans do will find pointed analysis about what works and what doesn't.
The perfect book for new deans, as well as for anyone who aspires to be a dean, wants to take a leadership position in higher education, or has college leadership potential.
If you're a dean, and you want a friend, get a dog. But if you're thinking of becoming a dean or want to know what deaning might involve, George Justice's report from the field offers a place to start: a clear-eyed, experienced view of a little-understood, and increasingly complex, part of American higher ed.
George Justice's How to be a Dean is sharp-eyed and comprehensive. Focused on the practical, day-to-day realities of working as an academic dean, this book promises to remain a definitive guide for years to come.
George Justice is in a unique position to write this book since he served as a graduate dean and an academic line dean. He considers matters from the practical to a broader philosophical view of the deanship. This volume is a must-read for new deans or those considering serving as dean.
Justice is adept at exploring pragmatic issues, from assessing the major responsibilities, managing up, and gauging when it is time to stop. I particularly appreciated the candid assessments on these topics that are frequently absent from other volumes on academic leadership.
Required reading for anyone interested in the inner workings of colleges and universities. Writing with humor, insight, and the wisdom of a veteran academic leader, Justice offers a refreshingly pragmatic 'how to' approach to the complexities of academic leadership. His counsel will be invaluable for aspiring leaders and veterans alike.
How to Be a Dean reads like a chat with a trusted colleague. Justice provides quick reference points on all of the dean's daily work. But more importantly, he reminds us that effective deans do more than just manage; they sustain and advance the collective mission of higher education.
How to Be a Dean provides deans and those who aspire to the office a very thoughtful account of the work involved. Justice relates real-world experiences that even the most seasoned dean would find useful in navigating an ever-changing administrative landscape that requires good management skills as well as leadership acumen.
In How to Be a Dean, Justice offers a lucid account of the expectations and demands across the full range of a dean's responsibilities. His discussion is rich with personal perspectives and practical wisdom earned through years of experience. Especially recommended for new deans or those first considering a deanship.
George Justice provides pragmatic, thought-provoking advice for deans on how to serve as both academic leaders and middle managers. How To Be a Dean is an essential handbook for those seeking the deanship, serving as dean, or wanting to understand the nuances of academic administration.
Preface
Chapter 1. What Does a Dean Do?
Chapter 2. The Dean in the College
Chapter 3. Managing Down, Managing Up
Chapter 4. Being of Value
Epilogue. Knowing When to Stop
Acknowledgments
Further Reading
Preface
Chapter 1. What Does a Dean Do?
Chapter 2. The Dean in the College
Chapter 3. Managing Down, Managing Up
Chapter 4. Being of Value
Epilogue. Knowing When to Stop
Acknowledgments
Further Reading
Index
with Hopkins Press Books