Dianne Dorland – författare

This book provides foundational thoughts on situations where deans find themselves when managing up, managing their peers and themselves, or managing down. The case studies and scenarios are useful for thinking about problems or issues beforehand and for considering how other deans handled these situations, even if the specifics or eventual resolutions are different. While there will be differences in who is involved, the actions they can take, the cost of those actions, the outcomes that can be achieved, how actions are linked to outcomes, and what information is available, each case or scenario provides situational insights. The case studies and scenarios represent a range of experiences from many deans and cover a variety of both public and private institutions of different sizes and locations.

This book provides foundational thoughts on situations where deans find themselves when managing up, managing their peers and themselves, or managing down. The case studies and scenarios are useful for thinking about problems or issues beforehand and for considering how other deans handled these situations, even if the specifics or eventual resolutions are different. While there will be differences in who is involved, the actions they can take, the cost of those actions, the outcomes that can be achieved, how actions are linked to outcomes, and what information is available, each case or scenario provides situational insights. The case studies and scenarios represent a range of experiences from many deans and cover a variety of both public and private institutions of different sizes and locations.

The book provides case studies for reflection in a broad array of situations that that provosts must deal with. The short scenarios and case studies are useful for thinking about problems or issues in advance and considering options that might be available. When analyzing circumstances, readers may find it useful to identify setting aspects that apply to their institutions.While there are differences in involvement, actions and outcomes, each case provides multiple connectors and situational insights for a provost. The book presents tips on deciding to become a provost, interviewing successfully, and managing the “honeymoon” period in a new position. It addresses challenges unique to the provost, such as balancing academic and institutional priorities or leading from a perspective of diversity. Questions on assessing the “fit” of your team and creating a shared vision of academic affairs are probed through example.Collaborations across other divisions of the university and the provost’s role in shared governance guide the reader to examine how to lead change. Leading change is having a vision for the academy and provosts are agents of power outside of their own institutions who shape the dialog of future higher education.