Academics sometimes joke about “going to the dark side” as they transition into university administration. Leadership service does involve drawbacks. The more time one devotes to administrative tasks, the less time they can direct toward potentially more satisfying pursuits in research, teaching, clinical care, or other academic duties. Those downsides
The past few years have been particularly turbulent for higher education—including post-pandemic return-to-work initiatives, diminished public trust in higher education, the spread of campus protests, and the introduction of generative AI, which challenges so much of the work we do, to name only a few—so it is no wonder that
Disagreements emerging from the competing priorities of faculty members and administrators are unavoidable. Conflict, however, can emerge from drama being used as a strategic tactic to achieve a desired outcome. This so-called drama triangle dynamic often manifests itself as the pressure administrators face to play the hero in disputes—only to
Academic leadership is often framed as an exercise in “managing down”: guiding faculty, resolving disputes, or supporting students. Yet the real test of effective leadership may lie in the opposite direction: managing up and forging alliances with colleagues across the campus. Department chairs, directors, and deans must learn not only
Faculty are essential to achieving the mission and goals of higher education. Their contributions often extend beyond research, teaching, and service to areas such as mentoring, and the mentors deserve consistent recognition. But department chairs face competing demands to grow and maintain student enrollment, balance budgets, seek new sources of
Yes, the joyful season has arrived: Faculty are wrapping up their classes, giving final exams, and posting course grades. They will then exhale and try to shed the tension calculating final grades often creates. We are talking not about the tension prompted by anticipating the complaints from students unhappy with
Higher education leaders agree that recruiting, retaining, and engaging professional staff continues to be a top challenge at many colleges and universities. This article focuses on how leaders can develop
When I interviewed Olivia during the summer of 2024, I was collecting stories from higher education administrators about leadership and burnout. Olivia is a senior leader in academic affairs whose
Each spring, university campuses are spruced up: Lawns are mowed and stages assembled, and rows of chairs fill the arena. Graduation is a time-honored tradition, celebrating students’ hard work and
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