Building the Academic Deanship

Krahenbuhl explains with clarity how one can improve his or her chances for success in the role of dean. According to the author, the major key to success is preparedness. Those individuals who succeed in this role are not so much the benefactors of chance as they are those who are prepared. Thus, each chapter offers information, observations, and examples that give insight into the role of dean. Attention is given to the review of personal attributes, sound habits, essential understandings, and basic skills observed in successful deans, and more broadly in successful leaders. Krahenbuhl believes successful deans are those who are able to imagine the possibilities for growth and improvement that exist within their institutions, those with vision. Unlike many positions, there are no formal professional programs for those seeking positions of academic leadership. Promotions in all fields involve a period of learning. It is difficult to imagine anyone moving to a new leadership position and being fully prepared to perform from the first day. Colleges today, like corporations, operate in a competitive world and at a time of great change. Each decision made by a dean may reshape a college and affects its competitive advantage either positively or negatively. The purpose of Building the Academic Deanship: Strategies for Success is to acquaint individuals either who are newly appointed deans or who are about to become academic deans with the typical challenges that come with such leadership positions. What works in one setting is almost never immediately transportable to another setting. To be helpful, a book such as this is successful only if it helps the reader develop a mind better prepared to lead a college. The organization of Gary Krahenbuhl's book is clear and concise, and the amount of information presented is enormous when one considers the length of the book--it is all practical and helpful. Author Gary S. Krahenbuhl is perfectly suited to provide the key to success for the newly appointed dean,