This article provides a retrospective account of 25 years of qualitative and quantitative inquiry into the psychological characteristics, leadership strategies, and attributes that education deans bring to their positions and the contextual factors that contribute to their staying power. Over multiple, mixed-methods studies, some 423 education…

This study explored the construct of "longevity" for education deans and the perceived impact that endurance in the role exerts on the welfare of schools and colleges of education. Some 181 standing education deans who had served for five or more years responded to a 12-item online survey that probed their perspectives on the…

Four academic deans investigated when and how they used interpersonal/negotiating skills to function effectively in their positions. For two full weeks, the deans coded their on-the-job interactions during scheduled meetings, informal meetings, spontaneous encounters/meetings, telephone calls, and select email. Analyses revealed that the…

The purpose of this paper is to describe how vignettes can be used during an institution's interview process for an education dean. Education deans are confronted with personnel, programmatic, student, and organisational dilemmas on a daily basis. The fundamental responsibilities of the position require education deans to have a strong sense of…

Education deans in the United States describe their approach to solving leadership problems that were cast as organizational dilemmas. The deans who participated in the study had been education deans for at least 6 to 7 years, indicating that they had avoided the revolving door syndrome of 4.5 years in a single appointment. Deans described their…