This digest considers four questions about the academic deanship. The first is what are deans and what do they do? The position of dean did not gain universal acceptance in U.S. higher education until 1913. Deans continue to be predominantly white and male, and are generally in their mid-fifties. Strong scholarly credentials distinguish most deans, but the ambiguity of the position they hold, being concerned with students and a wide array of administrative tasks, raises their levels of work-related stress. A second question involves the challenges deans face, with include financial constraints, shifting demographics and increasing diversity of students, demands from the corporate sector, and advances in technology. The third question concerns the strategies deans might use to meet the challenges of higher education today. Deans should use strategies that move them from being managers of day-to-day operations to being leaders in a dynamic environment. Some specific suggestions are offered to enable deans to cope with contemporary challenges, including those of student diversity. A final question asks what universities can do to help deans become more effective. (Contains 15 references.) (SLD)