This study examined the relationships among the roles of college deans and conflict and ambiguity in deans' work. Challenges deans perceived as imminent in the future were also studied. The sample included 1,370 deans from 360 universities. They were asked about their roles, conflicts and ambiguities they faced, and possible challenges for the…

Using data from the National Study of Academic Deans, examined the relationships between academic deans' roles, conflict, and ambiguity, postulating that the same roles in which they engage today will be challenges in the future unless conflict and ambiguity are lessened. Discusses the implications of these issues and recommends strategies for…

A study of 1,108 university administrators regarding perceived sources of occupational stress and whether they reflect both faculty and administrator roles of department chairs determined that stress comes from both roles. It was recommended that the professional characteristics of department chairs and the relationship of variables to stress…

This paper examines personal challenges that academic leaders face, attributes that institutional leaders should possess to succeed in transforming the university, how institutions of higher education can build the capacity for preparing new leaders, and how universities can respond to the leadership crisis in this time of transformation. Personal…

This book, based on the National Deans Survey, which was sponsored by the Center for the Study of Academic Leadership and to which 800 deans from all U.S. four-year academic institutions responded, clarifies the nature of the job and its responsibilities. Part 1, Deans--Their Campuses and Colleges, contains two chapters: (1) The Deanship; and (2)…

Nearly 80,000 scholars currently serve as department chairs, and almost one-quarter will need to be replaced each year. Such a high turnover rate is partly due to surprises and unexpected sacrifices embedded in the department chair position. In an effort to help professors prepare for and overcome unforseen tradeoffs, the University Council for…

This editorial introduces the special edition of "The Journal of Educational Administration" that focuses on stress among school administrators. A commonly accepted four-stage stress cycle is posited to organize, synthesize, and contrast the findings. (TE)

This monograph provides a compilation of scholarly literature written about academic deans. The premise on which it rests suggests that changes external to the academy have affected the nature of the academic deanship and will continue to affect it for the foreseeable future. The book considers four questions about the academic deanship. The first…

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…

A survey of department chairs at colleges and universities investigated the administrators' perceptions of the importance of 26 administrative duties. Results reveal patterns in perceived importance of functions and perceptions of effectiveness in achieving them. Factors of hiring, discipline, gender, or orientation (manager, leader, developer,…

This study investigated what university and college department chairpersons believe are the most important duties of their position, how they view their roles, and the relationship of perceived roles and duties. Possible role definitions included seeing department chair work as leader, scholar, faculty developer, or manager. The study surveyed 800…

This study identifies specific coping techniques helpful to educators in handling the tensions of their jobs, clusters the reported techniques into coping categories, assesses the number and frequency of coping techniques used by educators, and identifies similarities and differences in coping responses. (Author/TE)

Three main themes in the conflict experienced by college department heads are examined: conflict inherent in the structure of higher education (institutional), conflict created when people work together (interpersonal), and that woven into the chair position (positional). These conflicts are not necessarily negative or positive; these…

This study examined the design of associate deans' positions within the context of the top 50 colleges and schools of education, focusing on three design parameters (job specialization, formalization of behavior in carrying out the job, and training and indoctrination required for the job). Researchers examined data derived from a compilation of…

Describes the most frequent stress producers identified by school administrators. Suggests four areas that warrant further training and improvement--time management, interpersonal relations, community relations, and coping with rules and regulations. (Author/WD)