Deeply embedded in U.S. higher education institutions is a culture of whiteness that benefits white students, staff, faculty, and administrators through racist policies, structures, and cultural norms designed to uphold whiteness. This culture not only minimizes the presence of racism, but also is pervasive on college campuses, where…

This article explores the complex academic-administrative role of the associate dean in US higher education administration. Previous research in Australia, UK and USA indicates that these academic middle managers experience significant conflict and ambiguity due to their roles and responsibilities as faculty members and administrators. Victor…

The present basic qualitative researched sought to explore the experiences and practices of academic deans in community colleges. I leveraged Schein's Model of Organizational Culture as a framework for data analysis. Schein's Model includes three layers of organizational culture; artifacts, espoused beliefs and values, and the inner most layer of…

Recent studies have highlighted the major challenges faced by managers in the higher education sector and shown the contradictory demands which foster paradoxical tensions. Previous works have also underlined some specific tensions and rigidities that business school deans regularly face in their role. Yet, few studies have empirically explored…

There is a growing body of literature on the roles that deans play in challenging times; however, what is often missing are deans' own voices as they reflect on their experiences trying to manage the dilemmas and crises inherent in their work. This is particularly true of the past few years when deans have managed unprecedented levels of…

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic is being felt across all higher education institutions. Deans, central to institutional response and college/school repositioning, are being challenged to provide leadership that result in successful institutional response. This study illuminates the current understanding of three trends requiring critical…

Weick's Sensemaking in Organizations (1995) details an understanding in organizational leadership in effort to establish clarity in roles, duties and responsibilities. The purpose of this qualitative study was to use sensemaking as a framework to examine the role of the academic dean at the Four Year, Regional Public Institution (FYRPI). According…

This study uses the concept of 'organisational power' -- control over the environments in which others interact -- to investigate the structures and lived experience of power among academic associate deans at public, research-intensive universities in the US. Previous research claims that the associate dean role lacks 'legitimate power.' Through…

The university academic manager (AM) or head of school/department is typically positioned in a hierarchical world: as a middle manager 'sandwiched' between senior management and subordinates. I propose a different framing: the AM cohabits two worlds, the worlds of hierarchy and collegiality respectively. Using an ideal type framework and data…

This article reflects on the role of the academic dean in theological education in relation to faculty of color. Drawing on research related to faculty of color in higher education and theological education, the article explores issues and responses to the challenges faced by faculty of color in predominately White institutions, and maps potential…

This qualitative study is an auto-criticism, an approach that allows researchers to study themselves. This emergent methodology is derived from educational criticism and connoisseurship, which fits under the broader category of arts-based research. School discipline is a programmatic component of any secondary school's educational framework and…

The inadequacy of training and support for academic middle managers in the US, UK, and Australia is well documented. What remains unclear is what would make for better professional development. This study fills this gap by investigating what associate deans at US research universities report learning 'on the job'. Drawing on their perspectives and…

Philanthropy in higher education consists of gifts of financial funding from individuals, alumni, community advocates, parents, private companies, businesses, or foundations, to support a spectrum of items including scholarships, fellowships, academic programs, professorships, research, or development. In the 21st century, most public and private…

Interpretive and narrative research approaches, the experiences of academic administrators other than deans, chairs, and presidents, and academic identity work beyond graduate students and beginning professors are all areas that are underrepresented in the literature on higher educational administration. This article builds on recent narrative…

This study examines the role of deans, department chairs, and diversity officers within the faculty diversity and hiring discourse. Using an embedded case study approach, I conducted semi-structured interviews with 12 administrative and academic leaders across four academic departments to understand their theories of change to advance faculty…