State of the Art Dean of Education

The George Washington University
Education 282: "Administration of College Student Development Programs"
Instructor: Dr. Billy Molasso
Fall 2007

By Nada M. Salem

Quotes

The world has witnessed so many devastating wars! Only through education can we change it, improve our fate, and put an end to all those ongoing wars. Educated people think and communicate, instead of fighting. Educated people do not follow leaders blindly: they question them; they know what to ask of them; they hold them accountable. Educated people know how to express their opinions, or at least they do know how to have informed opinions in order to make informed decisions! Hence, education cannot but be the source of all good, although we do acknowledge the fact that there are always exceptions.
Education starts in schools where the "decisive element in the classroom" is the teacher (H. Guinott). Then it continues in college/university. All those students who make up future generations are taught, shaped, and either "humanized" or "de-humanized" by.... Teachers! Then we can safely say that teachers are the shapers of our future! Those teachers on whom the whole world relies, those teachers who, according to Henry Brooks Adams, affect eternity, need to be well-trained and educated, and it is up to schools of education worldwide, under deans' leaderships, to make sure those teachers are adequately prepared to teach. If teachers affect eternity, what deans of education affect must be quite beyond that. So, those deans definitely need to be State-of-the-Art Deans of Education!
What are the Skills that the Dean of the School of Education Needs to Have in order to be a State-of-the-Art Dean?
After reviewing several Dean of the School of Education position descriptions posted in The Chronicle of Higher Education in October/Novemver 2007 by Grand Canyon University, the University of Maryland at College Park, Elon University, Missouri State University, Governors State University, and North Carolina A&T State University, we have concluded the following: In addition to the fact that any dean must have a proven record of teaching, scholarship, and service commensurate with tenure at the rank of full professor, in order for the Dean of the School of Education to be a State-of-the Art Dean, s/he should have the following skills:

Leadership Skills: s/he should be a dynamic, enterprising, and visionary Academic Leader

Strategic Planning Skills: s/he should be an accomplished Strategic Planner

Academic Administration Skills: s/he should have a successful record as an Academic Administrator in higher education

Financing Skills: s/he should demonstrate a commitment to achieving excellence and innovation in
Fundraising and Budgeting

Policy Interpretation & Development Skills: s/he should be comfortable with Policy Interpretation
and Development.

Click on the links below for details.

Dean's Roles & Responsibilities | Relevant Quotes about Education | References | Relevant Links
Personal Development Plan
Top Schools of Education: Mission Statements
(Sources / Education Deans: Position Descriptions)
"Education, One of the Impossible Professions"

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	Leadership Skills: s/he should be a dynamic, enterprising, and visionary Academic Leader
	Strategic Planning Skills: s/he should be an accomplished Strategic Planner
	Academic Administration Skills: s/he should have a successful record as an Academic Administrator in higher education
	Financing Skills: s/he should demonstrate a commitment to achieving excellence and innovation in Fundraising and Budgeting
	Policy Interpretation & Development Skills: s/he should be comfortable with Policy Interpretation and Development.