Interim deans are advised to request an application option in their appointment letters while recognizing that insiders may lack the distance to implement critical change; external hires often facilitate meaningful reform. Quick efforts to earn the respect and goodwill of staff, associate deans, chairs, and directors are essential. Emphasize collaborative, team-centered leadership rather than unilateral decision-making. Participate in formal orientation for legal and organizational matters, then strategically choose engagements. Unplanned attendance at events can produce unexpected goodwill and open access to campus leaders, making proactive outreach valuable for relationship-building and problem-solving.
Ask your provost to add the option of applying for the dean position to your appointment letter, just in case. I did but soon determined I would not be a candidate. I had become too much of an insider over the prior 13 years to be the improvement agent I thought my college needed. In my experience, external hires are better at bringing about critical change because they arrive without a set reputation and entrenched expectations.
As an interim dean, more so than a full-term dean, you quickly need to earn the respect and goodwill of the college staff, associate deans, chairs and directors. I received buy-in by acknowledging that the continued success of the college didn't depend on me as "decider in chief," but on the hands-on collaboration from everyone. Send clear signals that "it's the team, not the dean."
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