Academic Dean Interview
Questions

"I feel that I am the best academic dean for you because I am highly educated, having recently completed my Ph.D. in Education. I would be a diverse leader for the student body. I have traveled all over the world and also speak four languages. I also stand out because I have been a Professor at two of the most well-respected universities in the United States."

"I feel that being newer to my career as an academic dean gives me an advantage to many other applicants. I plan to carve a long-term career with your university while incorporating fresh perspectives that a more tenured dean will likely not possess."

"A few years ago I created a new school policy to include bullying and cyber-bullying. Because cyber-bullying is a newer concept, our school did not have a policy in place to address those concerns. I created a zero-tolerance environment, and any breach resulted in expulsion. The improvement for our students was impressive, and I am very pleased with the results related to the change in policy."

"I have not yet had the opportunity to create any new academic rules. With that said, I have a keen interest in creating a safe environment for students. If the opportunity arose, I would first choose to update our school's bullying policies to include cyber-bullying."

"I have worked with diverse groups of people most of my career, including my time in University. I am most comfortable, and happy, in this type of environment because it offers a great learning opportunity."

"In my current role, I work alongside diverse, cross-functional teams on a daily basis. Together, we manage the school very effectively."

"In my current position I have one particular board member who is an exceptionally brief communicator. If I ask two questions, he will answer just one. I learned quickly that he would not acknowledge anything he did not have a direct answer for. I began to ask him questions in a different way. For example, I will say 'Do you have an answer for me on question X?' and he will say yes or no. We then go from there. This is a useful method of communication for that particular individual."

"I had a faculty member who often missed email updates. It caused us to cross our wires a few times. I suggested that we book a quick call every week to review any outstanding areas that need to be addressed. This process worked well for us."

"My proudest moment as a leader was when I achieved my Ph.D. in Education and was promoted to Academic Dean for the first time, six years ago. I believe it was a great example to our students that continued education is worth the investment - no matter what stage you are in your career."

"So far, my greatest accomplishment as an academic dean is upgrading my Masters' degree to a Ph.D. while working full time. I learned so much about personal and professional diligence, and am forever grateful for the opportunity."

"Sitting behind a desk isn't my cup of tea. I like to be out on campus, experiencing the community as a whole. I plan to become active in the work lives of my faculty and to be a familiar face around campus."

"Being active with my faculty is very important to me. I plan to stay active with my new faculty by getting to know them on a professional level, as well as understanding what motivates them to perform."

"I have been in Education for the majority of my career teaching first in elementary, high school, and then universities across the country. I have also traveled much of the world. These experiences have shaped me greatly, and I am positive that I can interact with any person, and deal with any situation with professionalism and poise."

"I am certainly prepared to work in a diverse environment. In fact, I embrace it. I understood, before even applying here, that your university offers a diverse range of their student body and also their faculty. I find this to be very exciting and I look forward to learning more as the interview process continues."

"I certainly do not enjoy communicating bad news to a co-worker, but I do have experience in doing so. When this type of task is required of me, I make sure to practice empathy. Truth is always key, so I will be honest and clear when communicating the news. For instance, if I am to terminate someone's employment, I will not sugar coat the reasons why. It's best they know so that they can learn from the experience."

"I have found that communicating with respect and the intent to support the team member is the best approach. It is important to communicate what behaviors are off track and what resources are available to the individual to get back on track."

"I feel that the best way to earn the trust of my co-workers is to be helpful, always do what I promise, and be honest with them at all times. Strong relationships have to be built on these principles."

"Here are some ways that you can build trust with your coworkers:

- Show common courtesy. Say hello, hold the elevator door, bring coffees now and then
- Be respectful in your communication, avoid over cc'ing unnecessarily in emails
- Avoid being a distraction, and respect the use of their time
- Respect their personal space and the line between work life and personal life
- Always ask if they have time before diving into a conversation
- Try to find the answer to your questions before running to ask a manager or co-worker
- Connect with them on LinkedIn but avoid more personal social media platforms
- Treat everyone the same, regardless of their job title
- Do not complain about your job to your coworkers
- Reach out to new employees and make them feel comfortable
- Own up to your mistakes and fix them
- Be timely with your followups and meet your deadlines"

"I would consider returning to complete my Ph.D.; however, it has never been a requirement for any of the schools that I have worked for. I certainly see value in higher education and think it would be a great example to our students as well."

"Absolutely! I am very passionate about continuing education and see a lot of value in obtaining my Ph.D. down the road."

"Experiencing a setback is always disappointing, and can be a bit disheartening, but I understand that it happens from time to time. If I experience a major setback, I will take a few moments to debrief with a mentor, and discuss what I could have done differently. Then, I move on!"

"Setbacks can be trying, but I find that you have to learn how to lose before you learn how to win. While I never enjoy a setback, I use them as a stepping off point to something even better."

"I had a difficult faculty member a couple of years ago. He was quite unresponsive to change and unwilling to compromise when it came to the needs of the school in our proactive environment. I spoke with the faculty member one-on-one about three times before I began to take disciplinary action. Once more severe consequences were presented he began to comply with the policy changes our school was implementing. If this happened again, I believe I would take faster action right away. There is little room for someone who cannot appreciate positive change and progression within education."

"If I were to have a faculty member causing difficulty in the workplace I would first check in with their union representative to ensure that any course of disciplinary action fell in line with union regulations and policy. After that, I would schedule a one on one conversation with that individual with the goal of that meeting to be making a plan to rectify the situation. A clear plan of action and potential recourse would be outlined."

"I like to encourage other people to be creative in their thinking and present ideas to me, no matter how off the wall they may seem. Some of our most successful employees are ones who are confident in their ability to bring forward their unique ideas. I encourage participation through an open door policy and strong praise for those who show initiative."

"Here are some ways that you can encourage ideas in others:

- Get to know them and what they like to work on
- Send an encouraging email letting them know you like their plan or ideas
- Publicly praise their efforts
- If they are doing a great job, offer them more related opportunities
- If you are a leader, then tell them that you like their ideas
- Say things like 'Well done' or 'Nice work' on a regular basis
- Show that you believe in their quality of work before they even deliver it"

"If I have an under-performing student in my school I will sit down with them and first have them self-assess. The questions I will ask will include 'What are the personal factors affecting your academic performance?' and 'What are the academic factors affecting your performance?' When a student can be completely honest with themselves, it is usually pretty easy to uncover the issue causing the poor grades."

"I believe that students should be assessed three to four times per year. In our current school, our teachers administer academic evaluations after each module is complete. The evaluations are comprehensive and clearly show us where we need to focus further."

"I have set my sights on a career as an academic dean as soon as I began teaching at the university level. I feel that it will be a fulfilling way to compliment my career in Education, and is one of the primary reasons I completed my Ph.D."

"As an academic dean, I feel that I will be able to utilize my recently elevated education while making a bigger impact in the education industry by setting fresh academic policies, and better-overseeing budgets."