26 BizEd JANUARY | FEBRUARY 2015
a dean's average tenure is just more than three years, which
means a whole host of new deans are at the helm at the begin-
ning of every academic season. Any change in leadership can
usher in a period of uncertainty for an institution and present
the new leader with a series of challenges. But the transition can
go smoothly if everyone is prepared for the changes ahead.
We talked to six deans who took up their posts in 2014 to
ask them how they prepared for their new jobs, what surprised
them, and what skills they drew on to manage the transition.
Four are first-time deans who had been in the job about three
months when we spoke to them; two were veterans who had
switched continents to assume new roles. All offered thoughtful
insights about how any new dean can weather the first 90 days.
Six new deans share what
they've learned during their first
three months on the job.
FACING
THE FIRST
90 DAYS
BY SHARON SHINN PHOTOGRAPH BY COLIN LENTON
change management
