Shaping Priorities as Academic Deans: Sense-Making at the Intersection of Identity and College Context

• In Event: Navigating Change Across Institutional Contexts From Different Perspectives

Abstract

More than ever, academic deans are determining the fate of universities. As more universities adopt decentralized budget models such as Responsibility Center Budgeting, deans are becoming entrepreneurial chief executives who establish and implement strategic priorities for their colleges. A surprisingly scant literature, however, investigates how deans conceptualize or conduct this critical work. In this article, I explore findings from an in-depth case study of how six deans at a top-ranked American research university shape strategic priorities. By applying the theoretical lens of sensemaking and conducting more than 60 interviews and more than 20 observations, I demonstrate that deans shape priorities in ways that affirm their faculty identities, validate personal and professional experiences and reflect the fiscal context of their colleges.

Author

• Nathan Frederick Harris, University of Rochester