The dean is to a university what a principal is to a high school – basically, the highest figure of authority and the main governor of all student activities. The dean is responsible for organizing the university’s program, giving instructions to professors about specific classes, as well as governing the life of students and tending to their more demanding issues. Additionally, the dean is the main representative figure for the university, and participates in meetings and other events to which the university is related. It’s not rare for the dean to also function as a teaching professor in their university.
As most would guess, the basic requirements for becoming a dean involve having a Doctorate in whatever subject the person has chosen to specialize in. Additionally, they must display strong leadership skills, good communication, as well as the ability to coherently analyze problems and find solutions that satisfy all of the sides in the argument appropriately. Furthermore, any prospective dean must have been involved with student life for a good amount of time in their professional career.
A dean can earn a very high salary compared to other employees at their university, and their annual salaries range between $105,000 – $193,000. The primary factor which can affect the salary is the particular university of employment, and some more prestigious ones are known for paying their deans considerably higher than the average, with salaries going up to $250,000 in some cases. Since the dean’s position is the highest in the university’s hierarchy, there aren’t any actual prospects for further development.