FACULTY PERCEPTIONS OF ACADEMIC DEAN - The IDEA Center

FACULTY PERCEPTIONS OF ACADEMIC DEAN
This survey may be conducted for two purposes: (1) to assist the academic dean to become a more
effective administrator and (2) to assist those responsible for evaluating the dean’s effectiveness to make
a valid assessment. Either purpose will be best served if you make an effort to reflect on the dean’s
overall performance and provide a fair and honest representation of the dean in your responses.
This survey will take you approximately 30 minutes to complete.
To encourage objectivity, you are asked not to identify yourself. Results of the survey will be
summarized for all respondents and for various groups (defined by rank, tenure status, etc.). Individual
identity will be protected as group analyses will be reported only for groups where there are at least five
respondents. However, your responses to open-ended questions will be provided verbatim to the dean.
Thus, you will want to avoid comments that would reveal your identity.
I. Administrative Effectiveness
Please mark the corresponding circle to express your beliefs about how well the dean performs the
following functions. Take into account the limitations imposed upon the dean by available resources.
Use the following key:
1 = A Definite Weakness
2 = More a Weakness than a Strength
3 = In Between
4 = More a Strength than a Weakness
5 = A Definite Strength
CJ = Cannot Judge (too little opportunity to observe)
NA = Not Applicable (not relevant to this dean)
The Dean’s Impact on the College’s Major Programs:
1 2 3 4 5 CJ NA
1. ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ Providing a balance among the college’s instructional, research, and service
programs.
2. ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ Improving the undergraduate program
3. ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ Improving the graduate program
4. ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ Improving research and scholarly contributions
5. ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ Improving quality of teaching in the college
6. ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ Improving service to the public, the profession, and/or the discipline.
The Dean’s Success in Developing Resources for the College:
1 2 3 4 5 CJ NA
7. ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ Gaining an appropriate share of the institution’s resources.
8. ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ Representing the college’s needs to those who control resources.
9. ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ Assisting in the securing of gifts and/or grants.

The Dean’s Attention to Organizational Matters:
1 2 3 4 5 CJ NA
1 = A Definite Weakness
2 = More a Weakness than a Strength
3 = In Between
4 = More a Strength than a Weakness
5 = A Definite Strength
CJ = Cannot Judge (too little opportunity to observe)
NA = Not Applicable (not relevant to this dean)
10. ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ Keeping faculty informed of important developments.
11. ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ Obtaining faculty opinion on relevant issues or concerns.
12. ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ Providing support services which help the faculty function effectively.
13. ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ Maintaining an appropriate sized staff in the Dean’s Office.
14. ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ Providing departments ample opportunity to explain their needs.
The Dean’s Program Leadership:
1 2 3 4 5 CJ NA
15. ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ Leading in developing goals, expectations, and priorities which describe the
college’s mission and role.
16. ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ Leading in developing plans and strategies for achieving the college’s goals over
the next few years.
17. ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ Communicating goals and priority expectations for each department or division.
18. ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ Keeping informed about each department’s plans, priorities, accomplishments and
needs.
19. ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ Conducting a credible review/evaluation of departments on a regular basis.
20. ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ Allocating resources in ways which are consistent with the college’s goals and
priorities.
The Dean’s Personnel Management Performance:
1 2 3 4 5 CJ NA
21. ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ Selecting and retaining department or division heads.
22. ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ Arbitrating disputes between faculty and department heads.
23. ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ Assisting in the recruitment of new faculty members.
24. ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ Making promotion and tenure recommendations/decisions.
25. ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ Making appropriate efforts to retain outstanding faculty members.
26. ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ Implementing Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity policies.
Use the space below to elaborate on any of the ratings you made of the dean’s administrative effectiveness or to
comment on other aspects of his/her performance.

II. The Dean’s Personal Characteristics
In this section, please describe the dean’s personal attributes by marking the appropriate number on
each scale. Mark “Cannot Judge” (CJ) if you have little or no basis for making a rating.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 CJ
27. ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ Decisive (1) vs. Indecisive (7)
28. ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ Organized (1) vs. Disorganized (7)
29. ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ Remote (1) vs. Approachable (7)
30. ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ Honest (1) vs. Untruthful (7)
31. ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ Unfair (1) vs. Fair (7)
32. ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ Autocratic (1) vs. Democratic (7)
33. ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ Caring (1) vs. Unfeeling (7)
34. ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ Manipulative (1) vs. Straightforward (7)
35. ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ Consistent (1) vs. Inconsistent (7)
36. ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ Lethargic (1) vs. Vigorous (7)
37. ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ Ambiguous (1) vs. Clear (7)
38. ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ Self-centered (1) vs. Institution-centered (7)
39. ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ Understanding (1) vs. Insensitive (7)
40. ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ Receptive to ideas (1) vs. Opinionated (7)
41. ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ Trustworthy (1) vs. Untrustworthy (7)
42. ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ Passive (1) vs. Active (7)
43. ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ Aloof (1) vs. Warm (7)
44. ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ Predictable (1) vs. Erratic (7)
III. Overall Impression
45. How has the quality of the college’s programs changed during the dean’s tenure or time you have been here?
○ Definitely improved
○ Somewhat improved
○ No change
○ Somewhat declined
○ Definitely declined
46. Has the dean’s role in this change been…?
○ Very important
○ Important
○ Of minor importance
○ Not important
47. What is your overall evaluation of the dean’s effectiveness?
○ Poor
○ Mediocre
○ Good
○ Excellent
○ Unable to judge

48. How often do you have confidence in the dean’s ability to manage the college effectively?
○ Always
○ Most of the time
○ About half the time
○ Less than half the time
○ Hardly ever
Use the space below to provide comments to clarify or elaborate on your general impressions or to offer
suggestions pertaining to the dean, the operation of the Dean’s Office, or the college.
IV. Respondent’s Perspective
49. What is your rank?
○ Department Head
○ Professor
○ Associate Professor
○ Assistant Professor
○ Instructor
○ Other, including temporary
50. What is your tenure status?
○ Tenured
○ Working toward tenure
○ In a non-tenurable position
51. How often do you have meaningful contact with the dean?
○ At least once a week
○ One to three times a month
○ One to three times a term
○ Hardly ever
52. How long have you been employed in this college?
○ This is my first year
○ One to two years
○ Three to five years
○ More than five years
53. Has there been at least one occasion over the past five years where you have had close contact with the
Dean (e.g., worked through a problem; served together on a committee or task force; been on the Dean’s
Advisory Committee)?
○ Yes
○ No
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