Welcome to the Academic Anchor

My anchor is academia. It is the stage upon which I am exposed. Exposed to a multitude of skeptics, critics and analysts. An anchor set in a sandy bottom with a rising tide.

Admittedly, I was caught off guard last month when the Dean asked me “Have you ever thought about being a Dean?”. I was flattered. The question led to a short discussion about academic administration, how my father had served as a university administrator for decades, and how I had been asked the same questions by a prior Dean.

At the time, I didn’t know that our long-serving associate dean would be stepping down at the end of the semester. I didn’t know that people inside and outside the academic department that I serve would encourage me to consider serving as an associate dean.

Let me begin by giving you some background. I currently serve as a department head in a public university known for outstanding undergraduate teaching.  I have been in this role for the past five years.

What are the strategic goals for our school?
1. to be among the top undergraduate business schools in the nation – striving for excellence and continuous improvement in learning.
2. the faculty are committed to providing an exceptional educational experience for our students, and
3. the college will be a preferred source of student talent for employers in the region.

In my opinion, these are great goals. We can do better. I look forward to seeing if I have the skill set to make these goals a reality in the academic setting. My anchor.