It’s Not the Dark Side: Why Having Academics Go Into Academic Administration Is a Good Thing for All of Us

What the Academy Says About Being an Administrator and How It Is Hurting the Field

The message of avoiding administration often starts during one’s PhD. In fact, each of us can remember hearing ‘successful’ senior faculty members suggesting that we should avoid administration at all costs. This statement was usually tied to the negative impact that taking on administrative duties could have on one’s research productivity. As we moved through our careers, this sentiment was repeated. Adding to it, faculty are often heard in the halls bemoaning the decisions made by administrators, and the notion of ‘us’ versus ‘them’ becomes institutionalized.

Unfortunately, those of us in administrative roles also perpetuate the negative framing. We emphasize the challenges and infrequently, if ever, highlight the parts of the job that are satisfying. When one steps into an administrative role, the most frequent question asked, and all three authors can attest to this, is why have you gone to the dark side? While this statement is usually made in jest, it has a lasting effect. To combat this, we need to be more vocal about sharing the rewarding parts of our roles. One of the authors has made a conscious decision when asked by others about their decision to take on such a position to emphasize the positive aspects and to clearly share that they are, in fact, happy in their role. If we all took this approach, could we start to turn the narrative?

Why Business Faculty Are Needed in Administrative Roles

While the hesitance to seek out administrative roles is ubiquitous in higher education, it is more surprising within business schools where faculty teach and study things like managing change, strategy, and leadership; knowledge domains that should be beneficial for our departments and colleges. Similarly, topics such as how to market a program, build a team, budgeting, planning and forecasting, data-driven decision making, the impact of loan limits, and other business-centric subjects are topics we all cover in our classes and are central to the success of academic units (e.g., Gaftandzhieva et al., 2023). Academic administration often means building new programs, leading existing programs, and closing programs that are no longer thriving - success in all of these tasks is dependent upon working with others, connecting people and ideas from different areas, understanding financial spreadsheets, and ensuring a common goal. While certainly such skills are present across a myriad of disciplines, in line with a pragmatist perspective of higher education leadership (e.g., Macfarlane et al., 2024), we contend that they are embedded in the academic discourse of business schools.

The three of us are from the management discipline and gave a great deal of thought and consideration before taking on our administrative duties. We would not change our decisions and feel that our exposure to many of the topics detailed above have proven helpful to us in our administrative positions. However, we are aware that moving into these roles presents challenges and opportunities, some expected and others not. Therefore, our goal for the remainder of this GOMusing is to share some of our insights from “behind the administrative curtain.”

Challenges in Transitioning to Administration and Our Insights

A favorite reading when teaching leadership is “How Managers Become Leaders” (Watkins, 2012) which discusses the move from individual contributor to a focus on shaping the organization. This transition is particularly challenging for academics as we are trained to pursue individual success - publications, awards, grants, even student feedback. In administrative roles, these are no longer the metrics of success. Instead, success may be defined for administrators by meeting budget numbers, fundraising goals, successful accreditation, student graduation rates, faculty publications, or student job placement (e.g., Mantai & Marrone, 2023). One’s mindset needs to shift from individual-to program- or college-level focus. What becomes more salient for administrators is what your unit accomplishes and how you can provide the vision, structure, support, processes, and motivation to enable success.

The shift takes time – before becoming deans we were all department chairs. This is a great first administrative role as you can still maintain your faculty identity, while playing a role in shaping culture and implementing changes that you might have wanted to see happen for years within your department. Similarly, being a program director gives you insight into recruitment, placement, curriculum, as well as having a more direct impact on student success and the future direction on the program.

Each one of us is highly achievement oriented! So, we had to shift our focus from our research and teaching accomplishments to our units’ achievement as we “kept score.” For instance, one of the authors maintains a white board in their office where they capture college/unit level “wins.” All three of us dedicate time at the start of every faculty/staff meeting to discuss unit and college-level accomplishments so that everyone is aware of things like publications, rankings, awards, and other good news that should be shared. We know that such recognitions have an impact as at one of our colleges, a faculty member recently asked if their publication could be held to be mentioned until the next meeting so they could be there for “the clapping.”

Insight #1: Shift your focus to collective vs. individual “wins” and then share loudly, often, and widely.

One of the best things about a faculty position is the freedom to select your own research questions and when and how you decide to work. Who among us has not had to explain that yes, this is a full-time job even though we only teach one or two days each week! Losing flexibility is difficult at first, but as in all jobs, there is a cadence with busy times, really busy times, less busy times, and yes, even quiet times. Learning this cadence is critical. For example, as a department chair, one of the authors had some of their most productive years as they were able to carve out one day a week to work on research. This flexibility, however, is not possible as a dean! In this role, rather than weekly research time, one may find time during slower periods in the academic calendar. Specifically, it is quiet for deans during exam weeks as faculty and students are busy and there are fewer campus events. Similarly, around holidays there are fewer external events that require the dean’s involvement. Learning how to use these times for personal goal fulfilment is important. Accordingly, we would suggest figuring out when these slower times are given your respective role. Then, schedule your time during these times to make the most of them.

Insight #2: Learn the cadence of your role – the flexibility will be different but to avoid burnout you must embrace and leverage the slower times.

Another challenge when moving into administration can be managing your former peers. Relationships with former colleagues are helpful as they can provide honest feedback. However, administrative decisions need to be made for the good of the entire unit and may have unintended consequences for individuals who were previously your friends and colleagues. Care must be given to perceptions of favoritism which can result in a very good initiative being derailed. You have to be cognizant of how relationships change. For one author, after moving from department chair to associate dean, they had to consciously stop attending their former department’s meetings and socials so as not to appear partial to that unit. Gallo’s (2012) HBR offers some great insights that are relevant here.

Insight #3: Your relationships with former peers will change – be prepared.

When stepping into administration, your new peers become your fellow administrators. As such, your network changes. At the campus of one of the authors, a “Leadership Community” with monthly optional meetings was recently formed to allow administrators at the same level to share, learn from, and support one another. The value of this network is it helps you realize that while the challenges are real, you are not alone. Several academic conferences have started to run administrator forums (e.g., SMA) giving you the opportunity to expand your network to others in similar roles outside of your university. If you are lucky, like the three of us, some of your friends are also administrators who can commiserate with a GOMusing! The most seasoned (read oldest!) of us also has a philosophy that they will always take a call or meeting with a colleague in administration who reaches out with a question – their administrative assistant knows that this is a meeting that can always be fit into the schedule – even in slots blocked for ‘no meetings.’

Insight #4: Build new networks, find your people on campus or externally and be there for each other.

Critical to your long-term success is the need to focus on your well-being (e.g., Griffin, 2022). Listen to Kondo (2016) and understand what gives you joy. It may be that you need to exercise to stay energized, take a walk in the middle or at the end of the day with your dog. You may be someone who needs a random afternoon off to recharge or spend time in Portugal each year (this is the remedy for two of us!). Whatever works for you, make sure you make it happen.

Insight #5: Make sure you prioritize your well-being.

Our Call to Action

Administration is NOT the dark side! In fact, from our experience, we would argue that serving in administration can even be fun. You meet some fascinating people like astronauts, Olympians, titans of industry, people whose books you have read, and some colorful characters. You have the final say in hiring faculty and can play a significant role in their success. You influence policies that support research, ensure equitable treatment of staff, and positively impact student success, as well as whether the carpeting should be changed - yes, there are lots of those decisions as well.

We each take great pride in what we accomplished as academics and, equally if not more so, in what we have accomplished as administrators. In large part, this is because of how these roles have enabled us to benefit the students in our programs, the faculty in our units, our staff colleagues, and the alumni and corporate partners that support us with their gifts of time, talent, and treasure. Our careers would not have been as enriching had we not said yes to administration. We each found out that we liked these roles, and we relished the difference we were making. We truly think our academic backgrounds helped shape us in being successful in these roles and we strongly believe that programs, departments, business schools, and universities need more individuals with business skillsets to take on administrative roles.

We leave you with this, please say yes or at least try an administrative role. If you are hesitant, serve as an interim administrator to test it out. Talk to the leadership of your college and ask them for insight, advice, and mentoring or reach out to any of us. Come and join us on the “not-so-dark” side!

Final Insight: Say yes – you may be surprised that you actually like serving in an administrative role!