The Professional School Dean

Although the role of college and university presidents has received considerable attention over the past several decades, very little attention has been given to the role of deans. This is particularly apparent with respect to deans of professional schools. This volume begins to fill the void by focusing on the demanding leadership roles assumed by deans of social work, law, engineering, nursing, and divinity. Although the case illustrations draw primarily on the experiences of deans of social work, the contributors to this volume confirm that their deanship experiences are similar to those found in other professional schools. This is the 98th issue of New Directions for Higher Education.

MICHAEL J. AUSTIN is a professor in the School of Social Work in the University of California at Berkeley, and dean emeritus of the School of Social Work at the Univerity of Pennsylvania. FREDERICK L. AHEARN is a professor and dean emeritus at the National School of Social Services, Catholic University of America, Washington, D.C. RICHARD A. ENGLISH is the dean of the School of Social Work at Howard University, Washington, D.C.