Take an economically and racially diverse urban school district emerging from a long history of segregation. Add an energetic, capable, bridge-building superintendent with ambitious district-wide goals to improve graduation rates, school attendance, and academic performance. Consider that he was well funded and strongly supported by city leaders, teachers, and parents, and ask how much changed in a decade of his tenure—and what remained unchanged?

Larry Cuban takes this richly detailed history of the Austin, Texas, school district, under Superintendent Pat Forgione, to ask the question that few politicians and school reformers want to touch. Given effective use of widely welcomed reforms, can school policies and practices put all children at the same academic level? Are class and ethnic differences in academic performance within the power of schools to change?

Cuban argues that the overall district has shown much improvement—better test scores, more high school graduates, and more qualified teachers. But the improvements are unevenly distributed. The elementary schools improved, as did the high schools located in affluent, well-educated, largely white neighborhoods. But the least improvement came where it was needed most: the predominantly poor, black, and Latino high schools. Before Forgione arrived, over 10 percent of district schools were failing, and after he left office, roughly the same percentage continued to fail. Austin’s signal successes amid failure hold answers to tough questions facing urban district leaders across the nation.

In The Dean’s List, Matthew A. Waller provides a roadmap for anyone who leads or aspires to lead a business college. Waller, dean of the Sam M. Walton College of Business at the University of Arkansas since 2015, offers a variety of practical tools and insights for leading effectively and confidently in the challenging, ever-evolving landscape of collegiate administration. Waller provides a field-tested framework for leadership as he explores twelve areas that are critical for leading a successful business college, including institutionalizing innovation, operating as the communicator in chief, managing the college’s finances, and delivering appreciation.

The role of a dean has changed dramatically in the last few decades. In addition to managing up, down, and sideways while dealing with students, staff, and faculty, there’s a growing demand for deans to work with parents, alumni, and donors as well as business and community leaders. The Dean’s List highlights examples from Waller’s career to illustrate practical advice for dealing with the specific challenges deans regularly face. The result is a handbook for shortening the learning curve for anyone who is, or aspires to be, the dean of a business college.
 

The path towards leadership starts with you. But you don’t have to go it alone. For this book, the authors sat down with many of the library leaders they most admire for a series of conversations about the aspects of the job that they find the most fascinating (and challenging). Much like the chats you might have over coffee at a conference or with a mentor, these frank discussions will nourish you with nuts-and-bolts wisdom on a diverse range of academic library management issues. Among the topics and situations broached are

• balancing personal values against the common refrain “you don’t get to be who you want to be in positions like ours”;
• five questions to ask that reveal much about organizational culture and climate;
• creating a culture of change, including why a newly promoted director chose to make the most drastic changes in the first 100 days;
• forming a “dean team” to help frame responses with consideration to institutional culture;
• the value of demystifying the budget for the entire library staff;
• using tools such as a personal “learning journal” to fuel professional development;
• cultivating a personal network by setting up meetings at local libraries during conferences;
• the risks that result from jumping into a situation too fast and boxing yourself into a corner;
• lessons learned from failed initiatives;
• examples of navigating controversies, such as a director’s response to a WPA mural with a racist message; and
• managing facilities, with an example of how injecting a previously ignored library voice into a building project led to a tripling of the space.

Between these covers you’ll find guidance, ideas, and inspiration as you continue your leadership journey.

The old aphorism “Where you stand is where you sit” rings true across many sectors of society. For academic administrators, be they provosts, vice-presidents or vice-chancellors, deans or directors, department chairs or heads, or administrative support professionals, the level and scope of responsibilities clearly influence perspectives. Yet, having a understanding of the higher-education enterprise is essential to ensuring professional success and advancement. Such understanding is at the heart of this work.
 
This handbook addresses the three key responsibilities of academic officers: inspiration, evaluation, and representation. “Getting a Good Start” deals with the promise of a new position, communicating with supervisors, and “getting around.” “Offering Inspiration and Direction” looks at the integrated scholar and “academic intrapreneurs”; diversity; the joys, challenges, and failure of professional life; and dealing with tragedies. “Guidance to Various Academic Administrators and Support Staff” examines the development, roles, and responsibilities of academic officers and institutional planning and budgeting. Reviewing the state of the institution and its personnel is covered in “Assessments and Evaluations,” and “Policies and Partnerships” deals with ethics-based policies, academic consortia and partnerships, and international outreach.
 
Throughout this valuable handbook, Smith offers background, advice, and examples that will interest both the novice and seasoned administrator as he takes us on a tour of success stories, challenges, and foibles.