Schools, colleges and universities appoint dean to administer all the departments and operations. Deans are usually assisted by an associate dean who helps in achieving desired goals in the academic programs and other activities initiated by the institute. By assigning the associate dean responsibilities to an efficient person, the authorities are assured of smooth execution of the institutional pursuits and result delivery.
While the academic and extracurricular activities are the most evident programs in an educational institute, there are many other activities that go hand in hand with these programs. For example, continuous learning programs for lecturers and staff is necessary, a task handled by the associate dean. Similarly, an associate dean counsels the prospective students and helps them in opting for a right course.
An associate dean participates in the budget planning, student and staff recruitment, fundraising, research modeling, administration, and many other functions of the institute. Together with the dean, he creates the academic framework and curricula for different courses offered by the institute. He also assists in the residential facility management and monitoring campus activities and behavior of students. He coordinates and collaborates with the education committee and communities engaged in learning and development.
Through successful execution of the above said tasks, an associate dean ensures that his efforts are able to fulfill requirements of the institute. Go through the following details of associate dean responsibilities to become familiar with this job.
Admissions and Counseling
The associate dean coordinates with the admissions department and supervises admission process. He may personally interview the candidates or provide guidelines to the admissions staff for interviewing.
He may also counsel the students and help them in selecting a course that best suits their interest and competency.
Monitoring Classroom and Campus Activities
An associate dean monitors classroom and campus activities and evaluates the performance of lecturers and students.
Program Research and Planning
An associate dean participates in program research and planning for academic and extracurricular activities. This is necessary to fulfill student requirements and offer them varied courses from which they can choose the best option.
Budgeting and Fundraising
An associate dean calculates and presents budget for all the academic and extracurricular programs. He coordinates with external agencies for fundraising. He also monitors the spending of funds to track excess expenses and misuse of funds, if any.
Administering Community Services
The associate dean administers the planning and execution of community services. He assigns tasks to the participating staff and students for all community service programs.
Assisting in Student and Staff Accommodation
An associate dean helps in allotment of rooms for student and staff in the residential facilities owned by the institute. He also provides assistance in operating these facilities and making arrangements for food and other requirements of the residents.
As an associate dean, a person is expected to have sound knowledge of administration, planning, budgeting and all other operations of an educational institute. He should be able to instruct and guide the staff and students and motivate them to achieve the learning and development objectives.
To become an associate dean, an individual must have experience of working in a position equivalent or higher to lecturer. A minimum of a master's or doctoral degree is required to obtain a job in this position.
Working as an associate dean is a step to move to dean's position provided that an individual succeeds in delivering excellent performance. Average salary for an associate dean is around $45,000. Additional allowances and benefits may differ with location and institute.
It is very important to learn about the associate dean responsibilities if you aspire to become one. This will help you to utilize your time in learning and acquiring skills and knowledge that facilitate smooth execution of the duties assigned to the associate dean.