Critical friend mentoring: strategic sounding boards for academic deans

Abstract

ABSTRACT Academic deans in higher education can benefit from various types of mentoring to compensate for limited, formal administrative training. Using a nationally disseminated survey, we examined academic dean engagement with critical friends as one form of mentoring for their leadership development. The national survey included 27 items addressing deans’ backgrounds, their critical friend engagement, and specific topics of consultation. Some 98 academic deans completed the electronic survey with a decided majority reporting that they consulted with critical friends inside and outside their institutions. Critical friends most often tended to be assistant/associate deans, dean colleagues, department chairs, Provosts/CAOs, and significant others. Prior deans, White deans, and deans at institutions with several schools/colleges engaged critical friends more frequently. The predominant topics of discussion with critical friends were personnel issues, contentious colleagues, conflict resolution, and feelings about their jobs. Further exploration of the use of critical friends as a form of informal dean mentoring appears warranted.