“The Rise and Fall of the First Associate Dean of a Graduate Research Institution”

Essay by jacquinnUniversity, Master'sA, July 2014

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Smith

MNGT 5950

21 July 2012

"The Rise and Fall of the First Associate Dean of a Graduate Research Institution"

In November 2009, as my interview with the Dean of this Graduate Research Institution, the Associate Dean of this Graduate Research Institution, the Director of Admissions, and a Student Services Program Coordinator concluded, I was asked the infamous closing question; "Do you have any questions for us"? The team seemed to have explained the organizational structure of the Graduate School as well as the description of the open position quite well I only had one main question for them and it was: "What is the shelf life of this position, and have most of the coordinators been here for some time; or are they new"?

The group informed me that most of the staff members were indeed new. Out of twelve staff members; two of them had been there over thirty years, three of them had been there for eight years, and the rest had been there for less than eight years.

In my mind I wondered; with such a significant job as keeping this Institution running properly, why is the turnover rate in this department as high as it is? Although I was slightly concerned; the position still seemed like a wonderful opportunity for me to utilize and build on my student services skills, as well as, give me a chance to help change the organization. Now having been employed here for almost three years now, I not only understand why the turnover rate is as high as it is, I see that there aren't many positive changes being made to modify this. It seems that more senior level staff members with years of experience in policy and procedures continue to leave, and new staff members with little to...