It's All About People: Case Studies in Higher Education Leadership

Leadership texts often cite the need to be mindful of the human relations aspect of leadership, but few (if any) have as their focus the core of leadership: relationships with people. It s All About People, a product of AACTE s SSG (Special Study Group) on Women in the Deanship, features real-life case studies of actual incidents involving human interactions in higher education settings, contributed by women deans from public and private, research and comprehensive, rural and urban institutions. As an excellent text supplement for university educational leadership programs or professional development workshops/programs, It s All About People is a useful guide for current or aspiring deans but the guidance it offers is also helpful to provosts and other university leaders.

The book s case study approach provides practical, easily understood approaches to challenging situations faced by academic leaders. Each case details an encounter between a dean and upper administration personnel, students, faculty, staff, development officers, or community members. Each asks the question What should I do? and fellow deans respond, offering people-management strategies and lessons from their own experiences as possible solutions. Their incisive feedback is presented in an informal style, resembling the advice one might receive from a colleague over lunch or after a telephone plea for help. They provide relevant perspectives and fresh approaches to the challenges women leaders face as they engage and interact with others from positions of authority, and suggest a variety of ways in which a case incident might be successfully handled. Each case and its responses demonstrate that, in higher education leadership, it s all about people!