Don’t assign homework to your dean or chair

Quite a few people enjoy assigning homework to their leaders - to program coordinators, chairs, deans, provosts, and presidents. At every meeting, at every opportunity, they will say: "We should do this or that," while clearly assuming that someone else has to implement it, somehow. And if the people in authority are hesitant or insufficiently enthusiastic, well, then it's clearly their incompetence or sabotage.

Well, this is not how higher ed, or any other organization, can work. To undertake a project of any significant size, someone must evaluate whether it is worth it (that is the ratio of effort over results), and if it aligns with strategic priorities. Someone must assess the scope of work and find resources – people mainly – to do it. Alternatively, the faculty member who has a brilliant idea can execute it on their own or lead a volunteer ad-hoc committee! Administrators and chairs cannot and should not prevent faculty from exercising their right to faculty governance and initiative. It is also totally fine to make a proposal to the entire group and ask academic leaders to support a project, including finding resources. Those kinds of proposals go through some sort of a debate, then evaluation, planning, etc. But it is critical for sustainable development not to chase every new idea that sounds good at the moment. That is the path to chaos and waste of resources. The entire concepts of mission and strategy are designed to prevent us from scattering attention and resources.

My advice to chairs and coordinators: recognize when people try to give you homework without a good reason. Do not promise anything you may regret. Gently push back by asking: OK, great, who is going to do this? My advice to faculty: keep generating ideas, but also invite others to critique and analyze them. Like a pair of jeans, a good idea has to be worn-down a little. Do not expect that someone else will pick up on your idea and just do it because you think it is great in general, regardless of context.

A fine line separates simple requests from assigning homework. However, here are some examples. I am happy to send you an existing document, but don’t ask me to compile a document especially for you just because you're curious. I am very happy to meet and discuss anything, but don’t ask me to prepare for the meeting in a particular way. I will answer any questions but won’t teach you how to do something complicated. I will match your idea with existing programs and resources, but will normally question the creation of any new program or resource. I will react quickly and use any opportunity to advance our mission but won’t do things that merely look good.

Little kids pass through the stage where they believe there are omnipotent adults who can do anything they want. And if they refuse to do something, it is because they are intentionally hostile towards them. Most of us outgrow this illusion and realize there is no omnipotent authority and unlimited resources at the disposal of those with authority. We live in a very imperfect world and work in very flawed organizations. A dose of realism makes for much better working relationships and fewer disappointments.