An exemplary track record, a doctoral degree and demonstration of outstanding leadership – these are the skills you should have in order to get a job as a dean of a technical college. The degrees you hold should be line with the education provided by the college. You can be hired for this position with a master’s degree if your past experience shows that you are an expert in this field. In addition, you should have experience teaching at the post-secondary level and in the types of courses offered by this institution. Since fiscal management in preparing and overseeing financial budgets is an important part of this job, you should have extensive experience in this area as well.
Before you apply for the position of dean of a technical college, you should carefully research the college, if you are not already teaching there, so that you become familiar with the mission of the institution. The interview will deal with your knowledge of the mission and the ways in which you can ensure the college is adhering and extending this mission. In addition, you should also be able to articulate your own mission and ways in which you can strengthen and enhance the overall mission of the college. Therefore your beliefs about education should be inline with the reason the college exists.
The goal of all colleges is to attain and maintain accreditation status. Therefore you should have in depth knowledge of the accreditation standards for technical colleges and be able to ensure they remain in place. Your teaching experience should be at the vocational or technical level in order to meet the needs of the students who pass through the doors of the college. Most colleges prefer that the candidates for the position already have experience as a dean at another institution, but if your skills and qualifications meet what the committee is looking for, you will be in line for the job.
Leadership is an important skill for the position of dean. You will need to have knowledge of the instructional units taught at the institution, although you will not be expected to have a high degree of knowledge of all of them. The ability to communicate effectively with others and to guide the teaching staff along the path of the colleges’ mission is essential to the job. You will be responsible for overseeing the curriculum and be able to take steps to see that it is delivered in an orderly manner.
As part of the responsibility of the dean, you will have to perform supervision of the teaching staff and prepare annual evaluations. Previous experience in this area is very important because you know exactly what to look for and how to help instructors who may be having difficulty. It also means you have the responsibility for hiring and firing in the college.
The yearly calendar and the course schedule is another duty that falls under the duties of a dean of a technical college. You must be able to consult with the teaching staff and ensure there are no clashes. The welfare of students is the main focus in this activity, so you should be able to think outside the box and be able to overcome the protests of teaching staff, if any develop, to come to a satisfactory conclusion that benefits all.
