Dean of Students: What is the cost of hiring?

What is a Dean of Students?

A Dean of Students is an educational administrator in charge of student life, student affairs and student services. Their responsibilities vary by school but often include overseeing support services, campus activities, student orientation and disciplinary practices. The Dean of Students often works closely with employees in Admissions, Orientation and First-Year Experience to ensure students have a safe, educational and enjoyable experience.

Why hire a Dean of Students?

The Dean of Students helps build an environment that enables students to learn and grow. They can address and resolve concerns and help student-facing teams develop effective policies, practices and standards.

Contributions of a great Dean of Students:

• Development of fair and transparent behavioral standards and disciplinary practices
• Support for student programs and experiences
• Improved student safety, satisfaction and success

Defining your hiring needs for a Dean of Students

Assessing your school’s hiring needs can help you plan how to hire a Dean of Students. Evaluate the current state of student life at your institution, and list the goals and responsibilities for the position.

Clarifying the scope of work should make it clear if the Dean of Students is the right role. Other positions involved in student affairs and student life include Administrators and Admissions Coordinators.

What are the types of Dean of Students?

The Dean of Students is a senior-level role. Larger academic institutions might decide to hire additional deans at lower levels or to oversee specific aspects of student life. Types of Deans of Students may include:

• Assistant Dean of Students: This administrator supports the Dean of Students by overseeing employees, coordinating programs and managing disciplinary practices. They may also lead student events and initiatives.
• Dean of Students, K-12: These Deans work in elementary schools, middle schools and high schools. They provide support for students, enforce school policies and create programs to help students learn in a safe setting. 
• Assistant Dean for Student Success: Deans who focus on student success often support the Dean of Students in providing support, resources and guidance to the student body. They may specialize in activities such as mentoring, tutoring, life skills workshops and assistance programs.

When writing your Dean of Students job description, consider including some or all of the following keywords to improve the visibility of your job posting. These are the most popular search terms leading to clicks on Dean of Students jobs, according to Indeed data:

• Dean of Students
• Education
• Dean
• Educational leadership
• School
• Higher education
• Dean of student
• Dean of culture
• Charter school

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Where to find Deans of Students

Source candidates for Dean of Students jobs by using education job boards, higher education associations, or leadership development programs. Connecting with graduate programs in student affairs or education leadership, attending academic conferences or working with executive search firms can help you reach experienced professionals.

To find the right Dean of Students for your institution, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

• Promoting from within: Assess the employees in your student services department to find people who are looking to advance their careers.
• Academic networking: Ask school administrators to share the Dean of Students job listings. You can also share the opening with other attendees at conferences, board meetings and events held by education professional organizations.
• Academic search agencies: Work with an education-focused recruitment agency to source candidates. If you recruit from colleges and universities, look for agencies that specialize in higher education hiring.
• Post your job online: Try posting your Dean of Students job on Indeed to bring in candidates.

Skills to look for in a Dean of Students

A successful Dean of Students candidate will typically have the following skills and competencies, which may be gained through a variety of experiences, training or education:

• Advanced communication skills for collaborating with other employees, students and campus leaders
• Problem-solving skills to resolve student conflicts and behavioral issues
• Leadership and management skills for supervising employees who work in student affairs and student life
• Ability to develop and enforce policies that govern student behavior
• Proficiency in educational administration software, such as Ellucian Banner and Canvas
• Knowledge of campus policies and regulations that affect campus activities
• Experience with student affairs practices in educational settings

Writing a Dean of Students job description

Now that you know the key skills, salary expectations, popular job seeker search terms and hiring insights for a Dean of Students, you’re ready to write a job description.

A Dean of Students job description typically includes a compelling summary of the role, a detailed list of duties and responsibilities and the required and preferred skills for the position. You may also want to include information about your company culture, benefits and perks to attract candidates to your open role.

Ready to get started? See our full guide for writing Dean of Students job descriptions.

Interviewing Dean of Students candidates

Strong candidates for Dean of Students positions will be confident answering questions about:

• Approach to leadership in an educational institution
• Experience building positive environments for students
• Student success and student life practices and regulations
• Common support procedures and programs in academic institutions
• Evaluating, analyzing and refining student programs