Academic dean vs director of student affairs

The differences between academic deans and directors of student affairs can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both an academic dean and a director of student affairs. Additionally, an academic dean has an average salary of $94,053, which is higher than the $74,804 average annual salary of a director of student affairs.

The top three skills for an academic dean include curriculum development, professional development and student services. The most important skills for a director of student affairs are student affairs, student services, and alumni.

Academic dean vs director of student affairs overview

	Academic Dean	Director Of Student Affairs
Yearly salary	$94,053	$74,804
Hourly rate	$45.22	$35.96
Growth rate	7%	7%
Number of jobs	3,190	22,875
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 49%	Bachelor's Degree, 65%
Average age	47	47
Years of experience	6	6

What does an academic dean do?

Academic deans take a vital role in the development and advancement of education in a college or university. The dean may have different functions depending on the university, but mostly, academic deans focus on creating new strategies in providing education for students. It is the responsibility of the academic dean to ensure that the faculty conducts all educational practices. The academic dean also manages all faculty members' activities and works with drafting the university's curriculum.

What does a director of student affairs do?

A director of student affairs will oversee student clubs, manage student activities and budgetary information, and work with students to provide referrals for counseling and community services. Your duties typically include planning and arranging recreational, cultural, and social activities of different student groups, evaluating programs and providing recommendations for improvements, and scheduling events. As the student affairs director, it is your responsibility to organize and conduct an orientation program for new students and coordinate the publication of the student affairs calendar.

Academic dean vs director of student affairs salary

Academic deans and directors of student affairs have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Academic Dean	Director Of Student Affairs
Average salary	$94,053	$74,804
Salary range	Between $57,000 And $153,000	Between $44,000 And $125,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	New York	California
Best paying company	DCP Holdings Inc	Pacifi
Best paying industry	Education	Education

Differences between academic dean and director of student affairs education

There are a few differences between an academic dean and a director of student affairs in terms of educational background:

	Academic Dean	Director Of Student Affairs
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 49%	Bachelor's Degree, 65%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

Academic dean vs director of student affairs demographics

Here are the differences between academic deans' and directors of student affairs' demographics:

	Academic Dean	Director Of Student Affairs
Average age	47	47
Gender ratio	Male, 45.0% Female, 55.0%	Male, 48.2% Female, 51.8%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 11.5% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 13.7% Asian, 4.3% White, 65.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%	Black or African American, 11.8% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 14.2% Asian, 4.4% White, 64.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	16%	16%

Differences between academic dean and director of student affairs duties and responsibilities

Academic dean example responsibilities.

Produce, manage and evaluate all budgetary and programmatic aspects of a comprehensive career service program for students and alumni.
Work cooperatively with other offices and student groups in the implementation of various campus-wide multicultural activities and other major events.
Create individualized educational plans for students desiring to study in English speaking countries.
Coordinate several courses which involve development of the departmental syllabus and managing development of the departmental final.

Director of student affairs example responsibilities.

Provide resources and professional development opportunities to alumni to ensure engagement and a connection to Rasmussen.
Develop yearly FERPA training to increase knowledge and compliance with the law.
Develop CRM, print, website, and social media campaigns to enhance recruitment.
Open new culinary school from initial build-out to include initial program design and approval.
Direct campus through application process, site visits, and approval for institutional ABHES accreditation.
Coordinate events and catering services including divisional meetings, outings, student dinners, and other VPSA events.

Academic dean vs director of student affairs skills

Common academic dean skills

Curriculum Development, 10%
Professional Development, 7%
Student Services, 5%
Student Learning, 5%
Academic Affairs, 5%
Program Directors, 4%

Common director of student affairs skills

Student Affairs, 16%
Student Services, 7%
Alumni, 7%
Professional Development, 6%
Financial Aid, 5%
Student Organizations, 5%

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Academic Dean vs Director Of Student Affairs

Updated January 8, 2025

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