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College dean vs residence hall director

The differences between college deans and residence hall directors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both a college dean and a residence hall director. Additionally, a college dean has an average salary of $91,676, which is higher than the $47,193 average annual salary of a residence hall director.

The top three skills for a college dean include colleges, scholarship and strategic plan. The most important skills for a residence hall director are residence life, desk assistants, and student development.

College dean vs residence hall director overview

College DeanResidence Hall Director
Yearly salary$91,676$47,193
Hourly rate$44.08$22.69
Growth rate7%7%
Number of jobs1,8626,713
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 54%Bachelor's Degree, 73%
Average age4747
Years of experience66

What does a college dean do?

College deans lead the faculty to achieve their goals in areas like teaching, scholarship, and service. They are the representatives of the colleges they oversee both internally and externally. Deans are in charge of reviewing curricular requests and instruction proposals and denying or approving them to ensure they meet the state and accreditation standards. Their job is to ensure that all records kept in their offices are accurate to make it easier to respond to academic concerns and seek resolution with the faculty.

What does a residence hall director do?

A Residence Hall Director spearheads and oversees campus residential areas' daily operations to ensure students' safety and welfare. They are responsible for managing staff, setting goals and guidelines, establishing budgets and timelines, delegating duties among managers, implementing programs and protocols, and monitoring all procedures, resolving issues and concerns if any arise. Moreover, a Residence Hall Director encourages staff to reach goals while implementing policies and regulations to help maintain a healthy and safe community for the students.

College dean vs residence hall director salary

College deans and residence hall directors have different pay scales, as shown below.

College DeanResidence Hall Director
Average salary$91,676$47,193
Salary rangeBetween $53,000 And $157,000Between $31,000 And $70,000
Highest paying CityBridgeport, CTNewark, NJ
Highest paying stateConnecticutMassachusetts
Best paying companyMassasoit Community CollegeSchool of Visual Concepts
Best paying industryEducation-

Differences between college dean and residence hall director education

There are a few differences between a college dean and a residence hall director in terms of educational background:

College DeanResidence Hall Director
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 54%Bachelor's Degree, 73%
Most common majorBusinessPsychology
Most common collegeUniversity of PennsylvaniaUniversity of Pennsylvania

College dean vs residence hall director demographics

Here are the differences between college deans' and residence hall directors' demographics:

College DeanResidence Hall Director
Average age4747
Gender ratioMale, 47.2% Female, 52.8%Male, 46.9% Female, 53.1%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 11.5% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 14.3% Asian, 4.4% White, 65.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%Black or African American, 12.2% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 13.1% Asian, 4.7% White, 65.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage16%16%

Differences between college dean and residence hall director duties and responsibilities

College dean example responsibilities.

  • Produce, manage and evaluate all budgetary and programmatic aspects of a comprehensive career service program for students and alumni.
  • Design new illustrations for children's literature using a Wacom tablet.
  • Authore ICT faculty handbooks and train faculty in effective implementation.
  • Work cooperatively with other offices and student groups in the implementation of various campus-wide multicultural activities and other major events.
  • Authore ICT faculty handbooks and train faculty in effective implementation.

Residence hall director example responsibilities.

  • Motivate, train and lead a team of nine ministry coordinators.
  • Develop nightly social programs and weekly educational programs to encourage healthy lifestyle choices and embracement of multicultural diversity.
  • Direct resident relations by providing oversight of resident retention, leasing and marketing programs.
  • Cultivate, coordinate, and assist in the development of student leadership and responsibility through programming and direct involvement with students.

College dean vs residence hall director skills

Common college dean skills
  • Colleges, 23%
  • Scholarship, 18%
  • Strategic Plan, 13%
  • Professional Development, 12%
  • Graduate Programs, 8%
  • Accreditation Standards, 5%
Common residence hall director skills
  • Residence Life, 12%
  • Desk Assistants, 7%
  • Student Development, 6%
  • Community Development, 6%
  • Student Conduct, 4%
  • Professional Development, 3%

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