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Dean skills for your resume and career

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

Quoted experts

Melissa Gregory,

Suzanne T. Ortega

Below we've compiled a list of the most critical dean skills. We ranked the top skills for deans based on the percentage of resumes they appeared on. For example, 8.3% of dean resumes contained curriculum development as a skill. Continue reading to find out what skills a dean needs to be successful in the workplace.

15 dean skills for your resume and career

1. Curriculum Development

Here's how deans use curriculum development:

Initiated industry and community linkages that will assist in curriculum development and career opportunities for graduates.
Assumed responsibilities for complete management of curriculum development and maintenance of General Education courses.

2. Oversight

Having oversight of someone means to monitor a process or a situation. If someone has oversight of something, they are responsible for the completion of the project. Oversight is usually given to experts as they monitor their juniors or newbies as they go through a project.

Here's how deans use oversight:

Delivered oversight and management of student behavior and attendance compliance.
Supervised the Student Affairs department overseeing 5 direct reports in addition to having oversight of the dormitory and sports center.

3. Scholarship

A scholarship is financial support given to a student. The financial support will be utilized for the student's schooling. Some scholarships are awarded because of academic achievement (merit-based), while other students receive this because of lack of funds (need-based). The benefactor usually sets the scholars' criteria and defines what and how the support will be utilized. It could be used to pay tuition, purchase books, allowance, or other educational expenses that the student may incur.

Here's how deans use scholarship:

Received of Ohio Foundation of Independent College Scholarship
Graduated Dean's Highest Honors, Phi Theta Kappa Alumni Association Member, Scholarship Recipient.

4. Human Resources

Human resources is a set of people in a business or a corporation that are designated to locate, interview, and recruit new employees into the company. They are also responsible to maintain the integrity of the employees and help them sort their problems out. They try to introduce and manage employee-benefit programs.

Here's how deans use human resources:

Identify legal requirements and government reporting regulations affecting human resources functions.
Managed educational programs, materials and human resources.

5. Strategic Plan

Here's how deans use strategic plan:

Provided strategic planning, resource utilization, staff recruitment, development and marketing communications to field organization.
Represented the University in system-wide and community decision-making/strategic planning endeavors related to institutional diversity issues.

6. Colleges

A college is a learning environment, an academic institution primarily for degree acquisition. It is targeted at running advanced programs and educational classes for professional degrees. Vocational education is also part of the syllabus in some colleges.

Here's how deans use colleges:

Collaborated with other National Colleges and system-wide academic leaders.
Developed funding split or co-funded project collaborations across colleges.

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7. Academic Programs

Here's how deans use academic programs:

Developed, administered, and promoted the academic programs and academic support functions of the college including international programs.
Collaborated with Continuing education and workforce development in program growth that complimented academic programs.

8. Student Learning

Here's how deans use student learning:

Monitor student learning outcomes for courses and programs within the College and analyze outcomes data for use in continuous program improvement.
Led all college departments to establish an outcomes-based assessment culture as it relates to institutional, programmatic and student learning outcomes.

9. Financial Aid

Financial aid refers to cash released to an educational institution to help a student pay the school fee. The issuance of financial aid, whether scholarships, grants, or loans, aims to make access to education affordable to all students irrespective of their backgrounds.

Here's how deans use financial aid:

Assisted in revamping operational (student affairs) and financial aid functional areas; Advised and assisted in developing performance/production management measures
Partnered with ICAN expanding financial aid services for underrepresented students.

10. Faculty Development

Here's how deans use faculty development:

Provided leadership for across-the-college training and development initiatives, including an award-winning faculty development program.
Provide campus-wide leadership to enhance student success, faculty/staff development, and community engagement.

11. Student Services

Here's how deans use student services:

Provide quality student services through proper and timely orientation, and adequate academic support.
Delivered quality student services that promoted academic success.

12. Learning Environment

Here's how deans use learning environment:

Delivered quality education by managing academic resources and the learning environment
Collaborated with security and administration to respond to issues in the building that disrupt the learning environment and/or cause safety issues.

13. Student Achievement

Here's how deans use student achievement:

Coordinated behavior interventions to increase student achievement- Liaison to Parent community, fostering positive relationship
Facilitated and directed school's literacy team to maximize student achievement in literacy.

14. Academic Policies

Here's how deans use academic policies:

Managed all aspects of curriculum and academic policies.
Counseled students about academic policies, programs and options and assisted them in the development of meaningful educational and career plans.

15. Program Reviews

Here's how deans use program reviews:

Utilized assessment for continuous course improvement through regular program review.
Facilitated program review process in timely manner.4.

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What skills help Deans find jobs?

Tell us what job you are looking for, we’ll show you what skills employers want.

What dean skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?

Melissa Gregory

Dean and Professor, University of Toledo

I'm copying some UToledo faculty on this message in case you want to reach out to them for quotes:

Dr. Barry Jackisch, History
Dr. Patrick Lawrence, Geography and Planning
Dr. Kim Nielsen, Disability Studies

What type of skills will young deans need?

Suzanne T. Ortega

President, Council of Graduate Schools

Young graduates entering the workforce will need to be highly adaptable to a changing environment. This isn't a new trend, but the pandemic has made it even more important. They will also need to be able to work collaboratively. The workplace has become increasingly team-based, even in a college setting, and knowing how to work with people from other backgrounds and across disciplines is imperative. Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, young graduates will need to keep their "learner mentality." The workforce is changing, and employees need to be ready to expand upon existing knowledge and learn new skills throughout the course of their careers; this includes proficiency in new learning technologies and teaching pedagogies that meet the needs of online and hybrid classrooms. It is highly likely that the flexibility in course content and methods of delivery will continue for years to come.

Do you want to know more?

List of dean skills to add to your resume

The most important skills for a dean resume and required skills for a dean to have include:

Curriculum Development
Oversight
Scholarship
Human Resources
Strategic Plan
Colleges
Academic Programs
Student Learning
Financial Aid
Faculty Development
Student Services
Learning Environment
Student Achievement
Academic Policies
Program Reviews

Mathematics
Classroom Management
CPR
Education Programs
Community Organizations
Enrollment Management
Payroll
Student Attendance
Student Life
Business Administration
Social Justice
Student Retention
Graduate Programs
Professional Organizations
Academic Quality

Student Body
Student Discipline
GPA
Legal Research
Campus Administration
PowerPoint
Arbitration
Quality Education
Fine Arts
Professional Development Programs
RTI
Staff Training
Direct Reports
Student Satisfaction
Discipline Issues

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

Updated January 8, 2025

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