How to hire a graduate school dean

How to hire a graduate school dean, step by step

Here's a step-by-step graduate school dean hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a graduate school dean job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new graduate school dean
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the graduate school dean you need to hire. Certain graduate school dean roles might require a full-time employee, whereas others can be done by part-time workers or contractors.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them a graduate school dean to have before you start to hire. For example, what industry or field would you like them to have experience in, what level of seniority or education does the job require, and how much it'll cost to hire a graduate school dean that fits the bill.

   This list presents graduate school dean salaries for various positions.

   Type of Graduate School Dean	Description	Hourly rate
   Graduate School Dean	Postsecondary education administrators oversee student services, academics, and faculty research at colleges and universities. Their job duties vary depending on the area of the college they manage, such as admissions, student life, or the office of the registrar.	$24-48
   Admissions Officer	An admissions officer is responsible for recruiting new students from various venues and channels. You will connect with students and answer their questions about the college or university, and conduct interviews to better understand the students' objectives and background... Show more	$9-26
   Co-Chair	A co-chair is responsible for supporting the duties and responsibilities under the supervision of a chair. Co-chairs help with the implementation of effective plans and programs that would benefit the organization... Show more	$10-167

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Professional Development
   • Scholarship
   • Strategic Plan
   • Colleges
   • Curriculum Development
   • Student Achievement
   • Faculty Recruitment
   • Graduate Studies
   • Classroom Management
   • Abet
   • R
   • Program Development
   • Education Sector
   • Institutional Research

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Produce, manage and evaluate all budgetary and programmatic aspects of a comprehensive career service program for students and alumni.
   • Participate in IEP meetings, coordinate TCAP test distribution and collection for teachers.
   • Work cooperatively with other offices and student groups in the implementation of various campus-wide multicultural activities and other major events.
   • Safeguard course and syllabus alignment by performing ongoing examination review.

   More graduate school dean duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your graduate school dean job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. A graduate school dean salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, graduate school deans' average salary in arkansas is 41% less than in connecticut.
   • Seniority. Entry-level graduate school deans earn 50% less than senior-level graduate school deans.
   • Certifications. A graduate school dean with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in a graduate school dean's salary.

   Average graduate school dean salary

   $71,921yearly

   $34.58 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level graduate school dean salary

   $51,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 26, 2025

   Average graduate school dean salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$92,103	$44
   2	Connecticut	$89,688	$43
   3	Nevada	$81,958	$39
   4	Oregon	$79,659	$38
   5	New York	$77,564	$37
   6	Washington	$74,863	$36
   7	New Jersey	$74,495	$36
   8	Massachusetts	$74,315	$36
   9	Minnesota	$73,622	$35
   10	North Carolina	$73,080	$35
   11	Wisconsin	$73,061	$35
   12	Pennsylvania	$70,916	$34
   13	Missouri	$67,506	$32
   14	Virginia	$66,099	$32
   15	Colorado	$63,874	$31
   16	Indiana	$60,255	$29
   17	Florida	$59,618	$29
   18	Tennessee	$58,913	$28
   19	Georgia	$53,499	$26
   20	Oklahoma	$52,908	$25

   Average graduate school dean salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Future Generations University	$95,922	$46.12
   2	Excel Academy Charter Schools	$83,560	$40.17	20
   3	Summit Public Schools	$81,951	$39.40	45
   4	Hca Hospital Services Of San Diego	$81,659	$39.26
   5	Ivy Tech Community College	$81,480	$39.17	5
   6	Yale University	$81,378	$39.12	6
   7	UC Santa Barbara	$81,275	$39.07
   8	Princeton University	$81,269	$39.07	2
   9	UT Health San Antonio	$74,961	$36.04
   10	Rutgers University	$74,879	$36.00	30
   11	St. Jude Children's Research Hospital	$74,395	$35.77	2
   12	Catholic Charities Health and Human Services	$73,631	$35.40
   13	HealthTrust	$72,251	$34.74
   14	C.W. Matthews Contracting Co.	$72,000	$34.62
   15	TMC Transportation	$70,771	$34.02
   16	Washington State University	$70,232	$33.77	3
   17	PSEA	$67,723	$32.56	13
   18	KIPP Northern California Public Schools	$61,697	$29.66	35
   19	Zion Elementary School District 6	$60,889	$29.27
   20	Erie 2-Chautauqua-Cattaraugus BOCES	$55,514	$26.69

4. Writing a graduate school dean job description

   A good graduate school dean job description should include a few things:

   • Summary of the role
   • List of responsibilities
   • Required skills and experience

   Including a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager is also appreciated by candidates. Here's an example of a graduate school dean job description:

   Graduate school dean job description example

   Northern Light CA Dean Hospital
   
   Department: Emergency Department
   
   Position is located: Northern Light C A Dean Hospital
   
   Work Type: Full Time
   
   FTE: 1.000000:
   
   Summary:
   
   Graduate Orientees' will initiate professional nursing practice careers in a supportive environment committed to mentoring, coaching, and learning. They will build confidence through a structured, professional transition into practice experience that consists of clinical nursing orientation that is customized to individual developmental needs.
   
   Responsibilities:
   
   • Be accountable for the management and provision of patient care in his or her assigned area.
   
   • Assess patients' needs for care and other services.
   
   • Collaborate with physicians, other services, patients and patients' families' to plan patient care and evaluate outcomes.
   
   • Demonstrate clinical competency and compassion in providing care, using technology, performing procedures, and managing emergencies.
   
   • Ensure integration of safety and quality standards into practice and delivery of team care.
   
   • Document patient care according to established standards.
   
   • Interpret existing policies and procedures to nursing assistants, restorative nursing assistants, patients, families and physicians.
   
   • Participate in bedside rounding report to nurses coming on duty and including the patient when practical to provide necessary information and facilitate the delivery of excellent patient care.
   
   • Conduct hourly patient rounds in conjunction with other nursing staff; to enhance patient safety, satisfaction and quality of care. Reporting problems to appropriate team members and initiating corrective action when necessary.
   
   • Act as a patient advocate within the organization to support the patient's holistic plan of care to facilitate safe discharge.
   
   • Act as a resource for and provide assistance to C.N.A. staff providing direct patient care and assure that care is delivered in accordance with policy, protocol and regulatory requirements.
   
   • Completely develop, implement, coordinate and assess patient's care plan based on patient's individualized assessed needs.
   
   • Work collaboratively with C.A. Dean Pharmacy and in compliance with all state and federal regulations in the handling, administration, storage and destruction of pharmaceuticals.
   
   • Notify physician and other personnel as necessary, of changes in patients' conditions and take appropriate follow-up action.
   
   • Document complete and comprehensive assessments and nurses notes the electronic medical record as indicated by patient condition, policy or regulatory requirements.
   
   • Assures housekeeping tasks are completed on unit in accordance with policy.
   
   • Participates in patient and family education on an ongoing basis.
   
   Competencies and skills:
   
   Essential:
   
   * Behaves with Integrity and Builds Trust: Acts consistently in line with the core values, commitments and rules of conduct. Leads by example and tells the truth. Does what they say they will, when and how they say they will, or communicates an alternate plan.
   
   * Cultivates Respect: Treats others fairly, embraces and values differences, and contributes to a culture of diversity, inclusion, empowerment and cooperation.
   
   * Fosters Accountability: Creates and participates in a work environment where people hold themselves and others accountable for processes, results and behaviors. Takes appropriate ownership not only of successes but also mistakes and works to correct them in a timely manner. Demonstrates understanding that we all work as a team and the quality and timeliness of work impacts everyone involved.
   
   * Practices Compassion: Exhibits genuine care for people and is available and ready to help; displays a deep awareness of and strong willingness to relieve the suffering of others.
   
   Credentials:
   
   Education:
   
   Essential:
   
   Completion of ADN or BSN Nursing Program by December 2022.
   
   Working conditions:
   
   Essential:
   
   * Lifting, moving and loading 20 to 30 pounds.
   
   * Continuous walking.
   
   * Potential exposure to noxious odors.
   
   * Potential exposure to abusive and/or aggressive people.
   
   * Potential exposure to diseases or infections.
   
   * Potential exposure to hazardous materials.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right graduate school dean for your business:

   • Consider promoting from within or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to find candidates who meet your education requirements.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your graduate school dean job on Zippia to find and recruit graduate school dean candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with graduate school dean candidates should focus on their interest in the role and background experience. As the hiring process goes on, you can learn more about how they'd fit into the company culture in later rounds of interviews.

   Remember to include a few questions that allow candidates to expand on their strengths in their own words. Asking about their unique skills might reveal things you'd miss otherwise. At this point, good candidates can move on to the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new graduate school dean

   Once you've found the graduate school dean candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

   You should also follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that you've filled the position.

   To prepare for the new employee's start date, you can create an onboarding schedule and complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9 forms, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Human Resources should also ensure that a new employee file is created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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