DeanWuBlog

What a Dean Does: Service

Traditionally faculty are evaluated on their research, teaching, and service. Although there are different levels of emphasis on each aspect of this triad depending on institutional missions that vary among schools, this basic understanding of the role of academics is standard. For administrators such as deans, there is much less demand for research or teaching but there remain considerable expectations for service other than the ordinary day-to-day responsibilities of the position. For example, deans at Wayne State University contribute formally and informally to the central administration processes that govern the university as a whole and to units other than their own. Law school deans typically participate in the activities of the bench and the bar, both locally and nationally: for example, by speaking at conferences and serving on AALS and ABA Committees.

These forms of pro bono service are intrinsically worthwhile. They also benefit the institution indirectly, through the publicity and goodwill that are generated, the contacts that are made (which may lead, for instance, to employment opportunities for students or donations from unexpected new supporters), and the professional development of the dean himself. To a large extent, there also is an expectation that deans will perform enough of this volunteer work that the self-regulating system of higher education is able to function; it is a responsibility because each school itself eventually benefits from the cooperation.

Along these lines, one of the tasks I will undertake this semester is being a member of an ABA accreditation site visit team that will inspect another law school. This is one of the most important forms of service deans perform. The inspection involves every aspect of a law school, from the faculty and the students to the library and the physical facilities. Before the team arrives, a big box of background materials is distributed to it documenting as much as possible. During the site visit, which runs from Sunday to Wednesday, the team interviews representatives of every constituency group. The team then generates a comprehensive written report that it considered and relied upon heavily by the ABA Council that makes the actual decision as to accreditation. Almost all law schools successfully pass the basic test and remain ABA approved. Many of them, however, are subjected to report-back conditions.

As you may know from an earlier post to this blog, the ABA accredits law schools and it conducts an inspection every seven years of any given law schools. Thus, about 1/7 of the 185 or so law schools is scheduled for an inspection in any given year; basically, an inspection occurs every week during the academic year. Our turn is coming up in a year and a half, so much of what is learned behind-the-scenes about the process will directly benefit us.