by Monika Sziron, Ph.D.
We all know the higher education industry is different than any other, but when you take a deeper dive into the culture and traditions of promotion and leadership in higher ed, you can run into some interesting dynamics. One of those distinctive traditions is the ability for senior leaders to return back to the faculty ranks after serving in a leadership capacity.
In episode 45 of the HigherEdJobs Podcast, Lisa Jasinski, Ph.D. discusses her book, "Stepping Away Returning to the Faculty After Senior Academic Leadership."
Jasinski says, "…returning to the faculty is really a higher ed idiosyncratic quirk. So, we never hear stories about CEOs saying, 'I've led this organization for 10 or 15 years. We've really transformed the market space, we've transformed our company, now I'm going to go back to being an accountant.' Or you never hear about somebody who served as a five-star general, saying, 'I've done my time. I'm really proud of the work we've done. Let me go back to the infantry.'
While the process may be a quirk of the higher education industry, it serves an important purpose. Jasinski continues, "…it's really great for anybody who leads an organization to lead with the understanding that one day they may play a different role in that organization. I think it keeps them grounded. It helps them make better human decisions about anything from personnel policies or labor practices or values."
It's not easy to be a leader in higher education, and leaders may be returning to faculty either on their own time or not. Jasinski cautions, "…while a leader might be thinking that they'll enjoy the privilege of deciding when they go back to the faculty. I don't think that's something leaders should take for granted."
It's also not easy to return to the faculty culture after being separated from it. Listen in to the entire episode to hear Jasinski's advice for any leader considering returning to the faculty and how to ease the transition.
Send us your thoughts and ideas for future episodes via email at podcast@higheredjobs.com.
This article is republished from HigherEdJobs® under a Creative Commons license.