Innovation from the Dean's Staff

One trend in many schools over the past thirty years has been that growth in the Dean's Office has outpaced hiring in other areas.  In part, this is because the functions of the that office have multiplied, and the Deans themselves are more involved with development than in the past, leaving less time for other activities.

Though some at these schools have decried that growth (especially relative to the size of the faculty), I have noticed that much of the innovation I have seen, especially in the area of technology and student services, has come from the people in those offices.   They see things from a different angle than professors do, and this might allow them to create new ways to serve our consituencies.  For example, many schools (including mine) have revamped orientation, and this has been the work of the Dean's staff.  It might even be said that they are producing more innovation than we professors are, if we are to look at all the functions of the law school as a whole.

-- Mark Osler