Dean searches and new ideas

It appears that there are about 30-some dean searches going on this year, which strikes me as a high number.  I suspect that every single candidate for every one of those searches (a group that I am, thankfully, not a part of) is being asked a variation of the same question:  "How could you, as Dean, help us remake our school to survive the tremendous changes in the legal market over the past five years?" 

Sadly, we don't know what answers have been given-- but I'm sure there have been some good ones (at least good enough to get someone the job). 

I suspect that the truest answer is also one that is often least popular with legal academic:  That schools need to slim down, focus more on teaching, and be less indulgent of faculty. 

What a dilemna for dean candidates!

For those of you who have been part of searches, what good answers have you heard?

-- Mark Osler