Do Good Teachers Make Good Administrators?

"Not necessarily" is probably the safest answer to this question. But the subject is intriguing, since quite a few deans, presidents, and chancellors began their careers in the classroom. TCCTA recently concluded its annual "Leading from the Middle" conference, which is partly directed toward faculty members who are at least considering a move into administration. Most professionals in both categories would likely agree that teachers and administrators must be good communicators, but after that the similarities tend to dissipate. We have all known gifted instructors who became less-than-stellar supervisors, and successful administrators who have great difficulty in the classroom. There are exceptions, of course.

David D. Perlmutter, an administrator at the University of Iowa, has written a thoughtful piece on the subject, concluding essentially that teaching and administrating require discrete talents. It's in the July 24 issue of the Chronicle of Higher Education (subscription), on the back cover. Some of Dr. Perlmutter's points are more applicable to research universities, but many apply to any academic setting, including a community college.

Here is his conclusion:

In sum, while a good professor and good administrator may very well inhabit the same body, the two endeavors demand different qualities, as well as similar ones. Sometimes those differences chafe: Gather together professors, and complaints about managerial boorishness, incompetence, and scheming frequently froth up. Convene administrators, and tales of lazy, irresponsible faculty members soon erupt. Both narratives have a basis in reality but can spiral into permanent suspicion and antagonism. No surprise that the mood on some campuses is one of confrontation, especially in an era of flat or falling resources and difficult fiscal choices.

But a university divided against itself will no more prosper or even survive than a cleaved house or country. In the years to come, as higher education faces greater challenges, our two mind-sets must, if not converge, at least attempt to understand each other better. Learning about and accepting our differences, and agreeing on what constitutes excellence in our separate vocations, are good places to start.