Ensuring a Flourishing (German) Department: A Dean's Perspective

When I served as dean at the University of Notre Dame from 1997 to 2008, I spent considerable time evaluating academic departments. Having introduced incentives and assessment strategies for differential funding, I would like to share some of the allocation principles a dean is likely to consider as well as some departmental best and worst practices. I will also recall a few examples from my 12 years, including fiveas chairperson,at TheOhioStateUniversity. Some insights will be more specific to research universities, but most of what I share will apply to any German program on any campus. Indeed, much of it applies to departments in general—and that is one of my main points. The principles and suggestions cover three levels. First, what makes any department a source of funding and support? Second, what strategies can be employed by language and culture departments, irrespective of language focus? Third, what strategies might be distinctive to German departments? I have tended to bracket insights from an earlier essay of mine that explored a related topic, “Strategies for Enhancing the Visibility and Role of Foreign Language Departments,” although most of those suggestions would certainly be relevant here as well.