Great point Anon. I have found that announcing a deadline for returning assignments sets student expectations, which reduces hand-wringing over when an assignment will be returned.

Great observations. I have been both an external candidate and a "informally discouraged from applying" potential internal candidate. Also, I have been at a law school where a number of ill-fated internal candidates applied. It would have been helpful, I think, if each of those institutions overtly considered the internal v. external question. In addition, the larger university might consider whether it would like its departments to grow internal talent through associate and assistant deanships as part of a formal succession planning approach. In Built to Last, Jerry Porras and Jim Collins argue that so-called home grown leadership is better correlated with corporate success than hiring leaders from outside. http://www.squeezedbooks.com/articles/built-to-last-successful-habits-of-visionary-companies.html. Then again, one might question whether this corporate model applies well to the institutional structures in higher ed.

Thanks Margaret. And in my work with compliance professionals, I have found them to be very open and sharing, and not hung up on status. Great group to work with.