What to expect in a “serving at the pleasure of” administrative position
Higher education is rife with organizational structures that seem inscrutable. One such source of mystery is captured by the phrase, “I serve at the pleasure of,” which characterizes a distinct relationship between a major power holder (e.g., a dean, a provost, a president) and an appointed underling. In campus HR offices, such jobs are sometimes referred to as “at will” and often include an “associate” or “assistant” designation. These appointments are indefinite or open-ended rather than secured with specific or renewable time limits — i.e., you have the position so long as the leader remains in a pleasant state of satisfaction with your work. When the leader is displeased, you have few protections from being unceremoniously terminated.
When the cause for your dismissal is not obvious, the underling may never know what sins prompted the leader’s change of attitude. It may represent cumulative dissatisfaction over a variety of small infractions and some final disappointment. Or the rationale can be as simple as not liking the personality of an inherited underling. In such cases, public dissection of the demotion will provide lots of alternative explanations. Clearly this lopsided power relationship entails plenty of potential quagmires for your career, but there are benefits, too.
Continue reading: “What to Expect in a ‘Serving at the Pleasure of’ Post,” by Jane S. Halonen and Dana S. Dunn
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