One of the most challenging responsibilities of being a college department chair or dean is to effectively manage the diverse and independent intellectuals that form the typical college faculty. Many administrators not only complain about the amount of time they devote to grappling with problems between faculty and staff members--but many also feel inadequately trained for resolving the problems they with which they are confronted.

Managing People helps administrators handle the challenges they face when dealing with everyday personnel management problems. A collection of 13 essays,...