Awards

• Winner of Joyce Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching (United States).
• Winner of Kaneb Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching (United States).

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9780268101466

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Roche, former dean of the College of Arts and Letters and the Rev. Edmund P. Joyce, C.S.C., Professor of German Language and Literature and concurrent professor of theology, argues for the importance of an institutional vision in higher education, not simply a brand. -- NDWorks [Roche's] book is far from the jeremiad that has become common during recent decades; it is an optimistic paean to American higher education's accomplishments and opportunities. Echoing the arguments he made in such books as Why Choose the Liberal Arts?, he says that offering intellectual challenge amid a fostered sense of community, rather than mere jobs preparation, reaps such rewards as lifelong alumni loyalty. -- The Chronicle of Higher Education Roughly put, how many of the two hundred fifty or so Catholic colleges and universities in the United States are really, substantively Catholic in their curriculum and student life? How many, more precisely, are distinctive, in the two senses Mark William Roche uses this term in his critically important new book: both different from their secular peers and excellent in themselves? . . . For principles and strategies for moving from vision to implementation, read this book. -- <i>Commonweal</i> Mark Roche has written a splendid book proposing and demonstrating that, in order to flourish, a university must articulate and embody a distinctive vision, drawing on his rich experience at two distinctive and quite different universities: Notre Dame and Ohio State. The reader will gain valuable insights about the role of 'institutional saga' in higher education and at universities, in particular. -- Bruce A. Kimball, Ohio State University The former dean of Notre Dame's College of Arts and Letters and current professor has a lot to say about moving from an institutional vision to implementing the desired concepts. He discusses best practices and strategies, from motivating faculty members to facilitating a sense of community. 'Vision should drive business plans and business strategies, not vice versa,' Roche notes. -- <i>Notre Dame Magazine</i> [Roche] draws on his experience as an academic administrator at Notre Dame, where, under his leadership, the quality and quantity of faculty hiring notably increased. This success, Roche emphasizes, is owed equally to a confident acceptance of Notre Dame's mission to be the leading Catholic university in America . . . and to a smart and pragmatic approach to institutional politics and bureaucratic maneuvering. . . . of interest to ambitious and embattled academic administrators who face the issues Roche confronted as a dean at Notre Dame. -- <i>First Things</i> [This] book is intended to be a visionary yet highly practical manual of advice for senior academic leaders-deans, provosts, presidents-for how they might seek to lead and improve their own universities. It is, Roche says, 'about intellectual principles of administration and strategies for moving from vision to implementation.' . . . Roche movingly describes what I think is one of the central virtues necessary to creating and leading a genuine academic community: 'To take joy in the success of others is a privileged and often neglected virtue, one that tends to surface only when one has a meaningful sense of collective identity; and the exercise of that virtue as one assumes a leadership position further reinforces one's identification with the community. ' -- <i>The Cresset</i> I can't think of another book about higher education so astute and persuasive about the importance of an institutional vision, and so clear-sighted about practices that help administrators as they struggle to attain it. Roche comprehensively discusses vision, hiring, advancement, curriculum, and perhaps most importantly, the development of internal processes that support collaboration, efficiency, and achievement. Richard Finkelstein, dean of Arts and Sciences, University of Mary Washington -- Richard Finkelstein, dean of Arts and Sciences, University of Mary Washington Mark Roche in his eleven years as dean of the College of Arts and Letters at the University of Notre Dame fulfilled the responsibilities of the office with perception and style, contributing thereby to the significant advancement of the university in research, scholarship, education of students, and reputation. To the benefit of all deans-and other stakeholders in higher education-Roche has written a revealing account of the ins and outs, ups and downs of decanal life. Administrators at other aspiring universities will benefit immensely from following Roche's decisions, admitted mistakes, revisions, and strategies. -- George Dennis O'Brien, president emeritus, University of Rochester While much of the book is about vision, and in particular a vision shaped by the value of the liberal arts, it is no less about generic strategies that can help any institution realize its vision. Every vision must be linked to its embodiment in rhetoric, support structures and community . . . The best practices I introduce along with the personal missteps I discuss can be a source of learning for all kinds of administrators. -- <i>Inside Higher Ed</i> Realizing the Distinctive University is about change, improvement, and leadership in higher education. It provides the reader with the historical background necessary to understand why American education is the way it is and what challenges it faces over the coming decades. Roche is able to make the case that institutions, if they want to flourish in the future, need to be distinctive, with strong identities that set them apart from other institutions and unify the campus around a vision. . . . With the ability to lead change that adapts and evolves institutions becoming a necessary skill for higher education leaders, Realizing the Distinctive University is incredibly useful for anyone serving or hoping to serve as an administrator. -- <i>Planning for Higher Education Journal</i>

I can t think of another book about higher education so astute and persuasive about the importance of an institutional vision, and so clear-sighted about practices that help administrators as they struggle to attain it. Roche comprehensively discusses vision, hiring, advancement, curriculum, and perhaps most importantly, the development of internal processes that support collaboration, efficiency, and achievement. Richard Finkelstein, dean of Arts and Sciences, University of Mary Washington

Author Information

Mark William Roche is the Rev. Edmund P. Joyce, C.S.C., Professor of German Language and Literature and concurrent professor of philosophy at the University of Notre Dame. From 1997 to 2008 Roche served as dean of Notre Dame’s College of Arts and Letters. His books include Why Choose the Liberal Arts? (University of Notre Dame Press, 2010), which received the 2012 Frederic W. Ness Book Award from the Association of American Colleges and Universities.

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