procedures, with limited need for direct supervision. They often have graduate degrees, certificates, or advanced-study certificates. Exempt staff members can crudely be identified as staff checking their email outside of regular work hours and on the weekends, in- cluding at odd hours of the night. It is likely the staff members who attend a college’s leadership meetings are all exempt. Non-exempt staff must track hours and receive overtime. They are usually more closely supervised. They explain and apply poli- cy and procedures rather than create policies. In the dean’s office, these positions tend to be more 8-to-5, and these people are far less likely to be checking on their work emails during off-hours. Many professional staff members start in non-exempt positions, and then through experience, additional training, and motivation, are pro- moted into exempt positions. The decision of which positions are and are not exempt is made in Human Resources. The decision is based on factors such as the responsibilities in the position description and the salary, as institu- tional practice (and sometimes federal policy) recommends a mini- mum salary threshold to be considered an exempt employee. The distinction between these positions does matter. While uni- versities strive to align the benefits and job security of both types of positions, the accrual of annual and sick leave is often on differ- ent schedules; exempt positions are perceived as more prestigious by their holders; and pay is usually higher. Deans want to attract and retain the best staff, and therefore position descriptions result- ing in the creation of exempt positions will likely be preferred over non-exempt positions. With no time cards, exempt employees limit the amount of direct supervision required by other decanal staff. Titles of Professional Staff and Assignment of Functions Staff titles are far more variable than faculty titles within the dean’s office. The eight titles most commonly used are manager, direc- tor, and coordinator (see Table 3.4). Many titles include a qualifier, suggesting a superior role with the qualifiers of executive or senior (e.g., executive director), or a subordinate role with the qualifiers of associate or assistant (e.g., assistant coordinator). The functional areas assigned to staff in professional titles sort into four areas: administration; financial services and facilities; student services; and external relations. The functional areas as- signed to staff are narrower than those assigned to assistant or associate deans. Positions with functional assignments such as New deans may be surprised at the number of staff in the dean’s office categorized as exempt. I was surprised to learn that at my university all our advisor positions are classified as exempt, and all the staff supporting grant-related activity (pre- and post-award) are also exempt employees. —BSD