Speaking to academic leaders from across the nation gathered at the University of Central Arkansas (UCA), Dr. Victoria DeFrancesco Soto, Dean of the Clinton School of Public Service, delivered an address at the 85th annual National Conference of Academic Deans (NCAD) in July.
Addressing the conference theme of navigating change in higher education, Dean DeFrancesco Soto reflected on the crucial role academic deans play as “bridges” within higher education institutions, connecting students, faculty, administration, and broader public sectors in an increasingly complex world.
Held annually at UCA’s Brewer-Hegeman Conference Center, NCAD is one of the nation’s oldest conferences dedicated to the deanship, bringing together chief academic officers, deans, and higher education leaders to address contemporary administrative challenges in a collaborative setting.
Owning The Middle and the Engineering of Leadership
Grounding her presentation in her personal background growing up in Sierra Vista, Arizona, a small military town near the U.S.–Mexico border, Dean DeFrancesco Soto shared how her upbringing shaped her approach to public service and academic leadership.
Reflecting on the Spanish phrase “ni de aquí, ni de allá” (neither from here nor from there), she described how navigating two distinct cultural worlds initially felt ambiguous, but eventually became her greatest asset.
“Sometime in graduate school, I realized that what I was embarrassed about was actually my superpower,” she said. “I was a translator, not just in terms of language or culture, but meaning. I was a bridge. The middle is where meaningful solutions and change are found, and owning the middle became a state of mind that defined my academic and leadership journey.”
Translating that principle to higher education, Dean DeFrancesco Soto urged deans to embrace transdisciplinary and cross-sector leadership, bridging academic fields with public, private, and nonprofit partners to solve real-world problems. Using a civil engineering analogy, she illustrated the dynamic pressures academic deans face when balancing institutional goals with the needs of campus stakeholders.
“Bridges collapse when they aren’t designed to sway, when they can’t absorb energy from wind, heat, and traffic,” Dean DeFrancesco Soto said. “As deans, we are the bridges that absorb tension. It is in that tension, and in our ability to stay flexible, that common ground and resolutions are found.”
She also emphasized the necessity of “bridge maintenance.” She encouraged academic leaders to prioritize personal well-being, reflection, and peer support to build long-term capacity in higher education work.
Grounded in a Shared Common Humanity
Closing her address, Dean DeFrancesco Soto drew upon a core principle of the Clinton School’s mission inspired by President Bill Clinton during the completion of the Human Genome Project: that all human beings are more than 99.9 percent genetically identical.
“Our differences do matter, but our common humanity matters more,” Dean DeFrancesco Soto concluded. “It takes a special kind of leader to bridge differences, translate perspectives, and center that shared humanity. In the mission-driven world of higher education, that responsibility falls to us.”
The Clinton School extends its thanks to the University of Central Arkansas and conference organizers for hosting NCAD on its Conway campus. Having served as the permanent host institution for NCAD since 2001, UCA continues to foster a vital national venue for thoughtful dialogue, administrative growth, and institutional partnerships across higher education.