This case study of academic deans was undertaken to investigate the organizational socialization process of deans and draw practical implications for institutions and academic leaders. Four researchers conducted in-depth interviews of 24 deans at different stages ("seasons") of the deanship using an open-ended interview guide developed for the study. Findings show that the initial stages of the deans' careers followed the anthropological model known as rite of passage across three universal stages of separation, transition, and integration. The rites of passage model, while not denying the fundamental psychological insights shared by deans, incorporated a more macro, sociological perspective, and underscored "sense-making" from the dean's social and ceremonial events. The latter stages, beyond deans' rites of passage, followed a pattern similar to that of corporate executives through: (1) taking hold; (2) immersion; (3) reshaping; and (4) consolidation and refinement. The socialization processes of deans more closely resembled those of other academic leaders than those of teachers. (Contains 1 table, 3 figures, and 79 references.) (SLD)