The purpose of this investigation was to determine the difference in the levels of resilience characteristics between male and female deans within a state university system. Resilience is the ability to operate in a changing environment while consistently maintaining one's effectiveness. This quantitative study utilized the survey, Personal Resilience Questionnaire (PRQ). Responses were received from 35 deans, 16 males and 19 females, and the results showed that the average means scores suggested that female deans had a higher level of resilience. The Mann-Whitney U-test showed that only one of the resilience characteristics--Proactive (0.046)--was significant at the 0.05 level. Numerous studies have shown that females tend to face more difficulties within the workplace (e.g. Trentham & Larwood, 2004; Reskin, 1993). Presumably the accumulation of these challenges has enhanced resilience for women. The identification of resilience levels within academic administration can assist university leaders to operating effectively during times of change.