In this allegorical essay, which appeared in Change: The Magazine of Higher Education, we walk side by side with an academic dean who is preparing to explain to the Board of Trustees the importance of critical thinking.  Between the dean’s office and the Board’s meeting room we encounter members of the faculty, staff professionals, senior administrators and coaches.  Each encounter provides the dean with another insight into critical thinking.  Travel with the dean and reflect on the  progress of our understanding of critical thinking.  Imagine how you would explain critical thinking to people outside of academia.