Education Commons^™

Conducting A Department Or Program Self-Study And External Review, Samuel Cotton, Thomas Weidner

Academic Chairpersons Conference Proceedings

This presentation is to help those preparing to program or department self-studies and related external reviews. It will explore a variety of options and scenarios that are common across institutions relative to this process.

Joining Forces: Fostering Creativity And Success Across Departments, Mary T. Dzindolet, Stephanie Boss, Jennifer Dennis, Lisa Huffman

Academic Chairpersons Conference Proceedings

The chairs of a Psychology, Education, and Sports & Exercise Science Department and their dean share how they have been able to apply a model of collaborative creativity (Paulus & Dzindolet, 2008) to promote teamwork and innovation in their departments and in the School.

Developing Chairperson Networks At The State System Level, Cheryl L. Hochberg

Academic Chairpersons Conference Proceedings

1. While many colleges and universities have local chair networks, few networks extend across state systems. These can be advantageous for chairs working under common bureaucracies and collective bargaining agreements for the purpose of training, mutual empowerment and advocacy for academic programs.

Inter-Departmental Collaboration To Enhance Programs And Meet Community Needs, Gale B. Rice Phd.,Ccc-Slp, Mary Beth Ohlms M.Ed., Carmen Russell Phd.Ccc-Slp, Jamie Vandycke Phd.

Academic Chairpersons Conference Proceedings

This interactive session will describe how three academic departments shared their resources and expertise to enhance program quality by giving their students opportunities to collaborate with both faculty and students of different disciplines while meeting the needs of under-represented community groups in a camp context.

“Managing A Department, Working With The School Dean And Staying Research Active.”, Valerie J. Watnick

Academic Chairpersons Conference Proceedings

This session will consider and discuss the literature regarding academic chairperson/dean management styles, and best department management practices. The session will involve consideration of typical fictional scenarios potentially faced by department chairs and deans and brainstorming to flesh out management strategies that allow time for both a well-managed department and quality research by the department chairperson and other faculty. The program will involve interactive (fictional) fact-based exercises.

Crucial Moments In The Chair Experience: A Case Study Approach, Shawn T. Wahl, Amy Aldridge Sanford, Chad Mcbride

Academic Chairpersons Conference Proceedings

Department chairs are often called upon to make tough decisions (e.g., personnel, scheduling, strategic planning, curriculum, resources). Presenters of this interactive workshop will share case studies written by higher education administrators from across the nation, offer persepctives, and open it up for interaction, brainstorming and discussion for addressing difficult situations.

Detox Your Department: A Stage Model For Achieving Cultural Change, Christopher D. Lantz, Steven Mark Elliott

Academic Chairpersons Conference Proceedings

Throughout this interactive session, participants will learn the stages of group formation, identify a cultural destination for their units, and engage in moderated small group activities that will help them develop their own specific stage-appropriate action strategies designed to achieve the desired cultural transformation.

A Team-Based Approach To Development, Katherine Frank, Kristi Haik, Kelly Jones

Academic Chairpersons Conference Proceedings

This workshop focuses on strategies for engaging in successful short- and long-term development and fundraising efforts at the program and department level, while remaining aligned with college and university priorities. Facilitators include a chairperson, director of college development, and dean.

A Framework For Relevancy In Academic Departments, Ann Singleton, Michele Atkins

Academic Chairpersons Conference Proceedings

Academic chairs lead the planning process for their departments. An important question for chairs becomes, “How can I develop and assess relevant goals?” This session offers participants a framework to establish a realistic understanding of how their academic departments relate to and are perceived by their outside and inside stakeholders.

Everybody Counts Or Nobody Counts, Paul A. Craig, Michael N. Kotlarchyk, Sophia Maggelakis

Academic Chairpersons Conference Proceedings

Like most campuses, we constantly deal with change at RIT, ranging from policy to climate. We believe everyone needs to feel valued - “Everybody Counts or Nobody Counts," and are attempting to build a supportive culture that includes individual and group mentoring, funding opportunities, and recognition.

Engaging Faculty And Students Across Departments To Increase Community Engagement, Gale B. Rice Phd.,Ccc-Slp, Carmen Russell Phd,Ccc-Slp, Mary Beth Ohlms M.Ed-Facs, Jamie Vandycke Phd.

Academic Chairpersons Conference Proceedings

This Brown Bag discussion will allow participants to both share results of their efforts to increase multi-disciplinary efforts of both faculty and students in the community and to brainstorm possibilities. These efforts foster collaborative problem-solving skills and increase name recognition of the university in the community.

Turning The Titanic: Reshaping Departmental Culture As A New Chair, Catherine S. Webster

Academic Chairpersons Conference Proceedings

Although Chairs may possess great latitude in their departmental leadership, changing the culture of a department requires effort and planning. This session will discuss how a new chair increased transparency, initiated faculty development opportunities, and led by example to expand shared governance and increase faculty morale.

Informal Chair Support Groups: Benefits And Obstacles, Emily Detmer-Goebel

Academic Chairpersons Conference Proceedings

Support Groups for Chairs can be a beneficial way in which to develop as an academic leader and possibly make the job of chairperson more enjoyable and successful. The roundtable discussion will guide members through a discussion the benefits of forming such an informal support group, but also consider the obstacles.

Prolonged “Chair” Sitting - Detrimental To Workplace Health, Philip W. Scruggs

Academic Chairpersons Conference Proceedings

Session participants and the presenter will share, discuss and challenge experiences and insights of successes and challenges with policy (e.g., faculty and staff activity participation), environmental (e.g., sit-stand desks, walking meetings, active deliveries, etc.) and cultural (e.g., physical activity as a legitimate workplace behavior) changes for a healthy active workplace.

Case Studies In Mentoring Community College Faculty, Markus Pomper, Kathy Arcangeli, Jala Daniel

Academic Chairpersons Conference Proceedings

This interactive session explores ways in which an academic division at a community college developed a program of faculty development and evaluation. We will discuss teaching evaluations for faculty, mentoring in preparation for tenure, and the support system provided to mentors.

Challenges For Women Department Chairs, Laurie J. Patterson, Amy Kirschke, Pamela Seaton, Leslie Hossfeld

Academic Chairpersons Conference Proceedings

Presenters will discuss issues specific to women in a leadership position, primarily as a department chair and work with participants for ideas on how to succeed as a female administrator.

Thriving In A Changing Academic Landscape: Moving At The Speed Of Light, Brenda Sims, Christy Crutsinger

Academic Chairpersons Conference Proceedings

Academic leaders are facing pressure to change how they deliver education. To respond, universities are increasingly charged with setting up educational programs that challenge the traditional notion of delivering classes. Using a case study approach, this session highlights how one university built a collaborative industry hub , developed interdisciplinary programs, and gained departmental and faculty buy-in in a sixth month window. Strategies for remaining nimble and transforming the ivory tower will discussed.

Mapping Technologies’ Impact On A Professional Program Chair’S Workload, Randy Howe

Academic Chairpersons Conference Proceedings

Department chair practices appear more open and accountable to its publics than ever, a shift driven by want it now information demands from improved data gathering systems. In this discussion, a concept model will be presented to determine whether advanced structures and procedures live up to the hype of reducing chair workloads.

Leading In The Interim: Navigating Interim Chair Appointments, Patricia L. Bullock Ph.D., L Lynn Stallings Ph.D., Traci Redish Ph.D., Diana Gregory Ph.D., R. Ugena Whitlock Ph.D.

Academic Chairpersons Conference Proceedings

In this session, four former interim chairs and one current interim chair will discuss navigating the role of interim chair, and will make recommendations on topics including navigating the first few days of the appointment, evaluating faculty, working with the Dean, and making curricular or policy changes.

Get The Right People On The Bus: Recruiting Quality Faculty, Christopher Barrick

Academic Chairpersons Conference Proceedings

A department’s success depends on its people. To that end, this presentation aims to outline both best practices and unwritten strategies relevant to the hiring of the best faculty members. From the justifying the need to selecting the right candidate, this presentation will exam all facets of a faculty search.

Distributed Leadership: An Effective Practice When Practiced Effectively, Loretta A. Rieser-Danner Ph.D., Jen Bacon Ph.D., Lori Vermeulen Ph.D.

Academic Chairpersons Conference Proceedings

Building transparent models for the distribution of college-level resources, getting buy-in from department chairs, and implementing models across very different departments.

Assessment Manual: Practical Tool For Keeping Assessment Processes On Track, Leslie L. Griffin

Academic Chairpersons Conference Proceedings

Department chairs are tasked with ensuring that complex and comprehensive assessment plans related to academic programs are in place and monitored, providing outcomes data that drive program improvement. Participants will review a model Assessment Manual designed to keep stakeholders on track within the assessment system.

Mentoring, Managing, And Motivating Online Course Instructors: Emerging Chair Responsibilities, Mary B. Schreiner Ph.D., Scott Ballantyne Ed.D., Karen Thacker Ph.D.

Academic Chairpersons Conference Proceedings

The number of online university courses continues to grow, and instructors of these courses need unique kinds of involvement with their department chairs. The presentation outlines best practices department chairs can use to mentor, manage and motivate online course instructors, based on both experience and emerging literature in this field.

Dealing With Difficult Faculty, Janet L. Gooch Ph.D., Ccc-Slp

Academic Chairpersons Conference Proceedings

Difficult faculty may harass colleagues, staff, or students, may avoid their teaching, research and/or service obligations, and make the work environment difficult. This interactive workshop will provide strategies for Chairs dealing with difficulty faculty. Particular case studies will be presented and problem-solved by participants.

Departments In Crisis: What To Do When The Department Is Threatened, Craig D. Hlavac

Academic Chairpersons Conference Proceedings

Falling enrollments coupled with scarce resources have forced many institutions to urgently cut costs. While reducing discretionary spending may solve short-term financial shortfalls, institutions are more frequently considering academic reorganization or program elimination. Managing these situations as chairperson is not only challenging, but extremely stressful. This session will provide participants with practical, research-based advice for dealing with several exigent department-level situations. Crisis leadership, enrollment management, recruitment, program development, and discovering new revenue streams will be discussed.

Who Does What? Tensions Between Deans And Department Heads In Defining Roles, Tammy M. Proctor, Miguel Martinez-Saenz

Academic Chairpersons Conference Proceedings

The session is designed around three common points of tension between deans and department heads created by the blurring of their roles: 1) fundraising; 2) creating a “vision”; 3) budgetary oversight. Attendees will work in groups to develop tools for negotiating each scenario, regardless of institution size or structure.

Alignment Of Global Outcomes For Assessment And Accreditation, Ken Ryalls

Academic Chairpersons Conference Proceedings

Influential higher education organizations aspire to measure different sets of global student outcomes, yet widespread agreement exists. This presentation centers on how IDEA's Student Ratings of Instruction Learning Objectives align with global outcomes from AAC&U's Value Rubric, Lumina's DQP, HLC's Criteria for Accreditation, and NSSE's Engagement Indicators.

Three Essentials For Making Effective Decisions, Kent Crookston

Academic Chairpersons Conference Proceedings

In this workshop he shares three essential “ways-of-being” that govern all successful decisions: 1) be proactive, 2) be humble, and 3) be composed. Whether making group or individual decisions, whether following the classical process of multi-step deliberations or relying on one’s gut – alignment with these three essentials gives decision-makers confidence that their choices will be sensible and sustainable.

Career Trajectory, Aspiring Deans, John Buckwalter, Sheila Pineres, Kelli Brown

Academic Chairpersons Conference Proceedings

While higher educational institutions have well developed processes to assist faculty as they progress through their academic careers, most colleges and universities provide little formal assistance to department heads and chairs considering career progression to a deanship. This interactive session will provide practical guidance in an interactive format to those contemplating pursuing an academic dean position.

Conducting Difficult Performance Counseling Sessions, Mary Lou Higgerson

Academic Chairpersons Conference Proceedings

Department chairs are responsible for reviewing the performance of individual faculty and staff members. This task can be especially difficult and uncomfortable when a faculty or staff member is not meeting performance expectations. In this session, participants will have the opportunity to learn and practice some specific communication strategies for conducting difficult performance counseling sessions with individuals who are not meeting performance expectations.