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here to read an article from the Summer 2003 Independent
Theme
Leadership, Campus Culture, and Change
To assist independent colleges and universities in strengthening
the leadership at the department level, the Council of Independent
Colleges is offering its second annual series of Workshops for experienced,
as well as new, department/division chairs. The Workshops focus on
the distinctive challenges of department leadership in small and mid-sized,
private colleges and universities. The theme this year is Leadership,
Campus Culture, and Change. Workshop topics built around this theme
will include:
Leadership Style and Campus Culture: To strengthen leadership
of departments, chairs need perspective on the specific institutional
context in which they are working. What works in one department may
prove ineffective in another setting—depending upon the particular
discipline, the institution’s mission, the prevailing administrative
style of the campus, and the complexity of the university (for example,
is it an undergraduate college or does it have graduate programs,
off-site locations, or distance education programs?). From department
to department and from institution to institution, there are different
expectations of chairs —strong or weak leadership styles, collegial
or hierarchical decision-making. Chairs will benefit from deeper understanding
of the varieties of leadership styles and approaches that are appropriate
in a variety of contexts. During the Workshop, participants will have
opportunities to explore their own leadership style, the culture of
their institution, and how they can be most effective in that context.
The Chair’s Vision for the Department/Division:
Participants will also examine the variety of reasons chairs assume
this leadership role and the rewarding aspects of being a department
chair. They will consider their vision for their departments and how
they might keep the vision in mind as they keep the department moving
forward.
Leading Departmental Change: Facilitating lasting change—a
key task for department chairs in today’s culture—will
be another focus of the workshop. Chairs will wrestle with issues
such as managing change under difficult conditions, attaining “buy
in” by faculty members, and ensuring that innovations advance
the mission of the institution.
Dealing with Difficult Personnel Issues: Workshop participants
will address questions such as: How do you have a frank conversation
with a colleague who has done something potentially harmful to the
institution? How do you utilize the skills of the faculty colleagues
you have? How do you encourage civility and collegiality in the department?
Legal Issues: Lawyers familiar with legal issues at
private colleges and universities will explain the basic principles
with which department chairs should be familiar, as well as procedures
for dealing with personnel issues and situations in which it is necessary
to document actions.
Working with the Chief Academic Officer: What do chief
academic officers expect of department chairs? What are the dos and
don’ts for department chairs in creating an effective working
relationship with the CAO?
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Who Should Attend?
The Workshops are designed to serve both experienced
and new chairs of departments or divisions at independent colleges
and universities. Campuses are encouraged to send several department
chairs to the Workshop so they may support one another in instituting
change upon return to their college or university. A single representative
from an institution would also find the Workshop helpful. Chief academic
officers, deans, and associate deans who work closely with chairs
would find the program beneficial and are welcome to attend.
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Pre-Workshop Opportunities
To maximize the value of the Workshop, participants
are encouraged to provide CIC prior to the meeting with a list of
any issues they would like to discuss by accessing the CIC website.
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Advisory Groups
The Department Chair Workshops are planned with the
advice of the CIC Department Chair Task Force and a national advisory
panel of experts on the work of department chairs. Task Force members
are: Patrick T. Alden, Business Division Chair, Judson College; Jack
Harris, Chair and Associate Professor of Biology, The Sage Colleges;
Deborah A. McCarthy, Chair, Department of Chemistry and Physics, Saint
Mary’s Col lege (IN); Robert S. Reid, Communication Department
Chair and Director of the MA in Communication Program, University
of Dubuque; and Barbara Sorenson, Chair, Department of School Counseling
and School Psychology, School of Education and Behavioral Studies,
Azusa Pacific University.
Members of the advisory panel are: Howard B. Altman,
Professor of Modern Languages and Linguistics, the University of Louisville,
and a specialist in faculty and chair development; Tom Emmet, President,
Higher Education Executive Associates, and frequent speaker on the
faculty handbook; Carla Howery, Deputy Executive Officer, American
Sociological Association, and the co-author of Effecting Department
Change to Build Excellent and Inclusive Sociology Departments;
Dianne F. Sadoff, Professor of English and Chair, Miami University;
Margaret K. Schramm, Professor of English and Co-Director of the Honors
Program, Hartwick College, and Association of Departments of English
Summer Seminars leader; Kelly Ward, Assistant Professor, Educational
Leadership, Washington State University, and co-author, The Department
Chair's Role in Developing New Faculty into Teachers and Scholars;
and Daniel W. Wheeler, Professor, Agriculture Leadership, Education
and Communication, University of Nebraska-Lincoln and author of The
Academic Chair Handbook.
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Workshop Costs
Member colleges:
$270 for the first person
$210 for each additional person
Nonmember colleges:
$370 for the first person
$310 for each additional person
2003
Workshops for Department and Division Chairs
