More than 250 persons with department and division chair responsibilities, representing 128 colleges and universities, participated in the 2006 CIC Department and Division Chair Workshops. With the theme of “Effective Strategies for Leading the Academic Department,” this fifth annual series of workshops used case studies, discussions, and exercises to assist chairs in exploring best practices for communicating in situations of conflict, planning for the department, managing their time, working with the chief academic officer, and navigating through the legal thicket. The workshops were held in San Diego, CA (March 31–April 1); St. Louis, MO (May 23–25); Waltham/Boston, MA (May 31–June 2); and Cleveland, OH (June 6–8).

Participants said the workshops were helpful, providing a concentrated time “to talk with other chairs from my college,” as well as in meeting people at other institutions who are focusing on similar challenges. The workshops offered “a good framework for understanding your role, good references, and an opportunity to find ways to solve problems.”

Among the most popular sessions were those that focused on current legal issues and preventive law. Steps to avoiding legal problems, said one workshop leader, include:

• Become familiar with institutional policies that affect chairs such as employment and disability policies.
• Identify non-legal offices and individuals on campus who can answer questions (e.g., dean, provost, HR, disability resources, dean of students, police).
• Identify your institution’s legal counsel and the protocol for accessing legal advice.
• Do not react immediately to initial reports of alleged wrongdoing, except to protect safety and secure information and data, and do not conduct any investigations without the advice of counsel.
• Encourage your institution to offer continuing education for chairs, directors, and other administrators in such areas as students with disabilities, sexual harassment, privacy of student educational records, employment issues, safety issues, academic freedom, faculty discipline and dismissal, intellectual property, and Family and Medical Leave Act.

Because department chairs are on the front line in dealing with sensitive situations, they also found helpful the sessions on communicating in situations of conflict. Workshop leaders stressed that effective communication skills include listening well (clarify to be sure you understand what the speaker is saying, ask what solution is being sought, and agree on the problem to be addressed); involving a third party if there is trouble communicating; and responding effectively to challenges, criticisms, and complaints by remaining calm, understanding the issue before responding, accepting responsibility as appropriate, and describing what steps will be taken to address the topic. Participants said the information and guidelines were “substantive, useful, and thought-provoking.”