The Department Chair最新文献

{"title":"Build Bridges, Not Decks: Using Knowledge Brokerage to Inform Faculty Professional Development","authors":"Emily Faulconer","doi":"10.1002/dch.70005","DOIUrl":"10.1002/dch.70005","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The glow of screens in the classroom is as familiar as the rustle of turning pages in previous decades. But something new has emerged. Generative AI (GenAI) is forcing instructors to reconsider the tried-and-true formats for course materials, engagement activities, and assessments. For administrators, this requires proactive leadership to guide faculty through this significant shift, with particular attention to faculty workload and developing necessary GenAI competencies.</p><p>The inevitable integration of GenAI into the educational landscape compels adaptation. As we revisit core aspects of our teaching practice, light will shine on areas where our expertise does not yet align with the capabilities and implications of this technology. This raises a question for careful consideration: Can traditional professional development frameworks empower us to engage with such a disruptive and transformative force?</p><p>Often faculty professional development is a one-size-fits-all approach, and it's easy to revert to the passive one-direction information flow and subsequent overreliance on slide decks. These development opportunities are frequently led internally, but they fail to effectively leverage internal expertise to its full potential. Just as sustainability education emphasizes the critical role of knowledge brokers in connecting diverse stakeholders and translating complex information into actionable insights, a similar approach holds promise for empowering faculty in the age of GenAI.</p><p>In this context, knowledge brokerage within professional development is a dynamic process of connection, facilitation, and linking. This involves bringing together faculty with diverse experiences and needs related to GenAI, facilitating the sharing of insights and best practices in GenAI use in curriculum design and teaching, and linking individuals with specific resources and expertise (within the institution and beyond) that can address their learning gaps and pedagogical challenges. Grounded in building pathways and relationships, not simply disseminating information, this can bridge the gap between the emerging educational research and practice and connect those facing similar challenges, making the professional development responsive and relevant (see figure 1). Participants should ideally leave the development opportunity with increased confidence, deeper knowledge, an expanded personal learning network, and a foundation for an agile approach to GenAI in teaching and learning.</p><p>These examples show how knowledge brokerage moves beyond workshops and into shared discovery and community-driven solutions to this emerging issue in higher education.</p><p>This collaborative and responsive approach warrants evaluation, with the potential to yield more impactful and relevant professional development opportunities that build community and challenge silos, ultimately increasing the pace of adoption of innovative practices in using GenAI in higher educati","PeriodicalId":101228,"journal":{"name":"The Department Chair","volume":"36 3","pages":"7-9"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-01-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/dch.70005","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146139201","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Washburn v. Kingsborough Community College et al.","authors":"","doi":"10.1002/dch.70018","DOIUrl":"10.1002/dch.70018","url":null,"abstract":"<p><b>Case:</b> <i>Washburn v. Kingsborough Community College et al</i>., No. 20-cv-0395 (E.D. N.Y. 03/29/23)</p><p><b>Ruling:</b> The US District Court, Eastern District of New York, dismissed a claim in a suit against Kingsborough Community College.</p><p><b>Significance:</b> The Americans with Disabilities Act defines disability as a physical or mental impairment substantially limiting one or more of the major life activities, a record of such an impairment, or being regarded as having such an impairment.</p><p><b>Summary:</b> The plaintiff was a transgender KCC professor who filed a suit, and one of the claims was discrimination in violation of the ADA. The plaintiff claimed a qualifying disability because of gender dysphoria, physical limitations, a significant amount of which were due to gender-confirming surgery, and “other physical and mental impairments.”</p><p>The suit alleged that the provost and the department chair had discriminated by rejecting grants, disapproving of a “long-standing teaching arrangement” with Hunter College, preventing a transfer to another CUNY college, switching courses and course times, reducing program benefits, denying access to essential records, removing an administrative assistant, “misgendering” the plaintiff on several occasions, refusing to change the plaintiff's name and gender on Kingsborough records, and moving the plaintiff's office to a moldy storage closet. Kingsborough filed a motion to dismiss.</p><p>The district court judge said that there wasn't any indication of a disability within the meaning of ADA because the allegations contradicted any notion of a major life activity impairment since the plaintiff purportedly taught classes, spoke at colleges all over the country, and drafted both an op-ed article and an unspecified public petition. She dismissed the claim.</p>","PeriodicalId":101228,"journal":{"name":"The Department Chair","volume":"36 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-01-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/dch.70018","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146136562","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Leading Through the Fog: How Chairs Can Anticipate and Align During Institutional Change","authors":"Kerri Richardson,&nbsp;Kelly Wester","doi":"10.1002/dch.70012","DOIUrl":"10.1002/dch.70012","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;p&gt;We are witnessing some never before seen occurrences in higher education. Whether it is a mandate coming from your state or executive orders coming from the government, it is important to think clearly and holistically about academia and to not lose sight of what we do, which is to educate. It can be easy to be overwhelmed by the stress of the onslaught of events, requests, and reactions. Yet, although it is important to remain calm and not lose sight of what we do as educators (and as department chairs to assist our faculty), it is also important to think strategically and, if possible, proactively.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;In the case of our institution, we recently experienced an academic program review in which every unit on campus underwent a thorough analysis of our offerings. Although we are not the only campus to undergo this event, there were some nuances on our campus and within our unit. Our unit used an approach in which our leadership team worked together to analyze various dashboards provided to us by our university.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Although not a particularly fun process, we both felt prepared to engage in meaningful discussions because of our anticipatory leadership styles. What exactly is an anticipatory leadership style? Stated simply, it is a style that includes paying consistent attention to student enrollment and trends, listening to faculty feedback, partnering with upper administrators to understand yearly data, and collaborating with other chairs. It also includes making strategic decisions and actions based on these conversations and collaborations in ways that will impact programmatic and departmental data when events such as an academic program review take place. This anticipatory leadership style also uses certain practical elements, which you can define for yourself.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;In our case, the practical elements fall under the umbrella of professional programs, one in teacher education and the other in counselor education. Each of our programs includes accreditation considerations from outside agencies as well as a host of metrics from inside the university, hence the practical portion of what we do.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;As department chairs, we made informed decisions and implemented changes prior to and during academic program review, ahead of the budget reductions. Stated differently, we focused on student credit hour generation, student enrollment, less spending on part-time lecturers, and more instructional/supervisory opportunities for doctoral students and full-time faculty.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;In the case of our teacher education program, we used the COVID-19 pandemic as a marker of significant upcoming change. On a campus of 18,000, 51 percent of whom are first-generation college students, 54 percent are people of color, and 57 percent receive Pell grants, we knew a significant enrollment drop was about to occur, and up until that point, we had been using an expensive model of educating and supervising preservice teachers. The old model was excellent in many ways, bu","PeriodicalId":101228,"journal":{"name":"The Department Chair","volume":"36 3","pages":"16-17"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-01-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/dch.70012","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146140077","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Conditionally Accepted: Navigating Higher Education from the Margins","authors":"Eric Joy Denise,&nbsp;Bertin M. Louis","doi":"10.1002/dch.70016","DOIUrl":"10.1002/dch.70016","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;p&gt;University of Texas Press, 2024&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;256 pp., $34.95&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;For department chairs working with marginalized and minoritized faculty, graduate students, and emerging scholars across career stages, this book offers implementable strategies, best practices, and concrete language for supporting, valuing, and amplifying the work of minoritized colleagues.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;In part 1, contributors explore mentoring and visibility. Castor and Louis Jr., for example, offer strategies for supporting faculty in navigating joint appointments across multiple departments or programs, prompting home department chairs to remain mindful of supporting faculty in receiving credit for this work without taking on double faculty loads.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Blain addresses mentoring support beyond tenure, especially for women faculty of color. In addition to providing professional resources, Blain's chapter creates space for chairs to consider what this mentoring looks like at the department or local level.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Hoover's interview drawing on lived experience in economics prompts chairs to consider how biased and harmful norms about faculty and their work manifest and what role chairs play in disrupting these norms, supporting faculty, and allowing faculty talents and intellectual contributions to flourish.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The significance of visibility is consistently reinforced in part 1, including in Fong's exploration of “muted invisibility” (p. 66) through intersectional racialized experiences as an Asian American woman and contingent faculty in a predominantly white field, and in Winn's interview through the persistent dualism of racism that results in “invisibility” or “hypervisibility” (p. 85). Chairs will find much to work with in mentoring faculty through the kinds of coaching questions that Winn shares (see pages 89, 98, 99).&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Extending this discussion of invisibility and its implications, opening part 2, Dutt-Ballerstadt explores responses to the #BlackInTheIvory hashtag created in June 2020, “detailing the myriad ways that Black scholars, scholarship, and excellence have been undermined and undervalued” (p. 106).&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;In the next chapter, Zape-Tah-Hol-Ah Starr Minthorn provides actionable steps and language for addressing the “invisibilization of Indigenous people” with strategies for “center[ing] our (Indigenous) voices and experiences” (p. 119). Significant for chairs and other administrators, the author points to missed opportunities in land acknowledgments for meaningful action (p. 120) and advocates for increased efforts to build relationships with Indigenous communities “and creat[e] safe spaces for Native students on campus” (p. 127).&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Exploring ableism within a disability studies framework, Manchanda's chapter is especially relevant for chairs actively working to grow, diversify, and increase the accessibility of graduate programming.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;In “Dealing with Sexual Harassment as a Junior Black Woman Scholar,” Buggs issues a direct call to action: “Advisers and department","PeriodicalId":101228,"journal":{"name":"The Department Chair","volume":"36 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-01-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/dch.70016","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146136646","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Enhancing Online Learning Using Academic Coaches for Retention, Student Success, and Instructor Well-Being","authors":"Jacquelyn Cato,&nbsp;Harriet Watkins","doi":"10.1002/dch.70010","DOIUrl":"10.1002/dch.70010","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;p&gt;Access to higher education through online learning platforms at colleges and universities has grown significantly over the past decade, enabling educational opportunities for both students and faculty. In addition, the online delivery of courses has given students great flexibility in learning and pursuing degrees while also increasing flexibility for online instructors. This is especially true in relation to teaching schedules and the ability to reach a more diverse and global student audience. Although online education offers flexibility and accessibility within the higher education realm, institutions face persistent concerns about student retention. Students who primarily study online often face many struggles related to academic preparedness, motivation, and feelings of isolation, all of which can lead to higher drop, fail, and withdrawal rates. Challenges such as these compel colleges and universities to explore innovative strategies to support student success and persistence. This article argues for the strategic integration of academic coaches as a useful tool and approach to enhance student retention in online classes. It also emphasizes the importance of addressing work-life balance for online instructors whose demanding roles require effective self-management and institutional support.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;However, despite these efforts, student retention remains a concern, highlighting the need for innovative solutions.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;An innovative solution may lie in the simple form of human connection through academic coaches. When an academic coach works alongside students in the online course, it helps them engage in and connect to the course material, making them feel seen and heard. A human connection can make all the difference for students.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Academic coaching is a powerful tool for enhancing student retention and success in online learning environments. By providing personalized support, academic coaches address the diverse challenges that students face, which are significant factors in student attrition. This proactive support fosters student engagement, promotes a sense of belonging, and cultivates a positive learning environment, ultimately increasing persistence and improving overall academic performance. Crucially, academic coaching establishes human-to-human connections that cannot be replicated by AI, as they involve empathy, personalized interaction, and the development of meaningful relationships, which are vital for student motivation and support.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The University of Texas at Arlington (UTA) College of Nursing and Health Innovation (CONHI), in collaboration with Academic Partnerships, implemented an online RN-to-BSN program in 2008 to provide flexibility for working RNs seeking to further their education. This program, referred to as the accelerated online (AO) program, uses academic coaches to support student learning and engagement. Academic coaches in the UTA CONHI's AO program are required to have a minimum of a master's deg","PeriodicalId":101228,"journal":{"name":"The Department Chair","volume":"36 3","pages":"20-22"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-01-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/dch.70010","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146139200","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A Chair's Guide to Adjuncts","authors":"Manyiu Tse,&nbsp;Evelina Lapierre","doi":"10.1002/dch.70014","DOIUrl":"10.1002/dch.70014","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;p&gt;Adjunct instructors are essential to higher education because they provide critical instructional support, offer industry experience, and help reduce institutions' expenses. According to an American Association of University Professors' report, approximately 48 percent of faculty members in US colleges and universities were employed part time in fall 2021 (Colby &lt;span&gt;2023&lt;/span&gt;, 2). As a result, one of the roles for a department chair has become to foster an adjunct culture that is rewarding, inclusive, communicative, and fair, despite institutional limitations. We present two perspectives for best practices in hiring and retaining adjunct instructors.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Manyiu Tse is in his sixth year as chair of the mathematics and computer science department at Molloy University. Molloy is a medium-size Roman Catholic university located in Rockville Centre, New York. Approximately 72 percent of the faculty at Molloy are adjuncts. His department offers, on average, 70 to 100 sections per academic year. These sections are taught by 6 full-time faculty (including the chair) and between 14 and 16 adjunct instructors.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Evelina Lapierre is in her seventh year as chair of the mathematics department at Johnson &amp; Wales University (JWU) at the Providence campus. JWU is a medium-size private teaching-focused university with two campuses: one in Providence, Rhode Island, and the other in Charlotte, North Carolina. Approximately 48 percent of the faculty at JWU are adjuncts. The Providence mathematics department offers between 100 and 110 sections per academic year. These sections are taught by 5 full-time faculty (including the chair), 4 lecturers, and between 8 and 11 adjunct instructors.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Searching for and hiring adjuncts is different from searching for and hiring full-time faculty members, since there is more emphasis on teaching and less on research and university service. At Molloy, most math adjuncts are either retired high school teachers or recent graduates with a master's degree. Molloy has an extensive network of local math educators to draw from. Adjuncts also come from other departments at Molloy, alumni, and referrals from colleagues.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The math department at JWU keeps their online application perpetually open because they hire year-round. Final year graduate students or newly awarded master's degree students from local research universities can make great candidates. JWU also uses adjuncts and full-time faculty from other departments on campus (science, social sciences, and business).&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;It is important that newly hired adjuncts go through proper onboarding and mentoring to ensure that they feel welcomed in the role and understand the expectations. The Faculty Professional Center at Molloy holds a new faculty orientation before the start of the academic year. New faculty gain access to resources and support services that include technical support and professional development. The chair gives adjuncts a campus tour and provides t","PeriodicalId":101228,"journal":{"name":"The Department Chair","volume":"36 3","pages":"22-24"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-01-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/dch.70014","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146136557","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Academic Leadership from Ten Thousand Feet or Under a Rock? Finding the Right Elevation Through Empathy","authors":"Lisa K. Hanasono,&nbsp;W. John Koolage,&nbsp;Mary-Jon Ludy,&nbsp;M. Elise Radina,&nbsp;Jerry C. Schnepp,&nbsp;Jolie A. Sheffer","doi":"10.1002/dch.70008","DOIUrl":"10.1002/dch.70008","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;p&gt;We've all been there: A new mandate from senior leadership requires swift operationalization. Time and resources are limited. Department chairs must translate top-down decisions into meaningful actions that align with the institutional mission and prioritize student success. But there are constraints and obstacles in place that may not be apparent to upper administration. Here we attempt to unpack the distinct perspectives and roles that chairs and associate deans have in making change on campus to chart a path toward more productive collaboration.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Using a Dear Colleague approach, our goal is to clarify the priorities of chairs versus assistant/associate deans in the hopes of helping colleagues better understand one another's perspectives. Although both roles are essential to the academic mission, they often operate at different organizational altitudes. Chairs are embedded in the daily life of departments, managing personnel, supporting faculty and students, and keeping programs running smoothly. Associate deans, on the other hand, are tasked with implementing broader strategic initiatives, ensuring compliance with institutional goals, and reporting progress up the chain of command. These distinct vantage points can sometimes lead to friction, especially when decisions made at one level seem to disrupt the delicate balance of responsibilities at another. If we can empathize and communicate more effectively across our academic leader roles, we can collaborate and problem-solve more productively. Consider the following email exchanges.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;i&gt;Dear Associate Dean,&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;i&gt;As you might have anticipated, I am writing to express some deep concerns about the “new” fall course scheduling process. It is frustrating to receive half-baked mandates with unrealistic deadlines from the college. I am not sure you recall how difficult it is to change department culture.&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;i&gt;Obviously, difficulties with the new scheduling process will vary by department, but we have some particularly rigid, but also quite important, faculty. Professor William Granderman, world leader in thaumaturgy studies, is just one example. His expectation, as with many senior faculty, is to maintain a two-day-a-week teaching schedule. This is necessary to maintain his research productivity. I am sure I don't have to remind you how important his grants are.&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;i&gt;With a course schedule that has to be live for students by this Friday, I am begging for leniency with respect to the new schedule development process. I am confident that with a few more semesters, I can move our department culture, but I can't transform faculty overnight.&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;i&gt;I know it's been several years since you transitioned from depart&lt;/i&gt;&lt;i&gt;ment chair to associate dean. Is there no way to phase in the new pro&lt;/i&gt;&lt;i&gt;cess, permitting time for faculty to adjust?&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;i&gt;Help me be helped by you.&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;i&gt;Sincerely,&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;i&gt;Beleaguered Chair&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;i&gt;Dear Chair,&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;","PeriodicalId":101228,"journal":{"name":"The Department Chair","volume":"36 3","pages":"9-11"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-01-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/dch.70008","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146148298","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A Toolbox for Deans: Essential Advice for Academic Leaders","authors":"","doi":"10.1002/dch.70017","DOIUrl":"10.1002/dch.70017","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;p&gt;The Chronicle of Higher Education, 2024&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;68 pp., $59.00&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Being a dean requires incredible multitasking skills, savvy relationship-building tools, and minute-by-minute problem-solving. &lt;i&gt;A Toolbox for Deans: Essential Advice for&lt;/i&gt; &lt;i&gt;Academic Leaders&lt;/i&gt; is an excellent resource for current deans, department chairs, aspiring administrators, and deans moving to new roles and organizations. This book is easy to read and gives digestible tips on how to manage things like meetings, data, and the constant push and pull of being in the faculty world and the administrator world (sections 1 and 4). This collection of articles represents several authors and perspectives on areas like mentoring, imposter syndrome, and building social and political capital (section 2).&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;I've worked in two different state systems in Colorado and Minnesota. My dean roles have been only in community colleges, and I also taught in a university for more than five years. I collaborated closely with chairs and faculty for about ten years before becoming a dean. I work hard to be a scholar-practitioner, presenting at conferences at least once a year, working on my PhD, and contributing to publications. My expertise is so far outside of what the faculty teach, and I am one of few females on the team. I'm always learning, asking questions, and providing guidance based on my teaching style that can apply to many areas. This toolbox hits on the importance of building relationships through things like thoughtfully planned retreats, how to train and build leaders, and the importance of running a good meeting (section 4). All of these are tasks I work on daily in a variety of contexts.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;It's critical to consider several areas before entering into a dean role, such as an honest look at the budget; the role of collective bargaining contracts; an overview of recent accreditation visits; the level of support you'll receive from deans in the institution, within the system, and from the key campus decision-makers; how the institution has handled change and overcome challenges; and the roles deans play in all levels of leadership. As Akakawa notes in the “Dare to Lead” article, “In applying for leadership positions, it's important to carefully reflect on how your experiences and skills may (or may not) align with an institution's expectations and opportunities for leadership” (p. 20).&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;This toolbox provides an overview of the dean's role as well as powerful questions to ask about the position. Running meetings, finding solid mentors, and knowing the boundaries and nuances of your faculty and organization are key. As Anft describes in his article, getting off to a strong start is critical in a new role. I spent the first year really listening, and it has helped me build relationships in many areas.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Another essential skill set needed by deans is project management. I often call myself the dean of whatever comes my way, and flexibility is key. It's also critical ","PeriodicalId":101228,"journal":{"name":"The Department Chair","volume":"36 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-01-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/dch.70017","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146136559","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Burt v. Fuchs et al.","authors":"","doi":"10.1002/dch.70020","DOIUrl":"10.1002/dch.70020","url":null,"abstract":"<p><b>Case:</b> <i>Burt v. Fuchs et al.</i>, No. 1:22cv75 (N.D. Fla. 06/21/23)</p><p><b>Ruling:</b> The US District Court, Northern District of Florida, dismissed a claim in a suit against the University of Florida president and other administrators.</p><p><b>Significance:</b> A professor employed by a state university doesn't have a right of free speech with respect to statements he makes pursuant to his official duties.</p><p><b>Summary:</b> The plaintiff was a tenured UF English professor. One day before classes were to begin in August 2021, the plaintiff sent an email to the students scheduled to attend his upcoming classes, stating that he had been ordered to teach face-to-face instead of remotely and that it was against his will to teach in person because of the possibility of contracting COVID-19. The email also included reproductions of an email string between himself and the department chair on the subject.</p><p>In January 2022, both the dean and the department chair sent a letter to the plaintiff accusing him of misconduct because the August 2021 email was improper, unprofessional, provocative, and adversarial. The letter also directed him to make student-related communications professional and to take courses in email effectiveness and cultivating judgment. The letter concluded by stating that any future violations would result in the termination of his employment.</p><p>The plaintiff filed a suit against the president and others, and one of his claims was a violation of the First Amendment. The defendants filed a motion to dismiss, arguing that the email wasn't protected because it had been sent pursuant to his responsibilities as a public employee.</p><p>The district court judge said that a government employee had no right of free speech with respect to statements he made as a part of his official duties. He then dismissed the claim, ruling that the August 2021 email was sent pursuant to the plaintiff's official duties because it dealt with the format of the courses he was employed to teach and went only to those students who were going to be in his classes.</p>","PeriodicalId":101228,"journal":{"name":"The Department Chair","volume":"36 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-01-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/dch.70020","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146140079","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Structured Faculty Hiring: Tools and Leadership Strategies for Chairs","authors":"Teresa Sosa,&nbsp;Amol Prakash","doi":"10.1002/dch.70009","DOIUrl":"10.1002/dch.70009","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Strengthening faculty hiring practices remains a priority in higher education. Too often, hiring decisions reflect informal norms or inconsistent evaluation criteria that can introduce unintended bias. Department chairs play a vital role in shaping hiring processes that are fair, consistent, and aligned with institutional goals. At Indiana University Indianapolis, a faculty search committee training initiative was implemented to increase fairness and transparency in the hiring process. This article distills key practices from that initiative—now required for all faculty search committees—into actionable strategies that department leaders can apply within their own academic units.</p><p>Chairs oversee faculty recruitment, making them pivotal in shaping the composition of their departments. Their leadership is essential in setting expectations for fairness, consistency, and transparency. Yet data indicate persistent concerns in search practices. For example, 17 percent of search committee members on our campus indicated issues in previous searches through pretraining surveys. Issues included gender bias and favoritism toward internal candidates. Addressing these issues requires intentional leadership and structured practices.</p><p>The following strategies are drawn from research-informed trainings developed and implemented by the Office of the Provost at Indiana University Indianapolis. These trainings, required for all faculty search committee participants, are designed to support more consistent and transparent hiring practices.</p><p>In interviews, faculty who chaired search committees described how structured practices enhanced clarity and consistency in the evaluation process. Evaluation tools such as rubrics helped committee members come to a consensus on how to define evaluation criteria, streamline decision-making, and reduce ambiguity—laying the groundwork for fairer assessments.</p><p>Recommendation: Chairs can benefit from post-search debriefs with committee chairs to assess what worked well and to identify areas for improvement.</p><p>These shifts reflect how structured search processes can shape hiring outcomes.</p><p>The strategies outlined here show how structure and transparency can strengthen leadership across departmental responsibilities. When applied beyond hiring—to mentoring, evaluation, and faculty development—they help create a culture of clarity, fairness, and shared accountability that sustains departmental effectiveness over time.</p><p><i>This article is based on a presentation at the annual Academic Chairpersons Conference, February 5–7, 2025, Indianapolis, Indiana.</i></p><p><b>Teresa Sosa</b> is associate vice provost for faculty development and engagement in the Office of the Provost at Indiana University Indianapolis. <b>Amol Prakash</b> served as a graduate research assistant with Dr. Sosa. Email: <span>[email protected]</span></p>","PeriodicalId":101228,"journal":{"name":"The Department Chair","volume":"36 3","pages":"14-15"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-01-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/dch.70009","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146136560","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}