Leadership Program Supports Departmental Chairs

Departmental chairs face unique challenges, and many first-time chairs may find themselves responsible for the first time for departmental budgets, faculty recruitment and retention and faculty evaluations, to name a few.

To provide a forum and peer network for departmental chairs, the College of Arts and Sciences in conjunction with the IAH now offers a leadership program for new and reappointed chairs in the College: the Chairs Leadership Program (CLP).  

Through the CLP, which is funded by an endowment grant from the Hyde Family Foundations as part of the Ruel W. Tyson Jr. Academic Leadership Program, deans in the College invite all new and reappointed chairs to participate in this voluntary program, which comprises reading, discussion and dialogue about the role of chair.

Under the guidance of CLP Associate Director Bill Balthrop, participants discuss a range of topics affecting themselves or their departments. Balthrop, who served as chair of the communication studies department from 1993 to 2005, believes chairs are particularly in need of extra support for the unique role they play in the University.

“Departmental chairs are asked to be staff counselors, faculty mentors, financial planners, strategic thinkers, development officers, faculty mentors, and to fill so many other roles,” he said. “We provide mentorship for students, for faculty, for potential senior leaders and staff, but most of us have no real experience in these areas before we are asked to be departmental chairs.”

The role of departmental chair has long been considered one of the most critical academic leadership positions in the College. Chairs are the overall strategic leaders of the department. They are responsible for developing a collegial climate that is supportive of faculty career development and that generates a high level of productivity in all realms of scholarship.

David Kiel, IAH senior consultant for faculty leadership programs, views the CLP as a way to support a group that provides a great service to the University.

“Chairs receive only a small administrative stipend with some release from teaching duties during their terms,” Kiel said, “so the position is a major service to colleagues, the department and the College as a whole.”

The program initially focused on serving College chairs, but this year it has expanded to include two chairs from the Gillings School of Global Public Health.

Through the CLP, chairs have the opportunity to meet and interact with deans and other campus leaders. The participation of new and reappointed chairs sets up a mentoring system to help first-time chairs address issues. Experienced chairs can provide new chairs tips and tools that save hours or even days of research, guess work and anxiety. In addition, planned discussion topics during CLP meetings are timed to provide lead time before new chairs have to take action on specific issues.

Rather than instructing chairs on how to act or what to do, the program helps chairs to develop confidence, Balthrop says.

“The CLP creates a safe, welcoming space where chairs can share their hopes, fears, frustrations, successes and problems in a confidential environment,” Balthrop said. “The goal is not to provide answers but to help chairs become more aware of possibilities and of their own strengths.” 

Kiel points out that being a chair can be an isolating experience: Chairs are expected to maintain confidentiality even when faced with perplexing and difficult situations. The CLP, however, provides a peer network.

“Being a chair can be a lonely job, with few people the chair can legitimately confide in within the department,” Kiel said. “Therefore, an ongoing group authorized by the College where confidences can be shared with peers and where new chairs can get advice from a more experienced chair is a big help. It is one more way the College provides support for new and continuing chairs, and the IAH is the perfect venue and sponsor, given its established role in faculty leadership development.”

In addition to the CLP, the College also supports chairs through a chairs’ manual, the annual chairs’ retreat, the chairs’ council and assistance from senior associate deans from each division of the College, associate deans and past chairs in the department.

After the first year of the program, the IAH undertook a thorough evaluation process to determine the success of the program. In addition to an in-depth conversation with all participants at the final session, an IAH graduate student assistant not affiliated with the program conducted confidential interviews with each participant.

“The overall assessment was more positive than I could have hoped for,” Balthrop said, “but also included suggestions for improvement, which we’ve taken on board this year. Last year's participants said that the program was invaluable for helping them to generate the confidence that they could solve problems creatively and help improve their departments, faculty and the University.”

That confidence, Balthrop believes, is the strength of the CLP.

“The program’s greatest value, it seems to me, is to let chairs know that they are not alone, that others have and are confronting the same challenges, and that they will be able to succeed as well.”