After seven years as a department chair, I still proudly identify as a servant leader. But I have also learned the hard way that the label itself isn’t enough.
Earlier this week I had a full faculty day on campus—a day of teaching and tending to administrative requirements that reminded me both of how glad I am that I
Academic leadership is often framed as an exercise in “managing down”: guiding faculty, resolving disputes, or supporting students. Yet the real test of effective leadership may lie in the opposite
If you are a dean or a department chair, you are probably spending some energy these days planning the meeting you will have with your faculty to mark the opening
One word that I heard repeatedly from the 50+ higher ed leaders I interviewed last summer[*] was “impossible.” According to these interviewees, leadership jobs today are impossible, working with faculty
University administrators and registrars often rely on deans and department chairs to promote departmental compliance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). Likewise, such individuals are frequently the
We may be committed to academic excellence, but when we examine our institutional data, it may show us gaps. We might see racial disparities in student, faculty, and staff diversity,
Department meetings are opportunities to provide important information, share announcements and updates, make or confirm decisions, and discuss topics. However, they can sometimes feel heavy with facts and information and
Higher education faculty know the value of providing formative feedback to students. They recognize that feedback that provides actionable information promotes deeper learning. Faculty are also accustomed to receiving feedback
A good bit has been written about the issues an academic leader should consider when thinking about whether to step back from a leadership role. Most recently, Lisa Jasinski has
