Department heads communicate in a wide variety of ways. Even as offices have adopted tools such as instant messaging, email is still a mainstay—love it or hate it. Email can be an efficient way for department heads to transmit information to individuals or groups, even across geographical locations and time zones. It can be the bearer of promotion memos and raises, announce grant awards, and deliver long-awaited curricular approvals. All these are good things.
How Leaders Shape, Signal, and Build Cultures: A Discussion Guide for Academic Leaders and Their Teams
Among the many desired traits most prized in academic leadership, the ability to shape (or reshape) institutional culture is sometimes overlooked in favor of fiscal acumen, the ability to drive
Lisa Jasinski
May 4, 2026
