Sharing Expertise during Department Meetings to Encourage Wide Participation

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 are often led only by the department chair. To change the feel of dry department meetings, encourage wider participation, and support a department culture of mutual respect, consider adding a meeting component that encourages every member, over the course of a year, to share an area of expertise related to their position. As a newly appointed department chair, I introduced this into our meetings, and it quickly became a valued part of our department meetings. This article will share the process and offer some recommendations for your practice.