Department Chairs Learning Community for Enhancing Leadership and Productive Change

Eligibility: This community offers department chairs and regional campus area coordinators a year-long opportunity to enhance their interests and skills in leadership through seminars, development projects, and peer support from a learning community of administrators in other disciplines. Department chair or regional campus area coordinators for 2017-2018 are eligible.

Amount: Each participant will receive $500 in professional development funds

Election: A subcommittee of CTE will select up to six participants

Submission: Online Application

Due Date: Monday, April 10, 2017

Purpose and Description

This learning community will provide an opportunity to discuss challenges and opportunities encountered by chairs and program directors. Participants will determine the topics for seminars and workshops for the Faculty Learning Community (FLC). Program goals include facilitating information exchange and documenting the collective wisdom and "best practices" of participants; providing a support system for academic leaders; and introducing participants to the myriad possibilities for leading colleagues in the enhancement of teaching, scholarship, and service. Possible issues that the participants in this community might choose to study in depth include (but are not limited to): enhancing personal productivity (juggling the roles of administrator, faculty member, scholar, teacher, counselor, advocate, entrepreneur, mentor, politician, and friend); aligning administrative and faculty views of change; securing upper administration and faculty commitment to ideas; leading change; leadership styles; the difference between leadership and administrative roles; developing trust; turning groups into high-performance teams; personal empowerment; improving academic and administrative processes; defining academic quality; principles of continuous improvement; positive political skills; faculty assessment; mentoring junior faculty; and avoiding professional "burnout." Michael Crowder, Chemistry and Biochemistry, will facilitate this learning community. Mike has participated in several CTE learning communities, served and is currently serving as a department chair, and is active with his professional organizations nationally and internationally.

Selection Criteria

A subcommittee of CTE will select up to six participants. Criteria for selection include a commitment to excellent leadership, a level of interest in the program, need, openness to new ideas, the potential for contributions to the program, and plans for use of the award year. Participants will be chosen to create a diverse group representing a variety of disciplines, experiences, and needs.

Members

2017-2018

  • Helaine Alessio, Kinesiology and Health
  • Timothy Cameron, Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering
  • Richard Campbell, Media, Journalism and Film
  • Michael Crowder, Chair, Chemistry and Biochemistry; Facilitator
  • Julia Guichard, Theatre
  • Cameron Hay-Rollins, Anthropology
  • Joseph Johnson, Psychology
  • James Kiper, Computer Science and Software Engineering
  • Susan Marine, Mathematics and Physical Sciences
  • Bryan Marshall, Political Science
  • Carol Olausen, Arts and Science
  • Mary Rogero, Architecture and Interior Design
  • Elisabeth Widom, Geology and Environmental Earth Science
  • Roscoe Wilson, Humanities and Creative Arts
  • Whitney Womack Smith, Languages, Literatures and Writing

2016-2017

  • A. John Bailer, Chair, Statistics; Facilitator
  • Tim Cameron, Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering
  • Michael Crowder, Chemistry/Biochemistry
  • Wietse de Boer, History
  • Kathleen Knight-Abowitz, Educational Leadership
  • Stephen Lippmann, Sociology and Gerontology
  • Elise Radina, Family Studies and Social Work