Department Chairs Learning Community for Enhancing Leadership and Productive Change

Eligibility: This community offers department chairs 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. 

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

Election: The facilitator will select up to twelve participants

Submission: Online Application

Due Date: Friday, August 25, 2023

Purpose and Description

This learning community will provide an opportunity to discuss challenges and opportunities encountered by chairs. Participants will determine the topics for seminars and workshops for the Faculty Learning Community (FLC). Program goals include facilitating 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 in this year of dynamic change. 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); mediating administrative and faculty ideas and priorities, including views of change; leadership styles and leading in times of change, uncertainty and continuous improvement; the difference between leadership and administrative roles; developing staff management skills; developing trust; personal empowerment; positive political skills; faculty assessment; mentoring junior faculty; and avoiding professional "burnout." 

Selection Criteria

The facilitator will select up to twelve 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

2023-2024

  • Jason Abbitt, Educational Psychology; Facilitator
  • Judy Alston, Educational Leadership
  • Anna Ghazaryan, Mathematics
  • Matt Omasta, Theatre
  • Ganiva Reyes, Teaching, Curriculum, and Educational Inquiry
  • Zhi Yong Yang, Marketing

2022-2023

  • Jason Abbitt, Educational Psychology; Facilitator
  • Amanda Alexander, Art
  • Anna Ghazaryan, Mathematics
  • Bob Davis, Statistics
  • Christopher Howell, College of Arts & Science
  • Jenny Minier, Economics
  • L. James Smart, Psychology
  • Marcia England, Geography
  • Matt Omasta, Theatre
  • Melissa Chase, Sport Leadership & Management
  • Mila Ganeva, German Russian Asian & Middle Eastern Languages & Cultures
  • Stephanie Nicely, Nursing
  • Zhi Yong Yang, Marketing

2021-2022

  • Jason Abbitt, Educational Psychology
  • Marcia England, Geography
  • Mila Ganeva, German, Russian, Asian, and Middle Eastern Languages and Cultures
  • Xiaowen Huang, Management
  • Allen McConnell, Psychology; Facilitator
  • Luis Pradanos, Spanish and Portuguese

2020-2021

  • Michael Bailey-Van Kuren, Emerging Technology in Business & Design
  • Mert Bal, Engineering Technology
  • M. Cameron Hay-Rollins, Anthropology; Facilitator
  • Elisabeth Hodges, French and Italian
  • Gary Lorigan, Chemistry & Biochemistry
  • Michael McCarthy, Marketing
  • Kenneth Wireback, Spanish & Portuguese

2019-2020

  • Helaine Alessio, Kinesiology & Health
  • Bruce Drushel, Media, Journalism & Film
  • Marcia England, Geography
  • Cameron Hay-Rollins, Anthropology; Facilitator
  • Keith Hohn, Chemical, Paper, & Biomedical Engineering
  • Vahagn Manukian, Mathematical & Physical Science
  • Allen McConnell, Psychology
  • Elaine Miller, Philosophy

2018-2019

  • Byran Ashenbaum, Management
  • Susan Brehm, Speech Pathology & Audiology
  • Graham Cairns, Architecture & Interior Design
  • John Forren, Justice & Community Studies
  • Herbert Jaeger, Physics
  • Michael McCarthy, Marketing
  • Marianne Murphy, Computer & Information Technology
  • Robert Robbins, Art
  • Susan Spellman, Humanities & Creative Arts
  • Elisabeth Widom, Geology and Environmental Earth Science; Facilitator

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