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ACE | Department Chair Services - Online Resource Center





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The Chair as Leader

Starting out

It is easy to drown in the details of the position, losing all sense of direction and purpose. Material included in this section aims to ease the transition to this new and demanding role.
 
Higgerson, Mary Lou, & Teddi A. Joyce. Effective Leadership Communication: A Guide for Department Chairs and Deans for Managing Difficult Situations and People (96KB; PDF).
Bolton, MA: Anker Publishing, 2007. To view the table of contents, click on the above link. For more information, please contact Anker Publishing.
What are the foundations of leadership in an academic setting? A must for any chair's bookshelf, this unique volume links communication skills with the day-to-day work of departmental faculty, and makes clear that communication skills are indispensable to effective leadership. Posted 5/3/07
 

Getting Organized

Crandell, George. Time Management for More Effective Results (84KB; PDF)
The Department Chair, 15(3) (Winter 2005), 1112. For more information, contact Anker Publishing Company, Inc.
Crandell offers concrete, practical, and insightful suggestions for three important aspects of time management: organizing the workplace, managing the workflow, and planning. Posted 7/11/05
 

Making the Transition

Francis, Ray W. Department Chairs and Learning from Experience (76KB; PDF).
Written specifically for the ACE Department Chair Online Resource Center, 2007.
How do chairs learn their job in the face of often-limited support and resources? The answer usually given is "by experience." In this article, the author discusses four learning tactics to help chairs take advantage of the lessons provided by their on-the-job experiences. Posted 10/29/07
 
Gunsalus, C.K. “How to Survive the Jump from Faculty to Administrator” (47KB; PDF)
Academic Leader 20, no.1 (January 2004): 1—2.
This brief article describes the tools needed to succeed as an administrator, including self-knowledge, goal setting, communications skills and boundary setting. For more information, contact Magna Publications, Inc. Posted 3/3/04
 
Hecht, Irene W. D. Transitions: From Faculty Member to Department Chair (167KB; PDF)
The Department Chair, 10, 2 (fall 1999), 5 ff. For more information, contact Anker Publishing Company, Inc. Posted 9/3/02
 
Hecht, Irene W. D. Transitions and Transformations: The Making of Department Chairs (271KB; PDF)
To Improve the Academy: Resources for Faculty, Instructional, and Organizational Development, 19 (Bolton, MA: Anker, 2000), 17—31. For more information, contact Anker Publishing Company, Inc. Posted 9/3/02
 
Hecht, Irene W. D. Practical Tips: Getting Off on the Right Foot (122KB; PDF)
2002. Posted 9/3/02
 
Shumway, Del K. Navigating Change Through Multiple Institutional Transitions (59KB; PDF)
Written specifically for the ACE Department Chair Online Resource Center, 2005.
Del K. Shumway has navigated extensive change at Utah Valley State College. The institution has transitioned from a technical school to a community college to a four-year state comprehensive. The next transformation: university status. Posted 4/21/05
 
Werkman, Doris. Chairs of Eclectic Academic Departments (126KB; PDF)
Unpublished manuscript. 2002. Posted 9/5/02