|
|
 |
What's New
|
 |
Sebesta, Judith A.
Creative Collaboration: Merging Two Arts Programs Into One Department.
Regardless of discipline, a key task for any chair is building effective collaboration among departmental faculty. A special subset of that challenge arises when two independently functioning departments are united into one body. Unity does not come automatically. Here is an insightful description of what can separate such united departments and how in this instance the chair is building linkages with the purpose of creating a unified, collaborative body.
Posted 2/1/10
|
|
Bland, Carole L., et al. "Faculty Success Through Mentoring: A Guide for Mentors, Mentees, and Leaders."
(2009). The ACE Series on Higher Education. Rowman & Littlefield Education: NY. The mentoring of junior faculty is certainly not a new concept, and many departments and institutions encourage that activity. What is important about this volume is its clarification of the value of mentoring to mentors, mentees, and organizations; the importance of formalizing such a system; and guidance on applying the concept to young faculty, minority faculty?be it gender or race, mid-career and senior faculty, and for those contemplating a transition from faculty to administrative status. The authors also clarify the existence of three models: traditional (the mentoring of young faculty by senior); peer mentoring; group mentoring. The benefits and limitations of each are described. There is emphasis on the desirability of formalizing the mentoring process, accompanied by questionnaires and charts to aid in establishing a defined system.
Posted 2/1/10
|
|
Cohen, Arthur M., and Kisker, Carrie B. "The Shaping of American Higher Education: Emergence and Growth of the Contemporary System."
2nd ed. (2010). Jossey-Bass/Wiley: San Francisco, CA. While anyone working in higher education is aware of the idiosyncrasies of our system with its private, public, and proprietary institutions, its college, state comprehensives, and research universities, we are not so apt to be aware of the historical origins of this unique system. It certainly can enhance our understanding of our current structures when we become aware of the connections between our historical context and the ways in which higher education has responded to change in our past. Such contextual background is more important today than ever before, for it is historical understanding that offers the soundest foundation for making the decisions that will design our future. Posted 2/1/10
|
|
Mullins, Maire.
Finding Ways to Make Time
Here are some important lessons on time management from a chair who learned via OJT (On the Job Training). Posted 2/1/10
|
|
Benner, Patricia, et al. "Educating Nurses: A Call for Radical Transformation."
(2010). Jossey-Bass/Wiley, San Francisco. The call for new initiatives is heard throughout higher education. However, the changes needed for a field like nursing have their own special characteristics. The authors present a thorough and thoughtful proposal for reorganizing the nursing curriculum and the structure of nursing education. Chairs working in nursing education will find this volume usefully challenging and inspiring as they work to redefine a critical field.
Posted 1/28/10
|
|
Kezar, Adrianna. "Rethinking Leadership in a Complex, Multicultural, and Global Environment: New Concepts and Models for Higher Education."
Stylus Publishing, Sterling, VA.
The premise of this volume of essays is that "the future of higher education rests on creating a new set of leaders across campuses who embrace new concepts and abilities of leadership." Department chairs will be a key players for whom the first chapter on "Revolutionizing Leadership Development" will be a useful overview of the leadership universe from which we are emerging as well as furnishing a map of the new world all of us will need to help shape. Posted 1/22/10
|
|
Stavert Roper, Susan, and Deal, Terrence E. "Peak Performance for Deans and Chairs: Reframing Higher Education's Middle."
(2010). American Council on Education Series on Higher Education, Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Lanham, NY.
As the authors state, "deans and chairs are the key linchpins that connect the institution's mission with faculty's teaching and research." What may come as a surprise to both, is the degree of similarity in the challenges both parties face. Using a series of narratives, the authors make clear that both are caught in the middle, both are under stress, both have to deal with leading change, and both contend with budget cutting. Not least, both need to win the support of their bosses. The narratives use both chair and dean examples, as well as solutions that worked and efforts that failed. The ultimate usefulness is the chapter summaries that identify the key strategies?drawn from the narratives?that are appropriate to apply to the variety of challenges sketched in the narrative. Posted 1/22/10
|
|
Check out the Latest Department Chair
The ACE Department Chair Online Resource Center is pleased to post the table of contents for the most recent edition of The Department Chair newsletter, published by Jossey-Bass, an imprint of Wiley. Posted 1/21/10
|
|
Catholic University of America
http://counsel.cua.edu/
Catholic University of America maintains a highly useful Campus Legal Information Clearinghouse featuring information ranging from affirmative action to campus security. Posted 1/20/10
|
|
American Sociological Association Chairlink.: A monthly newsletter for ASA Department Affiliate Chairs
http://www.asanet.org/teaching/department_affiliates.cfm
ASA staff shift through national publications on higher education, science policy, and the discipline, and screen web resources to find the most relevant and useful items, which are then put into a concise and easily accessible electronic newsletter. Chairlink helps department chairs stay current on trends, in touch with the newest resources, and responsive to pressing issues of public and professional concern within the discipline. Chairlink also provides advance notice of calls for papers, meeting, and funding notices. Posted 1/20/10
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
