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Tuesday, October 9, 2012

Tomorrow's Professor: Becoming a Department Chair: To Be or Not To Be


http://ombudsfac.unm.edu/Article_Summaries/Becoming_a_Department_Chair.pdf
 
Becoming a Department Chair: To Be or Not To Be

"While you were a faculty member, you probably had at least one colleague whom you were in the habit of avoiding. As chair, you cannot continue such conduct. You are obligated to maintain the same standards of fairness and professionalism toward every member of the department, regardless of your personal preferences."
Tomorrow's Professor Msg.#741 Becoming a Department Chair: To Be or Not To Be


Folks:
The posting below looks at
becoming a department chair. It contains the executive summary and an
excerpt on the need to restructure one's relationships when
becoming a department chair, from
Becoming a Department Chair: To Be or Not To Be?, by Irene W. D. Hecht in the monthly series
Effective Practices for Academic Leaders. The series is available in an electronic publication that can be
networked on a campus system to enable everyone on a campus to access the briefings at their desks
when needed, for use both as guidance for administrators and as a development materials for faculty and
others. The electronic license allows individual copying without need for permission, thus the individual
briefings lend themselves to use in workshops and seminars. For online subscription information go to:
Volume 1, No.3, March, 2006. Copyright © 2006, Stylus Publishing, LLC. Reprinted with permission.
Regards,
Rick Reis
reis@stanford.edu
--------------------------------------------- 1,736 words ---------------------------------------
Becoming a Department Chair: To Be or Not To Be
By Irene W. D. Hecht
Executive Summary
This briefing is an exploration of the path an individual might take in deciding to become a department
chair. It gives advice concerning the challenges, rewards, and strategies for success and survival to
prospective chairs (and their deans). It discusses some basics about the job, and the motivation
expressed by chairs as they undertake this responsibility. It asks: "Do you really want this job?" and
explores that issue through a series of questions. It also looks at steps to take once you have said, "yes."
Introduction
Department chairs often take up their responsibilities with a sense of obligation. However, even in such
cases-perhaps even more urgently in such circumstances-prospective chairs should give careful
consideration to the nature of the work they will be taking on. The thoughts shared here derive from
twelve years of work with the American Council on Education (ACE) Department Leadership Program.
This paper is the distillation of insights gained from department chairs over informal "breakfast
conversations" and "table topic" lunch meetings and through questionnaires used at each workshop.
Excerpt:
Restructuring One's Human Relationships
While you may expect to meet new challenges in terms of tasks and time management as a new chair,
the transformation of human relationships can be a shock. These redefinitions include the following:
o Relationships with colleagues
o Relationships with students
o Relationships with staff
o Relationships with the dean's office
o Professional relationships beyond the department
o Personal relationships
Relationships with Colleagues
Comments by enrollees in the ACE national workshops for department chairs reveal that for some chairs
changes in attitude, particularly on the part of their colleagues, comes as a cruel blow. The jokes about
"going to the dark side" are hard to brush aside when behind the humor you sense a seriousness of
intent. It is not funny to be thought of as something akin to a traitor at the very moment you have
accepted complex responsibilities from the noblest of motives. To add to your misery, you may find that
conversation with your colleagues has become more formal. You may not feel welcome at the Friday
night wine bar or tavern stop. To your astonishment, you may start knowing sides of your colleagues of
which you were unaware, as they come to you with requests and complaints that they expect you to tend
to-with the solutions they want. Some will even try to pressure or maneuver you to become a party (on
their side, to be sure) to quarrels that in the past you have ignored.
It is important to keep in mind that your professional conduct toward your colleagues may also need to
change.
While you were a faculty member, you probably had at least one colleague whom you were in the habit
of avoiding. As chair, you cannot continue such conduct. You are obligated to maintain the same
standards of fairness and professionalism toward every member of the department, regardless of your
personal preferences. That does not mean you tolerate unacceptable, disruptive behavior, or that you
turn a blind eye to the neglect of professional duties. It does mean that every colleague deserves an
objective hearing and courteous responses. If a colleague needs to hear a tough message, it must be
delivered without personal invective or humiliating scorn.
Dealing with your departmental friends may pose an even greater challenge. A chair who is perceived as
playing favorites sows dissension in the department. The result over time will be a dysfunctional group
of colleagues. Once you realize that you need to re-align your attitudes and behaviors toward your
colleagues, you can begin to see their "cold shoulder" as a normal-and desirable-realignment of
relationships that serves your interests as you strive to create, preserve, or enhance your department's
quality.
Relationships with Students
In all likelihood you will continue to teach. You will have your undergraduate majors or graduate
students whom you are seeing through to the completion of their studies. You may have enjoyed an
open-door policy, whereby students dropped by at will for a chat. As chair you will find that precious
spontaneity curtailed.
Meanwhile, you will find yourself the arbiter over requests for exceptions from departmental
requirements. It is you whom students will seek out with their complaints. When those concern the
conduct of your colleagues, you can quickly find yourself dealing with awkward problems you wish had
never arrived at your door. Remember whenever you are listening to a compelling narrative that there
are always at least two sides to any story.
Do your best to concentrate on listening and asking questions without giving any sign of agreement with
a complainant's presentation. Hunt down facts mercilessly. If you believe the complaining student can
take appropriate steps to solve the problem, direct him or her to do so. Insist upon a report on the results.
If the issue is beyond the student's ability to rectify, state clearly the investigative steps you will take,
and set a time for the student to return. A good motto is "Don't let real problems fester, but do not permit
yourself to be run in circles by trivia." One of the keys to success is sniffing out the difference between
the two.
Relationships with Staff
Department Staff.
In a small department, staff relationships may initially involve only a department secretary. In larger
departments, staff may include several secretaries and fiscal, communications, technology, human
resources, or student services professionals, some or all of whom may report directly to the chair. The
importance of a well-grounded relationship and the obligations of a chair toward a department staff
person have already been discussed.
University Staff.
However, with the expansion of the chair-universe, you may well have interactions with many other
university staff. There are the building janitors; the institution's maintenance staff; campus security; and
office personnel throughout the campus. At every point at which your department is dependent on others
for services, there will be a person with whom you need to establish an effective working relationship.
Keep in mind that everyone wants to take pride in what he or she does, and you can contribute to that
sense of pride by recognizing what is being accomplished on your department's behalf.
With a sense of respect established, your department will fare much better when it needs special
assistance.
There are also all the college or university offices-from admissions, to finance, to the registrar, to the
dean and provost and president-on whom your department either depends or from whom it receives
requests for support. In the process of expanding your horizons, it is wise to gain at least a basic
understanding of the responsibilities and timetables that govern the work of the other branches of the
institution on which your department depends for support and to establish relationships with the people
in those offices. It is far easier to work out accommodations if you are willing to understand the
demands others are required to meet.
The Relationship with the Dean
One of the most important figures in a chair's expanded universe is the dean to whom he or she reports.
This is a special relationship deserving focused attention. Seek to know something about who your dean
is and what expectations the dean has for you. What has been the historic relationship between your
department and the dean's office? If your department and the dean have been at odds, how might you
resolve existing issues? If your goal is to change the relationship between department and dean, think
carefully about how that might be done.
It is also important to gauge how this dean likes to work. What is your desired ideal? Do you want to
"run your own show," keeping the dean apprised of your plans, decisions, and actions, but functioning
autonomously? Or are you a chair who hopes to create a mentee relationship with the dean?
Seek to find out your dean's preferences. Deans are as harried as chairs, and yours may not have the
margin to function as a sounding board or mentor. If you need a mentor and your dean is not
willing/able to fill that need, be sure to find another source of advice. What you can usually count on is
that the dean wants to be kept informed of your department's activities and problems in the interests of
not being blindsided or shown up as not "knowing what is going on." Do not be surprised if your dean
prefers that you present recommended solutions simultaneously with a problem you bring to her or his
attention.
Professional Relationships beyond the Department
In parallel with the expansion of your universe there is an expansion-and transformation-of human
relations and connections beyond the department. You may find yourself with many new stimulating
and personally satisfying professional connections. But keep in mind that these professional connections
are held together by the glue of your mutual responsibilities. If the professional identity of either of you
changes, the relationship may rapidly fade. Be prepared to distinguish between a true personal friendship
connection and a professional friendship, and do not take offense if changes in circumstances or
responsibility sever what was a professional friendship.
Personal Relationships
It can be unsettling to find that while your professional universe enlarges, your personal universe is in
danger of shrinking. There can be a sense of exhilaration from the new associations, but they cannot
substitute for personal friendship. In fact, you may need to give most particular attention to nurturing
your personal network at the very moment when your human contacts are multiplying. A safe human
space where you can "let down your hair" is a common need. For those with managerial responsibilities,
it is crucially important. New chairs may need to consciously redesign such personal human space.
You may, in fact, need two categories of friends. It is helpful to have at least one professional friend
with whom you can safely air your irritations, frustrations, and bafflement as a department chair. A
sympathetic interlocutor who will challenge your inspirations and visions is invaluable. The other
category of friends is for those who are not entwined in your professional universe. Spouses and
"significant others" often fill that role. Do not dilute their ability to nurture you by recruiting them to be
your professional sounding boards. That should not imply a taboo on talking about work; it does mean
that you want to be sure that your friend and family conversations are not overwhelmed by your work
world.

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FREE eBook...Enhancing Professional Development for Teachers: Potential Uses of Information Technology, Report of a Workshop

The National Academies Press


http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=11995#toc

Authors:Committee on Enhancing Professional Development for Teachers, National Academies Teacher Advisory Council, National Research Council

Description:
Teachers, like other professionals, need to stay informed about new knowledge and technologies. Yet many express dissatisfaction with the professional development opportunities made available to them in schools and insist that the most effective development programs they have experienced have been self-initiated. Enhancing Professional Development for Teachers explores how the provision of professional development through online media has had a significant influence on the professional lives of an increasing number of teachers.

Growing numbers of educators contend that online teacher professional development (OTPD) has the potential to enhance and even transform teachers' effectiveness in their classrooms and over the course of their careers. They also acknowledge that it raises many challenging questions regarding costs, equity, access to technology, quality of materials, and other issues. Enhancing Professional Development for Teachers suggests that teachers be active participants in planning and implementation of any new technologies that enhance professional development. The book recommends that federal and state policy makers take on the responsibility of promoting equal access to technology while the federal government and foundations play an important role by supporting the development, evaluation, and revision of OTPD.


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Women in Academia Weekly Newsletter October 9, 2012


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Women in Academia Report


Weekly Newsletter
October 9, 2012

Help Us Spread the Word
About WIAReport

Subscriptions to WIAReport are FREE. So do your friends a favor and tell them about this opportunity to get all the latest news on women in higher education sent directly to their inbox. Please send them a link to our website and encourage them to become part of the WIAReport community.

Here is a sampling of the latest news at WIAReport.com:

University Study Finds That Women Talk Less Than Men in a Group Decision-Making Process

The results showed that in group situations, the amount of time that women were speaking was less than 75 percent of the time that their proportion of the group would indicate.

Phyllis Vroom Named Deputy President at Wayne State University

The former dean of the School of Social Work will fill in at times for President Allan Gilmour who has been battling prostate cancer.

~ CALL FOR PAPERS ~

National Association of African American Studies
National Association of Hispanic and Latino Studies
National Association of Native American Studies
International Association of Asian Studies
The National Association of African American Studies & Affiliates [National Association of Hispanic and Latino Studies, National Association of Native American Studies, and the International Association of Asian Studies] will host its national conference in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, February 11-16, 2013. This conference is expected to have more than 3,000 attendees. In addition, not fewer than 325 research sessions, round tables, panel discussions, performances and demonstrations will be scheduled throughout the week. In addition to the many scholarly sessions, the conference will also include many exhibitors, a career fair and health screenings.
Persons interested in presenting a paper, round table, etc. should submit an abstract, not to exceed two (2) pages that are related to the experiences of Africans, African-Americans, Hispanics, Latino, Native Americans, Indigenous Peoples, Asians and Asian Americans. Subjects may include, but are not limited to: literature, demographics, history, politics, economics, education, health care, fine arts, religion, social sciences, business and many other subjects. Please indicate the time required for presentation of your paper (25 OR 45 minutes).
Interested scholars should submit his/her abstract with presenter’s name, institution/organization, address, phone and email no later than Friday, November 9, 2012. Please forward abstracts to: Dr. Lemuel Berry, Jr., Executive Director, NAAAS and Affiliates, PO Box 6670, Scarborough, ME 04070-6670, or by fax to 207/839-3776, or via email at naaasconference@earthlink.net.

 

College of Saint Elizabeth President to Step Down in June

Sister Francis Raftery, the sixth president of the College of Saint Elizabeth in Morristown, New Jersey, has been with the college for 38 years.

The Gender Gap in Graduate Enrollments

In the 2010-11 academic year there was slightly more than 1 million women enrolled in graduate programs at U.S. universities. Women made up 60.9 percent of the total enrollments in master’s degree programs and 51.2 percent of total enrollments in doctoral degree programs.
 

 

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Diverse Issues in Higher Education: New Study Finds Millennials Well Prepared for the ‘Real World’

Diverse
 
 
Diverse Issues in Higher Education

October 8, 2012

New Study Finds Millennials Well Prepared for the ‘Real World’
by Lydia Lum

A new national study of young people suggests that the generation often regarded—and perhaps unfairly stereotyped—as being overly coddled and too often acting entitled is actually more practical than it is idealistic in attitudes about money and career preparation.

The recession and its lingering effects are heavily influencing the academic choices of the Millennial generation, according to leaders of the study of more than 5,600 people between ages 17 and 23 who are either college students or college-bound high school juniors and seniors.

A result of this mindset lies in the reasons given by study participants as to why they decided to apply for admission to a particular college. The top reason was that the institution offered the academic major the student planned to pursue, a response given by 55 percent of participants. Other popular reasons included affordable tuition, availability of scholarships or financial aid, likelihood of getting a job post-graduation and an academic “fit” for the student, with responses for those reasons varying from 51 to 41 percent.

Financial aid was particularly important to 88 percent of Black students and 87 percent of Hispanics, compared to only 76 percent of Whites. And 46 percent of Blacks and 41 percent of Hispanics were “extremely concerned” about how to afford college, compared with 30 percent of Whites.

Meanwhile, sports teams and Greek life don’t even crack the top 20 reasons for selecting a college, despite many universities aggressively showcasing such offerings, notes Deborah Maue, vice president of TRU, a Chicago-based, youth market research firm that commissioned the study.

“Young people may still be dreaming, but they’re thinking carefully about the risks involved with all of their decisions,” Maue says. Her firm has worked with global brands such as Nike and Google and organizations such as the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy in connecting with younger audiences.

Maue adds, “Economic uncertainties have become very apparent to young people because they have seen so many families struggling, sometimes their own.”

The shaky economy also has shaped what young people define as “success,” she says. Survey findings show that their top priority—91 percent of respondents chose this—was having an “enjoyable” job or career. Close behind were the ability to provide for their families, saving “a decent amount” of money, being debt-free and the ability to retire “comfortably.” These personal goals and values drew agreement from 85 percent or more of survey participants.

Furthermore, 49 percent listed “unemployment” as their most pressing social concern.

On the other hand, goals such as making “a lot” of money and having many friends were listed as signs of individual success by only 69 and 66 percent of all respondents, respectively. Even less important was “being famous” at 27 percent.

With college affordability such an important concern among minority participants, Maue says it wasn’t surprising to see that 33 percent of Blacks and 29 percent of Hispanics agreed that earning a degree from a community college—which typically charges substantially less tuition than four-year institutions—made “the most sense” for their individual career goals. Only 19 percent of Whites viewed community college in this manner.

The survey of Millennials, conducted from mid-April to mid-June, consisted of 70-plus questions on topics as wide-ranging as college search and decision-making, media consumption, lifestyles and social attitudes. Blacks made up about 16 percent of participants, Hispanics 14 percent.

Minorities, who were generally less likely than Whites to have college-educated parents experienced in the search process themselves, tended to seek input from multiple, trusted authority figures when shopping for a college, according to the TRU study. Survey findings showed that Hispanics, Blacks and Whites all considered their parents the “most influential” people in helping them choose a school. But Blacks and Hispanics were much more likely than Whites to get input from high school guidance counselors, teachers, coaches and college representatives.

Among survey participants, 56 percent of Whites had mothers who were college graduates, while that was true of only 50 percent of Blacks and 31 percent of Hispanics. And 56 percent of Whites reported having a father who’d finished college, compared with only 36 percent of Blacks and 31 percent of Hispanics.

Because so many first-generation college-goers rely on adults besides their parents, “universities ought to consider including high school coaches and teachers in their outreach,” Maue says. “Don’t send financial aid information to just the guidance counselors.”

But regardless of race, only one-third of the high school juniors and seniors in the study described themselves as feeling “prepared” for college. And only 11 percent of them described the process of obtaining financial aid as “very easy” to understand or “somewhat easy.”

This age group is scared about college,” Maue says. “They’re used to their parents scheduling their lives for them, so they’re frightened about becoming independent.”

Higher education institutions can help ease students’ transition “by overcommunicating,” she says. “Don’t just make information available on school websites and expect them to find it by themselves. If they need driving directions to campus, send them a map that has a big, red ‘X’ on it. Also, the net price calculator on school websites should be easy to find, and it should be clear what is and isn’t included in the institution’s net price.”

Released last week, the study launches TRU’s Enrollment Insights Program and the firm’s expansion into the higher education arena. A 30-year-old firm, TRU has previously worked with Alverno College, Michigan State and Iowa State universities and other educational entities.

For more information about the TRU study or to obtain a copy, visit http://www.tru-insight.com/highered

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