The workshops empower department Chairs through discussions, frameworks, and tools that apply to real-world challenges. Additionally, the workshops address the key challenges facing new and continuing department Chairs, as identified by the University Faculty Affairs Council (UFAC) and school members.
Every Chair should attend the four core modules. These modules address core leadership skills that will help Chairs improve their effectiveness, regardless of experience level or the size and composition of the department.
The four core modules will help Chairs:
- understand their leadership responsibilities
- improve their self-awareness
- build trust at both the interpersonal and team level
- skillfully resolve conflict
Each core module is followed by an application (practicum) session, which will explore the content further and introduce tools and frameworks that Chairs can use immediately.
Dates for 2024–2025
Module 1: Nov. 13, 21
Module 2: Jan. 14, 15
Module 3: Feb. 12, 13
Module 4: Feb. 26, 27
Additional dates coming soon
All sessions are 90 minutes
9:30–11:00 am ET
Email CFA for more information
While management responsibilities may vary by School or Campus, overseeing a department requires Chairs to understand and embrace their leadership of the unit. This first session will explore the Chairs’ leadership mandate and how it applies across a range of scenarios.
Dates: Nov. 13, 21 (more coming soon)
Practicum 1: Giving Effective Feedback
Learn simple but effective strategies for setting clear expectations, giving constructive feedback, writing evaluations, and following up effectively.
Dates: Dec. 2, 3 (more coming soon)
All effective leadership starts with self-awareness. Using the Five Paths to Leadership model, Chairs will learn their natural preferences around leadership as well as ways to adapt to different situations and contexts. The Five Paths model will also help Chairs understand how their leadership may change under stress.
Dates: Jan. 14, 15 (more coming soon)
Practicum 2: Running More Effective Meetings
Using the Five Paths to Leadership framework, Chairs will be able to diagnose how effective their meetings are and learn a variety of strategies to improve them.
Dates: Jan. 29, 31 (more coming soon)
Without trust, leadership is not effective. In this session, we’ll break down the anatomy of trust to understand the specific ways in which Chairs can and must cultivate trust, both at a personal and unit level.
Dates: Feb. 12, 13 (more coming soon)
Practicum 3: Creating an Environment of Radical Candor
Trust cannot thrive when communication is not honest, compassionate, or constructive. In this session, we’ll use Kim Scott’s model of radical candor to help Chairs assess the norms in their units and identify strategies to break toxic or unproductive communication patterns.
Dates: Mar. 6, 7 (more coming soon)
Chairs’ most important leadership skill is knowing how to resolve conflict skillfully and proactively. In this session, Chairs will learn a proven model for navigating these difficult conversations and practice with real-world scenarios.
Dates: Feb. 26, 27 (more coming soon)
Practicum 4
Sometimes, proactive approaches to conflict resolution don’t work despite our best efforts. This session will examine strategies for managing particularly difficult faculty.
Dates: Mar. 19, 21 (more coming soon)
Chairs may sign up for individual or group coaching. We recommend individual coaching specifically for Chairs who:
- were external hires
- are leading units with multiple programs and competing interests – are leading programs experiencing significant change
Group coaching will also be offered as part of this program to assist with applying the key skills and provide more personalized support for Chairs with shared interests and challenges.