Sample of Topics that May be Included in the 3-day Department Chair Institute:

Working With People – Using your emotional intelligence, learn how to manage your social style—the way you behave in your relationships with faculty, your supervisor, and others–so that you can better accomplish departmental tasks and goals.

Managing Time –Become aware of your Time-Management Personality in order to better manage your time. Also learn to use your limited time more wisely by learning to put first things first, keeping your attention focused on your most important tasks and goals.

Leading Change –Take advantage of the strengths of your organization and department’s culture to lead positive change. Then practice a process for creating a shared vision for your department, inspiring faculty to make, rather than resist, change.

Enticing Conversations – Become aware of how a culture of inclusion, mutual respect and trust creates the safety that is necessary to bridge difficult conversations.

What the Research Tells Us – Based on neuroscience research we are learning how we work as individuals, at work, in teams and the value of positive feelings and emotions to the health of individuals and organizations.

Facilitating Group Processes – Groups require skillful facilitation in order to make good things happen. Practice your skills so that you can lead productive meetings, facilitate good group decisions, and manage conflict.

Hiring and Evaluating Faculty – Based on research about good teaching, increase your ability to hire effective full and part-time faculty and then learn how to help them become even more effective by focusing on their strengths.

Reviewing and Renewing Programs – Become familiar with an outcomes-based model for reviewing and renewing instructional programs, one that is in alignment with Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs) and evidence-based assessment.