Leadership RoleSpecific Leadership AACTE Leadership Academy Chairs Renee

Leadership Role-Specific Leadership: AACTE Leadership Academy Chairs Renee A. Middleton, Ohio University Walt Gmelch Angela M. Sewall, UALR & Patty Alvarez Mc. Hatton

Department Leadership Breakout Session Objectives q What motivates faculty to serve as department chairs? q What is the career trajectory of chairs? q What are chairs’ most important roles and responsibilities? q How do chairs manage their stress and work-life integration? q Identify who, when, and how decisions should be made in your department. q Explore ways to manage your dean, faculty, and staff. American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education

Questions for Department Chairs 1. Why serve as department chair? 2. How do I develop as a leader? 3. What are the greatest challenges department chairs face? 4. How should department chairs make decisions? 5. How do I manage my relationships? 6. How long is long enough to serve? 7. How do I balance my professional/personal and academic/administrative lives? American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education

Why did you choose to serve as a department chair? American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education

Why Faculty Become Chairs? The Top Seven Reasons 1. 2. 3. 4. 2016 Advance department Personal development Out of necessity Drafted by Dean 5. Sense of duty 6. Advance career 7. Financial gain 1991 Personal development Drafted by Dean Out of necessity To be in control of environment Sense of duty Financial gain Opportunity to relocate Gmelch, Ward & Roberts (2016). UCEA National Study of Department Chairs, Center for Academic Leadership, University of San Francisco. American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education

The Transformation From Professor to Chair Fragmented Accountable Social Focused Solitary Autonomy Manuscripts Memorandum Professor Public Persuading Private Stability Professing Austerity Client Mobility Prosperity Custodian 6 Walter H. Gmelch, Center for Academic Leadership, University of San Francisco American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education

Department Chair Challenges What are three greatest challenges you face? 1. 2. 3. American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education

Top 3 Biggest Chair Challenges 1. Dealing with time pressures 2. Dealing with resource restrictions 3. Managing work-life balance Gmelch, Ward & Roberts (2016). UCEA National Study of Department Chairs, Center for Academic Leadership, University of San Francisco. 8 American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education

Top 10 Chair Stressors (2016 - 1991 National Study of Department Chairs) 2016 1991 1 Balancing administrative & scholarly demands 66% NA 2 Maintaining scholarly productivity 64% 40% 3 Balancing work-life demands 64% 47% 4 Keeping current 63% 5 Keeping up with email 62% 40% 6 Heavy workload 58% 59% 7 Attending meetings 56% 40% 8 Evaluating faculty 53% 42% 9 Excessive self-expectations 52% 45% 10 Job interfering with personal time 49% 47% Gmelch, Ward & Roberts (2016). UCEA National Study of Department Chairs, Center for Academic Leadership, University of San Francisco. American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education

What are the Roles of a Department Chair? • Faculty Developer • Manager • Leader • Scholar American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education

Exercise 1 Department Chair Role A. Listed below are 24 typical duties of department chairs. Please answer the following questions for each of the duties listed. How Important to you is each chair duty? Low each chair duty? High Low Leader High Faculty Development Coordinate Departmental activities with constituents 1 2 3 4 5 Encourage professional development efforts of faculty 1 2 3 4 5 Plan and evaluate curriculum development 1 2 3 4 5 Encourage faculty research and publication 1 2 3 4 5 Solicit ideas to improve the department 1 2 3 4 5 Recruit and select faculty 1 2 3 4 5 Represent the department at professional meetings 1 2 3 4 5 Maintain conductive work climate, including reducing conflicts 1 2 3 4 5 Provide informal faculty leadership 1 2 3 4 5 Evaluate faculty performance 1 2 3 4 5 Develop and initiate longrange vision and departmental goals 1 2 3 4 5 Represent department to administration 1 2 3 4 5 TOTAL American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education

Exercise 1 Department Chair Role (continued) Scholar Manager Obtain resources for personal research 1 2 3 4 5 Prepare and propose budgets 1 2 3 4 5 Maintain research program and associated professional activities 1 2 3 4 5 Plan and conduct department meeting 1 2 3 4 5 Remain current within academic discipline 1 2 3 4 5 Manage department resources (finances, facilities, equipment) 1 2 3 4 5 Obtain and manage external funds 1 2 3 4 5 Assure the maintenance of accurate department records 1 2 3 4 5 Select and supervise graduate students 1 2 3 4 5 Manage non-academia staff 1 2 3 4 5 Teach and advise students 1 2 3 4 5 Assign teaching, research, and other related duties 1 2 3 4 5 TOTAL Walter H. Gmelch, Center for Academic Leadership, University of San Francisco American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education

Department Chair Role Orientation Scoring The Department Chair Orientation Instrument is keyed to four different roles department chairs perform. B. Add your total score for each role. Plot your scores on the appropriate axes below, then connect the points with straight lines to get a visual representation of your dominant and back-up chair orientations. American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education

Department Chair Roles • Faculty & Program Developer – Most important role • Manager – Least satisfying role • Leader – Most resisted, misunderstood role • Scholar – Most comfortable role American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education

Types of Department Chairs • Department chairs who play instruments are musical chairs. • Those who overdress are upholstered chairs. • Those who kick back and do nothing are recliner chairs. • Those who collapse under pressure are folding chairs. • Those unsteady on their feet are rocking chairs. • Those who lazily go through the motions are lounge chairs. • Those who have not standards are easy chairs. • Those who always complain are beach chairs. • Those who write devastating reports are electric chairs. • And those who dump on others are just plain stools. Walter H. Gmelch, Center for Academic Leadership, University of San Francisco American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education

Advice to New Department Chairs 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. Be clear why you want to be department chair. Become centered in your philosophy, values and beliefs. Pay attention to national issues. Develop a college-wide perspective. Build a multi-layered support network. Develop your faculty team. Identify a mentor. Take time for professional development. Continue/your strong academic record. Play well with others – collaborate. Find personal/professional and scholar/leader balance. Take care of yourself – physically, socially, intellectually. Walter H. Gmelch, Center for Academic Leadership, University of San Francisco American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education

Top 10 Department Chair Responsibilities (2016 - 1991 National Study of Department Chairs) 2016 1991 93% 92% 91% 88% 3 Develop Long-Range Goals 84% 83% 4 Recruit & Select Faculty 82% 93% 5 Enhance Quality of Teaching Manage Department 6 Resources Solicit Ideas to Improve 7 Department 80% NA 80% 85% 78% 71% 8 Evaluate Faculty Performance Inform Faculty of Insitutional 9 Concerns 75% 90% 73% 57% 10 Teach and Advise Students 72% 61% Represent Department to 1 Administration Maintain Conducive Work 2 Climate Gmelch, Ward & Roberts (2016). UCEA National Study of Department Chairs, Center for Academic Leadership, University of San Francisco. American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education

How Do You Work with the Dean? The Dean – How do I manage the relationship? – What is his or her leadership style and how do we communicate? – How are decisions made in the dean’s office? American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education

Managing Upwards Commit to 2 -way communications Provide solutions, not problems and no surprises Be honest, trustworthy, loyal and committed Know the dean’s agenda and priorities Understand his or her management style Use his or her strengths and compensate for his or her weaknesses • Don’t go over his or head • Walk a mile in his or her shoes • • • (SFMI School Facilities Managers' Personnel Management Academy, 2010) American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education

Effective Department Decision Making

Effective Team Decision Making • Who should be involved? • When should they be involved? • How should they be involved? American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education

Chair Decision Choices A 1 Chair solves by self A 2 Chair obtains information, then solves C 1 Chair shares with faculty individually, then makes decision C 2 Chair shares with faculty in group, then makes decision G 2 Department decides as a group American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education

Decision-Making Questions For Department Chairs 1. Is there a need for a quality decision? 2. Do you have adequate information? 3. Do you know what information is missing? 4. Is commitment of the group critical? 5. Will the group commit without participation? 6. Do the group and leader share goals needed to solve problem? 7. Is conflict about alternatives likely within the group? American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education

Effective Leadership Strategies 1 2 3 4 Quality Adequate Missing Commit. Decision Information ment 5 6 7 Partipation Shared goals Conflict W. H. Gmelch, University of San Francisco: Adapted from Victor Vroom /Effective Leadership Behaviors. doc

Case of the Acting Department Chair You will leave Sunday on a fourweek leave of absence. One of your faculty members must be selected to act in your absence. Whoever acts for you may need to make a number of important decisions. The principal responsibilities of the acting chair are to coordinate the work of your faculty and staff. In this area s/he will need to rely on persuasion rather than formal authority. If the group lacked confidence in the person chosen, productivity would definitely suffer. You have two people in mind who could handle the assignment. The person who assumes your position during your absence would want the job. Each of your faculty members realizes that it is critical for the job to be done well. On the two previous occasions when you have had to be absent for significant periods, the people you selected were accepted by everybody and performed the job conscientiously and well. It appears that once you have decided who should do the job, your judgment is accepted without question. American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education

Case of the Acting Department Chair How would you go about making this decision? q A 1: Chair solves by self q A 2: Chair obtains information, then solves q C 1: Chair shares with faculty individually, then makes decision q C 2 : Chair shares with faculty in group, then makes decision q G 2: Department decides as a group American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education

Decision-Making Guidelines 1. Don’t use A 1 2. Don’t use G 2 Consider: 1. Time 2. Development When quality is important but 3. Skills don’t have goal congruence After protecting quality and commitment When quality is important and don’t have adequate information 3. Move When want more commitment toward G 2 from faculty on decisions 4. Use C 2 or G 2 When conflict among colleagues seems likely Adapted from Vroom, V. H. , & Jago, A. G. (1988). The New Leadership. Englewood Cliffs. JY: Prentice Hall. American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education

What’s Next? v What are you considering as a next career move? American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education

Chairpersons’ Reasons for Not Seeking the Deanship Reasons 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. Enjoy research more Like teaching better Dislike administration Position too stressful Decisions too difficult Insufficient leadership opportunities Too time consuming Deal with other people’s problems Totally disassociated from discipline Too much politics Total Source: Mc. Carty & Reyes Time Mentioned Percent of Total 18 17 16 5 4 4 3 3 2 2 24. 3 22. 9 21. 6 6. 8 5. 4 4. 1 2. 7 74 100. 0

Next Move for Department Chairs 35% 30% 25% 20% 15% 10% 5% 0% Return to faculty position Continue to Higher serve as chair position in for another academic term leadership in the SAME institution Retirement Other Higher Move to position in another academic institution in a leadership in a similar DIFFERENT position institution Gmelch, Ward & Roberts (2016). UCEA National Study of Department Chairs, Center for Academic Leadership, University of San Francisco. American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education

Tips on Transition 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Confide in your confidants Keep one foot in something comfortable Consider your family and friends Take care of yourself physically and socially Use your transition for new learning Find reflective time American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education

Commitment to Action 3 new things you have learned from the sessions so far 2 new things you have learned about yourself 1 action you will take when you return to your institution based on what you have learned American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education

Advancing Your Faculty: The Million Dollar Decisions What are the best ways to facilitate faculty success? Ø Ø Gmelch, W. H. & Miskin, V. D. (2011). Leadership skills for department chairs. Madison, Wisconsin: Atwood Publishing. American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education

Keys to Advancing Faculty Success Mentoring Networking Motivating American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education

Cultivating Productive Relationships with Faculty v Mentor their professional development v Provide networking opportunities v Motivate and model productive performance W. H. Gmelch and V. D. Miskin (2004). Chairing an Academic Department. Madison, Wisconsin: Atwood Publishing. American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education

What strategies have been most effective in mentoring and advancing your faculty? Ø Ø American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education

Mentoring Faculty Professional Development o Show concern for each faculty member’s development – (individual and institutional) o Promote faculty accomplishments o Conduct ACP’s (Academic Career Progress) o Provide special development opportunities (e. g. grant writing workshops, effective teaching and writing retreats. o Serve as a role model American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education

What strategies have been most effective in motivating and advancing your faculty? Ø Ø American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education

Motivating and Modeling Productive Performance o. Encourage innovation and risk taking o. Promote faculty teamwork o. Help faculty pace themselves o. Serve as a role model Gmelch, W. H. & Miskin, V. D. (2011). Leadership skills for department chairs. Wisconsin: Atwood Publishing. American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education Madison,

What strategies have been most effective in networking and advancing your faculty? Ø Ø American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education

Networking Opportunities for Faculty o Sponsor faculty attendance at conferences o Be accessible to provide social support o Help faculty develop critical networks for success Gmelch, W. H. & Miskin, V. D. (2011). Leadership skills for department chairs. Madison, Wisconsin: Atwood Publishing. American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education