As a former department chair and office administrator respectively, we know how an academic department is supposed to function, what works and what does not, and how to unify a department around a vision of what it can be. Having succeeded in our previous roles, we were asked to serve as the Dean of Faculty and Academic Affairs Manager of Faculty Affairs, jobs that require us to support both new and experienced chairs. Working in Faculty Affairs we often are asked to orient a new chairperson who steps up quickly and unexpectedly due to unforeseen circumstances. While many institutions have practices in place for more routine and planned chair transitions, we have written this article for administrators, with cramped schedules and limited budgets, who are seeking a quick start guide to onboarding a chair. When working with new chairs, especially those who were not necessarily planning to be chairs, we target what could overwhelm them. We orient them to their new leadership role, prepare them for a learning curve, and provide a support system to prevent burnout.
People who have been chairpersons for twenty years are still learning new things, so the learning curve is steep. Faculty Affairs leaders must orient the new chair to prioritize vital office procedures including payroll, teaching schedules, and reappointments. If your institution does not have an inventory and/or calendar of regular chair duties, such a checklist can serve as an essential reference. Clarity regarding essential tasks and deadlines helps establish stability for the faculty and staff and it ensures that the department will continue to run effectively, especially during unforeseen leadership transitions. New chairs need to establish a campus network to help accomplish these prioritized procedures and Faculty Affairs can connect them with all the contacts they need for being an effective chair (e.g., Academic Scheduling, the Registrar, Campus Facilities, Public Safety, Accessibility Services, Student Affairs, and/or IT). A short list of such names, emails, and phone numbers is a good accompaniment to the chair checklist. When you and your team are not available you should orient a new chair towards another experienced chairperson or similar campus leader who is already established in their role, knowledgeable about policies and procedures, empathetic, and emotionally supportive. That said, you need to set aside regular time to talk to your new chair about developing their own long-term vision for their department, especially because it is easy for new department heads to lose sight of long-term goals when they are confronted with a daily stack of “urgent” tasks demanding their immediate attention.
A new chairperson will want to rely on and share responsibility with the existing departmental leadership structure. This could include the department administrative assistant, department committee leaders, former, and/or an associate/deputy chair. That said, the structure they inherit could be ineffective, so you should encourage them to assess the quality of work being done, the suitability of individuals for their roles, and how other departments may be structured differently. When appointing new department leaders, and/or making decisions, the chair should allow for department input and transparency in alignment with departmental and college by-laws and policies. The chair should make sure there is support in place for new departmental leaders, just as they are supported in learning their new roles. At the beginning, new chairpersons will find that they do more managing (i.e., trying to maintain the status quo, keeping processes running effectively) than leading (i.e., inspiring their people, developing a vision for the future). You should encourage new chairs to spend some time exploring, with you or another mentor, what their leadership style will be, when they are ready to establish a long-term plan for the department, and how they will communicate this style and their evolving vision.
As your chair comes to terms with their new leadership role you will find yourself supporting them as they face what is often one of the most difficult aspects of the transition, namely leading those who were recently your peers. The key in helping them to negotiate this shift in how they are perceived is by suggesting ways that they can embrace their newfound authority without becoming an authoritarian. It is easy for a new chair to get caught up in the emotional dynamics of seeming challenges to their leadership. The old phrase, “it’s not personal, it’s business” is both true and false. Chairs will feel the emotional toll of some of their new duties, such as having to deliver bad news, especially when it impacts the lives and careers of others. Because they now are perceived as representing “the administration,” new chairs may also feel the sting of criticism that sometimes is directed toward the college more broadly, not at them personally.
Once your new chair finds a good workflow, builds networks, structures departmental leadership, supports their team, and embraces their new role, remind them not to abandon their “faculty” identity and cultivate their own advancement aspirations. To stay on the path to promotion, they should continue to teach, conduct research, and provide service (even if their chair service might feel like more than enough). Not only does this keep them on track for advancement but it provides a way to stay connected within their disciplines. Staying active in the classroom and collaborating with colleagues on research and/or other projects can provide a much-needed outlet for the stress that comes with the job of being chair.
Though it may seem a bit overwhelming to new chairs, finding time for themselves and understanding that not everything will go as planned are essential to succeed in the role. Burnout is very real, so be sure to have your new chair set boundaries and establish on and off times to keep those boundaries intact in order to stay resilient in the role (e.g., email/phone correspondence expectations, turnaround windows for paperwork, and following the proper channels for communication and requests). Lastly, a new chair must be encouraged to consider all outcomes when making decisions, applaud small wins, and learn from their losses as they strive to balance departmental goals with realizing their own successes.
Faculty Affairs professionals need to know when it is the right time to step away from the mentoring relationship and allow the chairperson to lead more independently. Over time, you will see that your relationship will evolve as the chairperson’s knowledge expands. New chairpersons will initially rely on you more when making decisions, but with time they will come to see you as someone with whom to explore the bigger picture. Even though they will no longer need constant supervision by this point, you will want to maintain a connection so that you can keep orienting them to attend to their long-term goals and help to make them aware of any blind spots. Also, the chair can become part of the network that you will rely on in orienting and mentoring other new chairpersons. Mentoring another chair that has recently stepped into the role will allow the more experienced chairperson, to reflect anew about what they do in their role and why they do it. Mentoring a chair colleague will encourage the self-reflection that is necessary for them to develop and grow as a faculty member, colleague, and an administrative leader.
