Leadership Resources for Chairs
Department chairs and heads face a number of unique challenges. Some say that being chair is the most difficult role in the academy, as one must serve as a conduit between the administration and the faculty. Listed below are selected resources that may help chairs meet the demands of this challenging role.
- Gaubatz, J., & Ensminger, D. (2017) Department chairs as change agents: leading change in resistant environments. Educational Management Administration & Leadership. 42(1), 141-163.
- Gmelch, W. (2015) The call for leadership: Why chairs serve, what they do, and how long they should serve. AKA Monographs: Leading and Managing the Kinesiology Department, 1(1), 1-12.
- Gmelch, W. H., & Burns, J. S. (1993). The cost of academic leadership: Department chair stress. Innovative Higher Education, 17, 259-270.
- Gmelch. W.H., & Carroll, J.B. (1991). The three R’s of conflict management for department chairs and faculty. Innovative Higher Education, 16, 107-123.
- Graham, S., & Benoit, P. (2004). Constructing the role of department chair. American Council on Education (ACE) Department Chair Online Resource Center.
- Miller, M., & Murry, J. (2015) Faculty Response to Department Leadership: Strategies for Creating More Supportive Academic Work Environments. College Quarterly.
- Buller, J. (2013) Positive Academic Leadership: How to Stop Putting Out Fires and Start Making a Difference. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
- Chu, D. (2005). The department chair primer: Leading and managing academic departments. Boston, MA: Anker Publishing.
- Gillett-Karam, M. (Ed.). (1999). Preparing department chairs for their leadership roles: New directions for community colleges, No. 105. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
- Gmelch, W. H., & Buller J., (2015) Building Academic Leadership Capacity: A Guide to Best Practices. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
- Gmelch, W. H., & Miskin, V. (2004). Chairing an academic department. Madison, WI: Atwood Publishing.
- Hansen, C. K. (2011). Time management for department chairs (Vol. 134). John Wiley & Sons.
- Hecht, I. W. D. (1999). The department chair as academic leader: American Council on Education Oryx Press Series on Higher Education. Phoenix, AZ: Oryx Press.
- Hendrickson, R., Lane, J., Harris, J., Dorman, R., & Ikenberry, S. (2013) Academic Leadership and Governance of Higher Education: A Guide for Trustees, Leaders, and Aspiring Leaders of Two- and Four-Year Institutions. Sterling, VA: Stylus Publishing.
- Hickson, M., L., & Stacks, D. W. (Eds.). (1992). Effective communication for academic chairs. Albany, NY: State University of New York Press.
- Higgerson, M. L. & Joyce, T. A. (2007). Effective leadership communication: A guide for department chairs and deans for managing difficult situations and people. San Francisco, CA: Jossey Bass.
- Leaming, D. R. (2006). Academic leadership: A practical guide to chairing the department (2nd ed). San Francisco, CA; Jossey Bass.
- Lees, N. D. (2002). Chairing academic departments: Traditional and emerging expectations. Boston, MA: Anker Publishing.
- Lucas, A. F. (2000). Leading academic change: Essential roles for department chairs. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
- Wheeler, D. W., Seagren, A. T., Becker, L. W., Kinley, E. R., Mlinek, D. D., & Robson, K. J. (2008). The academic chair’s handbook, 2nd edition. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
- Jossey Bass publishes a quarterly journal, The Department Chair, which contains a number of tips and other information that is useful for leading the department.
- The Chronicle of Higher Education typically has articles related to chairing the academic department. One article is Michael Munger’s 10 Suggestions for a New Department Chair.
- The Chronicle of Higher Education typically has articles related to chairing the academic department. David D. Perlmutter has published a series of articles entitled Administration 101.
- Stanford University’s Tomorrow’s Professor also posts a number of articles that are of interest for department chairs.