Chairs and directors provide leadership for the academic unit through multiple roles that connect them to faculty, staff,
administrators, students and numerous external constituencies. They are the most direct and influential link between the curriculum
and the University's vision to become a premier learning community within the rapidly changing context of higher education.
Effective communication, decision making and planning empower chairs and directors in their expanding responsibilities. The
success of these leaders in constructing mutually beneficial relationships presents far-reaching opportunities for the academic
unit within and beyond the University.
An overview of tools for developing strategic plans, including SWOT analysis, benchmarking, environmental scans, etc. Although
this was written for a local audience, it contains much useful information for any department chair.
Books in the Jerome Library
The Academic Chairperson's Handbook, by John W. Creswell et al. LB 2341 .A217 1990
A guide to using leadership to promote faculty growth and professional development. Useful chapters include: Reflect on Your
Role as an Academic Leader and Build an Agenda.
Academic Leadership: A Practical Guide to Chairing the Department, by Deryl R. Leaming LB 2341 .L269 1998
A guide to being a department chair, including: Providing Leadership; Communicating; and Managing Change.
Chairing an Academic Department, by Walter H. Gmelch and Val D. Miskin LB 2341 .G555 2004
A guide to being a department chair. See particularly: Resource Decisions: Planning Directs the Action; and Chair as Leader:
Facing the Challenges.
Effective Communication for Academic Chairs, ed. by Mark Hickson III and Don W. Stacks LB 2341 .E43 1992
An examination of communication for academic department chairs. See particularly: Departmental Leadership and Departmental
Culture.
Jossey-Bass Academic Administrator's Guide to Conflict Resolution, by Sandra I. Cheldelin and Ann F. Lucas LB 2331.68 .C54 2004
Includes strategies for identifying and managing conflict between people and between departments. Among the useful chapters
are: Interpersonal Conflict: Helping People Who Don't Get Along and Collaborating With Other Departments to Manage Conflict.
Leading Academic Change: Essential Roles for Department Chairs, by Ann F. Lucas et al. LB 2341 .L82 2000
A guide to the role of department chairs in managing change. Useful chapters include: A Teamwork Approach to Change in the
Academic Department; Handling Resistance to Change; and Transforming Departments into Productive Learning Communities.
Managing the Academic Department: Cases and Notes, by John B. Bennett LB 2341 .B47 1983
Cases that illustrate leadership and challenges of department chairs. See: Roles, Responsibilities, and Leadership Styles
and Departmental Goals: Change, and Decision Making.
Strengthening Departmental Leadership: A Team-Building Guide for Chairs in Colleges and Universities, by Ann F. Lucas LB 2341 .L83 1994
A guide about leadership and faculty development for department chairs. Useful chapters include: Strengthening Leadership
at the Departmental Level; Leading the Academic Department; Team Building Through Supportive Communication; and Personal Strategies
for Strengthening Leadership Effectiveness.
