Creating an Academic Ecosystem Where Chairs Can Thrive:

Yasmin Dean,Jodi Nickel,Janet Miller,Ruth Seltner Pickett

doi:10.26522/brocked.v30i2.875

Abstract

This study aimed to understand the lived experience of department chairs in a Canadian university context. Guided by phenomenological inquiry, twenty-one individual interviews of experienced academic chairs were analyzed. Findings focus on the rewards and challenges of the position, advice for professors interested in taking on this role, and the systemic issues that impact change. Results highlight the importance of preparatory training and ongoing institutional support including the deliberate building of a chair community. This paper includes a call to action which will be of interest to Deans and other senior administrators, faculty leaders, those contemplating the chair role, and those involved with institutional governance.

Highlights

This study aimed to understand the lived experience of department chairs in a Canadian university context
The quality and well-being of an academic unit is often attributed to the effectiveness of the department chair1 (Armstrong & Woloshyn, 2017), yet this role is usually assumed with limited preparation or training
Rewards: Achievement, Vision, Purpose, and Personal Growth. As chairs considered their achievements during chairship, degree development and program reviews were highlighted as significant: How could we change to make our program better? How do we differentiate ourselves? How are we not as different as we thought? I love doing that and taking that and applying that to develop into the degree. (c15) I am proud of the things I did, I am proud of the people I worked with, and it was fun; I enjoyed it

Summary

Introduction

Findings focus on the rewards and challenges of the position, advice for professors interested in taking on this role, and the systemic issues that impact change. This paper includes a call to action which will be of interest to Deans and other senior administrators, faculty leaders, those contemplating the chair role, and those involved with institutional governance. The quality and well-being of an academic unit is often attributed to the effectiveness of the department chair (Armstrong & Woloshyn, 2017), yet this role is usually assumed with limited preparation or training. Motivated by stories of stress and strains, our scholarship team wanted to better understand how professors who take on administrative leadership experience their role. Challenges, and advice from the participants’ perspective are highlighted, and we conclude the paper with calls for action

Objectives

Results

Discussion

Conclusion