Your Career: Time to get serious about training department chairs?

More colleges are realizing that “trial and error” isn’t actually a professional-development strategy. ADVERTISEMENT [Your Career Logo]( You can also [read this newsletter on the web](. Or, if you no longer want to receive this newsletter, [unsubscribe](. More colleges are realizing that “trial and error” isn’t actually a professional-development strategy Higher education is experiencing a sea-change when it comes to preparing faculty members to be department chair. Colleges have long treated the position as simply a minor cog in the administrative chain of command, providing little to no training. But more and more institutions are now investing in their chairs, because they see it as a retention issue. Whether the pandemic was the cause or just the last straw, a growing number of faculty members are minimizing or eliminating their service commitments to focus purely on teaching and research. The result: Administrators say it’s increasingly difficult to identify and recruit professors into leadership positions. Collectively, we seem to be recognizing that the least that we can do for those who are willing to become chair is to set them up for success. Most faculty members are familiar with the broad responsibilities of the chair’s job but not necessarily with the details. Among the topics that a new chair will need to study: managing budgets, hiring and mentoring faculty members, working with staff members, dealing with conflicts, and overseeing curricula. The training options for new and current chairs range from free and easy to somewhat more involved and costly. Continue reading: “[Ask the Chair: Are Great Chairs Born or Made?]( by Kevin Dettmar Share your suggestions for the newsletter with Denise Magner, an editor at The Chronicle, at denise.magner@chronicle.com. If you’d like to opt out, you can log in to our website and [manage your newsletter preferences here](. ADVERTISEMENT UPCOMING PROGRAM [The Chronicle's Bootcamp for Future Faculty Leaders] [Join us in September]( for a professional development program tailored to the needs of midcareer faculty. Experienced academic leaders and faculty members will provide insights on the diverse professional paths that might be taken by faculty members in this one-day virtual program. [Register today!]( NEWSLETTER [Sign Up for the Teaching Newsletter]( Find insights to improve teaching and learning across your campus. Delivered on Thursdays. To read this newsletter as soon as it sends, [sign up]( to receive it in your email inbox. LATEST CAREER ADVICE, OPINION, AND NEWS ADVICE [But What if You Can’t Quit Your ‘Dead-End Job’?]( By Maria LaMonaca Wisdom Advice from a faculty coach on how to revive your static career. PUBLIC PERCEPTION [What the Public Really Thinks About Higher Education]( By Eric Kelderman, with graphics by Jacqueline Elias and Brian O'Leary Americans still believe in the value of a college credential, but they aren’t convinced higher education is fulfilling its promise to society, The Chronicle’s national survey shows. BARGAINING BOOST [‘Extraordinary and Historic’: Student-Worker Unionization Explodes While Faculty Action Stalls]( By Erin Gretzinger A new report quantifies the sharp growth in collective action by student workers since 2020. THE REVIEW | OPINION [Today’s DEI Is Obsessed With Power and Privilege]( By Eboo Patel It’s time to overturn the Robin DiAngelo and Ibram X. Kendi model. DATA [Here’s What ‘Back to College’ Looks Like This Fall]( By Audrey Williams June The new academic year brings hopeful signs amid thorny challenges, as summed up by these data points. 'FAULTY DECISION MAKING' [West Virginia U.’s Faculty Votes No Confidence in Gordon Gee]( By Emma Pettit The resolution, which passed 797 to 100, says the president has refused to “accept responsibility” for the institution’s financial turmoil, among other criticisms. FROM THE CHRONICLE STORE [The Accessible Campus - The Chronicle Store]( [The Accessible Campus]( Despite years of legislation meant to open up higher education to people with disabilities, colleges are still a long way from achieving equity. [Order your copy]( to examine how colleges are working to be more accessible and the challenges that remain. What we’re reading Here’s more on career issues and trends from around the web. See something we should include? [Let me know](mailto:denise.magner@chronicle.com?subject=Your Career feedback). - In Roxane Gay’s latest [Work Friend]( column in The New York Times, she explores when to “expose the liar” in your office. - [Advice]( in the Harvard Business Review on how to “negotiate your salary in the age of pay transparency laws.” - On the [EdSurge podcast]( suggestions for instructors on how to avoid “group project horror stories.” MORE CAREER RESOURCES [Global Leadership Interview With University of Canterbury’s Cheryl de la Rey]( UPCOMING: September 13, 2023 | 2 p.m. ET: Learn how colleges can engage with Indigenous and diverse local communities. With Support From University of Canterbury. [Register here.]( [Politics in the Classroom: Who Decides?]( UPCOMING: September 14, 2023 | 12 noon ET: More states are trying to limit what’s taught in public-college classrooms. Learn how this may affect teaching, academic governance, and campus climate during this free virtual event. [Register here.]( 'MORALE BOOSTER' [Higher Ed’s Hybrid Workplace Looks as if It’s Here to Stay — With Some Misgivings]( By Megan Zahneis Many administrators and faculty members support a hybrid-work option, according to a new Chronicle survey. But they’re ambivalent about whether it is best for workers and students. EXECUTIVE EXITS [These Are the Factors That End College Presidencies]( By Jacquelyn Elias and Audrey Williams June One certainty about the job of college president, known for its unpredictability, is that every one must eventually come to an end. JOB OPPORTUNITIES [TENURE TRACK POSITIONS Fall 2024]( West Chester University [Multiple Positions]( Towson University [Multiple tenured and tenure-track faculty positions]( Arizona State University [Open Rank Professorof Literacy (Assistant, Associate, Full)]( University at Albany [Rutgers School of Communication and Information Tenure-track and Tenured Faculty Positions]( Rutgers University [Tenure Track and Non-Tenure Track Faculty Openings in Various Disciplines]( Augsburg University [Distinguished Visiting Professorship in the Liberal Arts]( University of Minnesota Morris [Faculty Position in Global Economics and Management Group]( Massachusetts Institute of Technology [2024-2025 Corcoran Visiting Chair in Christian-Jewish Relations]( Boston College [Civic Science Fellow]( The Morgridge Institute for Research [Search other jobs.]( CAREER RESOURCES [September Article Collection about job search success] [Read this month's collection]( for advice on conducting a successful job search, including tips to navigate multiple searches, improve application materials, and more! 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