Your Career: On the job market as a would-be leader

What to expect when you seek a chair’s position in a national search. ADVERTISEMENT [Your Career Logo]( You can also [read this newsletter on the web](. Or, if you no longer want to receive this newsletter, [unsubscribe](. What to expect when you seek a chair’s position in a national search It’s something of a dark secret in higher education at the moment: The readiest way for a tenured professor to change institutions is to apply for chair’s openings nationally. It’s a bad idea (both for you and your would-be department) to feign interest in being a department head in order to move to a more desirable location. But going into a job search with a burgeoning interest in faculty leadership — and seeing a possible change of scenery as an added bonus — is just the right mind-set with which to embark on this process. Among the many things to keep in mind: - Tailor your application to your academic work. Because the main audience you must please is the department’s faculty, draft your cover letter and CV as a scholar who enjoys the service work of chairing, rather than as a middle manager who used to produce scholarship or creative work. Your application will most likely have two distinct audiences, faculty and administration, and it’s probably not possible to satisfy both in one letter. But typically the dean won’t even see your cover letter and CV until quite late in the process. - Save the leadership theorizing for the dean. Your interview with the dean and/or provost will have a different character than your interactions with department members. Deans and provosts, too, will be hoping to add a vibrant scholar/creator and teacher to the faculty; but at some point in their careers, they heard the siren call of service, and they will recognize and appreciate a kindred soul on the same path. With them you can afford to geek out a little about why you find faculty leadership rewarding. Continue reading: “[Ask the Chair: ‘Should I Apply to Lead Other Departments?’]( 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 SPECIAL OFFER FOR NEW SUBSCRIBERS Enjoying the newsletter? [Subscribe today]( for less than $20 and get unlimited access to essential reporting, data, and analysis. And as a special bonus, you'll get the 2024 Trends Report, our annual issue on the major trends shaping higher education — coming in March. 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 [How to Treat Your Visiting Professors]( By Bret C. Devereaux [STORY IMAGE]( Ten steps that departments could take, at zero or minimal cost, to extend basic collegiality to their contingent colleagues. SPONSOR CONTENT | The University of Queensland [Addressing the Unmet Needs for People with Aphasia]( ADVERTISEMENT ADVICE [Should You Seek an Adult Diagnosis of Neurodivergence?]( By Katie Rose Guest Pryal [STORY IMAGE]( Whether or not you disclose your developmental disorder, knowing about it may actually help you thrive on the job. ADVICE [How to Choreograph a Leadership Transition]( By Lisa Jasinski [STORY IMAGE]( In an era of administrative turnover, a well-designed handoff is at least as important as the search plan. 'A DECENT OUTCOME' [After One Day of Striking, Faculty Members Make a Deal With Cal State System]( By Forest Hunt [STORY IMAGE]( The 23-campus system agreed to raises for instructors, among other things, after faculty walked off the job Monday. THE REVIEW | ESSAY [The Left’s Contradictory Goals for Higher Ed]( By Brendan Cantwell [STORY IMAGE]( It’s time to acknowledge that progressive aims are in conflict. FROM THE CHRONICLE STORE [The Unionized Campus - The Chronicle Store]( [The Unionized Campus]( The number of graduate-student unions has increased more than four-fold since 2019. [Order your copy]( to learn what’s at stake as union membership grows, and explore effective strategies for colleges to build relationships with new and existing unions. SPONSOR CONTENT | Ascendium [Rethinking College Behind Bars]( Discover how colleges are collaborating with correctional facilities and nonprofits to expand education access in prisons. 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). - A Harvard Business Review [essay]( on “fake psychological safety” describes how leaders solicit feedback they don’t really want and won’t act upon. - In The Wall Street Journal, a look at how the job market “[is getting tougher”]( for white-collar professionals. - In Roxane Gay’s latest [Work Friend]( column in The New York Times, she offers advice to a supervisor dealing with a lab employee who wants the team to “talk about our feelings.” MORE CAREER RESOURCES [Leading a Regional Public University Today]( [STORY IMAGE]( UPCOMING: January 30, 2024 | 2 p.m. ET: A panel of experts, including presidents and administrators, will share their thoughts on what’s ahead for the sector. With Support From Academic Partnerships. [Register here.]( [Career Services for All]( [STORY IMAGE]( UPCOMING: February 7, 2024 | 2 p.m. ET: Explore strategies career centers and colleges can use to close the internship accessibility gap. With Support From Ascendium. [Register here.]( POLITICS AND RACE [DEI Legislation Tracker]( By Chronicle Staff [STORY IMAGE]( Legislators, mostly Republicans, want to get rid of diversity, equity, and inclusion offices; end anti-bias trainings; and banish diversity statements. DATA [Which Colleges Spent the Most Money on Research?]( By Audrey Williams June [STORY IMAGE]( Twenty-nine institutions spent more than $1 billion on research and development in the 2022 fiscal year, according to new federal data. Upcoming Workshop [The Chronicle's Crash Course in Academic Leadership | Practical Tools for the 'Admin-Curious'] [Join us this winter]( for a virtual professional development program on preparing for a transition into the academic administration. This four-hour workshop will provide key insights for new and aspiring academic administrators on the inner workings of taking on a new role—from application all the way through the transition. [Reserve your spot today!]( JOB OPPORTUNITIES [Assistant Tenure-Track Professors needed in the following areas]( Bellevue College [Search other jobs.]( CAREER RESOURCES [Career Resources]( [Read the January collection]( to improve your campus interview experience this season. You'll unlock strategies on preparing for campus interviews, tips for navigating the process as an introvert, and more! NEWSLETTER FEEDBACK [Please let us know what you thought of today's newsletter in this three-question survey](. This newsletter was sent to {EMAIL}. [Read this newsletter on the web](. [Manage]( your newsletter preferences, [stop receiving]( this email, or [view]( our privacy policy. © 2024 [The Chronicle of Higher Education]( 1255 23rd Street, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20037