The Academic Chair's Handbook

Book excerpt: The Academic Chair's Handbook Every aspiring, new, and experienced chairperson will benefit from this rich resource of many integrated and well-tested strategies that foster faculty development and their own development. —Larry A. Braskamp, professor emeritus, Loyola University Chicago This second edition of The Academic Chair's Handbook provides an updated, comprehensive, and practical guide for academic department chairs and division heads at both two- and four-year institutions. This essential resource includes new material on a variety of topics such as technology, funding and resources, departmental climate and quality, assessment, and accreditation, and describes several strategies department chairs can use to build a positive work environment that fosters professional growth of both faculty and chairs. The book's self-assessment inventory can help determine which strategy is most appropriate for a particular situation. While the strategies are upbeat, positive, and developmental, they clearly address the often harsh political realities involved in chairing academic departments.