Part-time faculty have long been a part of higher education, particularly at community colleges, where they have grown in numbers beginning in the 1970s. They were not commonly represented in
With enrollment growth outpacing resources on many campuses, shrinking enrollment on others, and the surging popularity of viable alternatives to the traditional campus experience, higher education is at a crossroads.
At a college meeting I once attended, one of the department chairs accused the dean of not being transparent enough in the way she made decisions. The dean answered that
When systems and processes are misaligned and do not function effectively or efficiently for students, faculty, or staff, the need for reorganization of academic affairs is obvious. But it’s a
Higher education institutions often face adaptive challenges—complex problems that need to be addressed through an evolutionary approach that uses investigation, learning, and assessment of a diversity of ideas rather than
It is important for overall department health that the chair and dean have a productive working relationship. At most institutions, the dean determines resource use through budget allocations, allowing faculty
Most seasoned academics will acknowledge that being a department chair is challenging and often difficult. The individual filling this role is essentially squeezed between two groups with differing worldviews and
While all academic leaders face certain administrative challenges, those who work in a multicampus setting have unique opportunities and problems of their own. The sometimes difficult balancing act of preserving
Faculty members often become chairs under less-than-ideal circumstances or for the wrong reasons. An underprepared faculty member or one with an ax to grind can wreak havoc and lead to
There comes a time in the life of an academic program when it is no longer viable due to dropping enrollments, lack of faculty resources, budget cuts, changing external contexts,
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