Through a review of research, case application, and discussion, participants will: 

1.  consider transitions within department staffing as an opportunity for growth and change. 
2.  consider strategies that will engage both younger and more senior faculty  in ethos-building within the academic department.      

Not in his goals but in his transitions man is great. - Ralph Waldo Emerson           

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“A department needs to be more than a collection of interesting, energetic scholar/teachers. A truly productive and exciting department is one in which there is synergy among its members that leads to greater achievement than the mere sum of individual efforts. Thinking in collective terms about the department can present a challenge to a new chair, given that academic training is so focused on individual achievement and responsibility.”

Roger Denome, Associate Professor and Chair, Biology Department, Stonehill College. Written for the ACE Department Chair Online Resource Center, 2006. 
“They will follow where I lead, as long as I lead where they want to go.” 
“Everyone wants the chance to contribute and the credit for doing so. Much of a chair’s job is building the environment and structures that allow this to happen.”  

Irene W.D. Hecht, senior associate, American Council on Education. “The Complexities of a Department.” Written for the ACE Department Chair Online Resource Center, 2003. 
“While the practical responsibilities thrust on any chair are in themselves overwhelming, the more fundamental issue is the need to address the question: “What kind of a department do you intend to leave when you step down?” This in turn is influenced by the character of the department”…and its faculty.  

Shirley Lefever-Davis, chair, Department of Curriculum and Instruction, Wichita State University. Written for the ACE Department Chair Online Resource Center, 2006.  
“Establishing a clear vision or direction for the department is one of the most important tasks that a department must accomplish. An equally important task is the process used to arrive at that vision. As a new chair who also was new to my current institution, I wanted the process of identifying a vision to set a tone for how the department would operate and at the same time enable me to get to know the individual faculty members within the department.”  

Building a Sense of Community Within theAcademic Department  

What is Community?
From:  dictionary.com“Community” -  derived from the Latin communis, which means "shared”.

A community shares some or all of the following qualities.
1.  A social group of any size whose members reside in a specific locality, share government, and often have a common cultural and historical heritage.
2.  A locality inhabited by such a group.
3.  A social, religious, occupational, or other group sharing common characteristics or interests and perceived or perceiving itself as distinct in some respect from the larger society within which it exists.
4.  A group with common interests or a common heritage.
5.  A group with common character and identify. 

Appleby in Monitor on Psychology (volume 31, number 10, November 2000) summarizes the features of a community in the following way: 
• They live in the same geographical location.
• They are governed by a common set of rules.
• They hold similar interests, beliefs, values and customs.
• They are linked by emotional bonds.
• They feel an obligation toward their fellow members.
• They share a sense of belonging. 

Based on the above attributes, the academic department should be considered a “community”.   
If indeed the academic department can be considered a community, then how can the chairperson facilitate community building? 
 …the topic of today’s discussion        


A BRIEF REVIEW OF RELEVANT LITERATURE 
The Diverse Roles Associated With Being an Academic Chairperson 

Although numerous studies and essays discuss the roles of the academic department chair, Graham and Benoit (2004) divided these roles into four categories: 
"Administrative Roles
Manage Fiscal Resources
Coordinate Departmental Teaching Assignments and Class Schedule
Complete Paperwork including Varied Reports
Supervise staff 

Leadership Roles
Departmental Mission and Goals
Program Development and Revision
Mediator
Liaison to Both Campus and Community Constituencies
Professional Model and Mentor 

Resource Development Role
Recruit Faculty
Serve as a Mentor
Evaluator
Secure Fiscal and Other Resources 

Interpersonal Roles
Counselor, Coach, Mediator, and Climate Regulator” 

Without doubt, these roles affect departmental ethos and community building but the chairperson’s actions in this latter category are perhaps most relevant to our discussion today.  As a counselor, the chairperson serves as problem solver, active listener, and mediator.  The chair must be accessible and create a climate that affirms his or her willingness to assume these roles.  The sub-category, “climate regulator”, requires the chair to create a challenging environment that encourages productivity, yet the environment must also ensure a high level of satisfaction among departmental colleagues and students.  If departments are to retain excellent young faculty, this balance is of particular importance. 

Wergin (2001) discusses this issue of faculty motivation and departmental climate.  The author focuses on faculty “autonomy”, “recognition” or feeling valued, “efficacy” or a feeling that one’s efforts can make a difference, and “community”.  After autonomy, community is an often-cited factor affecting faculty motivation.  Becoming part of the greater scholarly community is of utmost importance to faculty members, but faculty also need to find ways to connect with the campus and departmental community.  For young faculty, satisfaction, morale, and motivation are intimately linked to sense of community. 

Bob Boice (1992) emphasized that success in academe means that faculty must be excellent teachers and productive scholars, but he identifies a third factor, collegial relationships, as a factor that affects productivity and motivation.  

Studies by Menges and Associates (1999) and Rice, Sorcinelli, and Austin (2000) further investigated this notion of collegiality and its role in faculty productivity.  Young faculty need to connect with more experienced faculty as models, mentors, and friends.  A strong sense of vision and community within the academic department can reinforce these connections and provide support for young faculty.  Given the very high turnover and number of searches in academe in recent years, sense of community can affect retention of highly talented young colleagues. 

Brinko (2004-2005) reminds us that the often-used phrase “it takes a village to raise a child” may be a useful way to think about the importance of community within the academic department.  All departmental members need to recognize their role within “the village”, and the chairperson must provide leadership in the mentoring process and community building needed to help young faculty feel connected and valued.  In fact, Benoit & Graham (2005) found in a series of interviews with successful department chairs that many “chairs report a sense of exhilaration when they create a climate that is conducive to an effective organization.” Although the role of the academic department chair is diverse and demanding, research clearly suggests that creating a sense of community within the department positively impacts the hiring process, retention, motivation/morale, and faculty productivity. 

The Case
The department of Health and Exercise Science, with a faculty consisting of seven tenured faculty, one tenure track faculty member, and 8 coach-teachers who primarily assist with fitness and activity courses, began a transition process due to planned retirements.  In a period of about three years, five very senior, long-tenured faculty members, made the decision to retire.  These five faculty members collectively taught about 3/4 of the theory courses required for four different departmental majors and collectively, had served on the faculty at Gustavus Adolphus College for approximately 165 years! They were excellent teachers and advisors although for some, scholarly productivity had declined over time.  The department was a close community with a very positive ethos built upon a common vision, shared goals, and a deep and abiding commitment to teaching and learning.  

The Problem
The academic department chairperson, in consultation with appropriate administrators, must facilitate the replacement of five well-respected and talented colleagues.  In doing so, the integrity of the department and programs must be maintained.  A strong sense of community within the academic department, excellent academic programs, an emphasis on quality teaching and advising, a strong faculty-student research program, and students’ sense of stability and support during the transition must be supported and monitored.  And in addition to achieving these goals, new hires must be productive scholars who are also committed to faculty-student research. 

Possible Perspectives on the Case and Problem:  Discussion 

Discussion Question One:  What are some issues to be carefully considered by the academic department chair, in consultation with appropriate administrators and faculty colleagues, during a transitional period such as that described in “the case” above? 

Possible Points for Discussion:
How can administrative support for five tenure track hires be secured? 
How can the department and college attract talented teachers and scholars with some experience at the college level? 
Given that the senior faculty members were forced to be both content specialistsand generalists in a relatively small department, is it possible to staff the majors, service courses, and general education program with just five individuals? 
Given the loss of five faculty members, at what point does the departmentlook closely at its mission, goals, and strategic plan? 
How can the quality of teaching, scholarship, and service to the department and college be improved through the hiring process? 
Given this transition, how can the department hope to preserve/further improvethe sense of collegiality and community it had achieved prior to the retirements? 
What type of mentorship can be provided by remaining faculty within thedepartment, and selected faculty from other departments, to facilitate positive growth and community building during the multi-year transition? 
How can the remaining faculty effectively collaborate, given the additional demands on time, energy, and morale?  

Discussion Question Two:  During the actual hiring process, what are some actions to be taken by the academic department chairperson that might ultimately affect sense of community and ethos within the evolving academic department? 

Possible Points for Discussion:
In addition to traditional questions abut teaching interests and abilities and scholarship, questions about the faculty member’s needs as teachers and scholars, other questions can be helpful in understanding the priorities and potential contributions one might expect from the new hire.  Questions might focus on the individual’s perception of effective mentoring, how they can contribute to the academic department and College beyond teaching and scholarship, and other questions that will help the hiring committee develop a sense of “fit” within the department. 

During campus visits, have the prospective hire meet with faculty outside the department to learn more about the community and its goals and mission.  This then encourages conversation about departmental ethos and vision. During conversations and campus visits, create less formal opportunities for faculty and the prospective hire to simply talk together about what motivates each person, what creates satisfaction for them, and the importance of collaboration. 

Certainly, formal interview questions are essential but to truly get to know a prospective colleague, we need to be creative with our questions and conversations.      

Discussion Question Three:  What are some practical strategies the chairperson can use to help facilitate the process of departmental community building? 

1.  Coffee Talks and Lunch Meetings:  
Engage senior faculty in discussion of the mission and goals of the college or university and impact on departmental priorities.  Ask young faculty about how they see their role in supporting/contributing to the mission and goals of both college/university and department. 

Discuss the process of faculty evaluation for promotion and tenure and its important role in faculty development.  Use two or three colleagues from your department or other departments who have recently experienced annual reviews or tenure/promotion reviews to share their experiences and perceptions.

Ask young faculty about their needs and how the department can support each individual.   All faculty within the department present at least one “active teaching and learning technique” they use within the classroom, and/or one technique to facilitate critical thinking and engagement.  Question and answer time is essential since some faculty may need help interpreting how a certain technique might work within a class they teach. 

Discuss how faculty can support student learning and intellectual growth.  Teaching, advising, mentoring, student-faculty research and other topics should be mentioned. In our conversations a fair amount of time was devoted to student-faculty research, guided independent study experiences, and college and departmental resources. 

Have a conversation about the major(s), minor(s), and general education program within the department so that departmental faculty understand all departmental programs.  I asked program directors to present a brief overview of each major/minor/program.  As a group we then discussed how each of us could contribute to departmental programs.  This ensured that every person within the department was involved in the conversation. 

Each member of the department presents a summary of his or her scholarly interests, or a specific project in process.  (Several meetings spread over the entire year.)  This helped us value the work of all departmental colleagues, and in fact, encouraged collaboration. 

Problem solving conversations were also the topic for several coffee talks or lunch meetings.  Young faculty posed problems such as:“My students just sit there”…“I just can’t find a way to get students to think critically about…””How do you handle the dominant student who monopolizes in-class conversations?”…and numerous other faculty-generated topics.  

2.  Department Chair Office Hours for New Faculty: Provide specific opportunities for younger faculty to communicate needs and frustrations in positive and productive ways. Improve access to the department chair.  Initially I simply invited faculty to drop by with questions and concerns but every time someone did this, he or she prefaced a question or problem by saying, “I am really sorry to bother you, I know you are so busy…”I no longer heard this comment as soon as I made it clear that a faculty member could just drop by with questions or concerns and if I was busy, we would schedule a time to sit down and talk, or they could stop by during my “department chair office hours”, a time exclusively for them.  

3. Department meeting/retreat to discuss and define a common departmental vision;  revisiting the mission, goals, and assessment process within the department.  

4.  Establish a departmental mentoring program that connects each new faculty member with an experienced member of the department and a faculty colleague outside the department.  Gustavus has an excellent faculty mentoring program that supports this process. 

5.  Celebrate faculty achievements in public ways and help all departmental faculty to recognize the importance of those achievements. For example, this department posted a large bulletin board in a conspicuous location within the building, with the heading “Health and Exercise Science – Faculty Research Projects.”  Two additional bulletin boards were posted with the title, “Faculty-Student Research Projects.”   Since doing so, faculty colleagues are very good about sharing new articles and presentations for posting.   I have also received positive comments from the President of the College, Academic Deans, faculty from other departments, and members of the community who visit the building.  

6.  Feature the mission and goals of the department, faculty accomplishments, innovative departmental programs, and other interesting information on the departmental website.  All departmental faculty members contribute to this project and feel ownership in its success.  It is also important, upon hiring a new faculty member, to add to the department website appropriate information…a photo, contact information, and an introduction written by the individual.  Our website also features scholarly work in the form of brief abstracts.  This helps colleagues and students get to know the new faculty member.  Perhaps this also conveys to the new hire that he or she is an important part of the department. 

7.  “Melt-Down Sessions” – Willing faculty serve as “sounding boards” or “mediators” for those moments when a colleague is literally having a “melt-down”, times when the stress is too high, venting is essential, and problem solving is needed.  Every person in the department participates when asked by another colleague.  If the faculty member approached is otherwise engaged, this person walks the person to another colleague’s office and helps him or her connect.  This has been a very positive feature in community building given that the chairperson is not always available. Within about 6 months after hiring a new faculty colleague, they naturally connect with 2-3 colleagues they trust and nothing formal is then needed. 

8.  “I wonder conversations”…These sometimes occur within a department meeting but more typically in a smaller department, they simply happen during casual conversations.  As chair I invite faculty to share their “I wonder” conversations with me.  These have resulted in several changes within majors, the development of a better-equipped computer laboratory, grant writing, and collaborative research projects.  A faculty member may simply stop by the office and say, “Robert and I were talking the other day and we wondered if…”  Sometimes the chair cannot move projects forward due to fiscal costs or other conflicts but this concept certainly encourages open discussion and a feeling that all faculty members’ ideas are worth sharing.  

Considerations and Difficulties 
Because the transition period in this case occurred over approximately three years, some repetition was essential since each new faculty member needed to discuss the same topics we had discussed with prior hires. In some cases I just asked one other senior faculty member to meet with the new faculty member(s) and me to reduce wasted faculty time. 

TIME is always difficult given the very diverse responsibilities of a department chairperson.  Delegation is certainly an option, and smaller group sessions would also work well in large departments.  

Not all faculty members, particularly in very large departments, will be willing to participate in mentoring sessions and conversational-style meetings.  Many of us are, however, more than willing to share “our perspectives” on mission, goals, and personal research.  This might be a positive beginning for engaging certain faculty who are more reticent about becoming involved with mentoring. 

Closing Comments 
When it comes to academic departments, all chairpersons know that creativity during transitions is essential since there is no one best set of strategies that will work well in all departments.  I simply tried strategies;  some worked and some didn’t.  During the interview process, I asked colleagues what they viewed as effective mentoring, and how the department might assist them in better understanding the College and department. I met with each faculty member once hired and talked further with them about fears, anxieties, and needs.  Strategies then evolved once I had a better feel for general needs of the individuals recently hired.  The goal was to balance these needs with departmental needs, always keeping in mind the mission and goals of the department and College, student and programmatic needs, and the importance of collegiality and ethos in faculty and student satisfaction. 

A sense of community must evolve over time.  Based on my experience, it does not do so within the academic department without concerted effort by the department chairperson and colleagues.  Any effort expended is worthwhile if a common departmental vision emerges, quality programs are developed/supported, student needs and interests are addressed, and collegial relationships emerge.  A sense of community creates a positive ethos in which each individual feels valued and appreciated. 

References  (excluding introductory quotes-citations for quotes included within introduction) 

Benoit, P., & Graham, S.  (2005).  The secrets of successful chairs.[Online] Available:  ACE Department Chair Online Resource Center athttp://www.acenet.edu/resources/chairs/ 

Boyce, B.  (1992).  The New faculty member:  Supporting and fostering professional development.  San Francisco, CA:  Jossey-Bass. Brinko, K.  (2004-2005 ed.).  Transitions:  What’s love got to do with it?[Online] Available:  The professional and Organizational Development Network in Higher Education at:http://www.podnetwork.org 

Center for Teaching, Learning, and Scholarship.  (2006).  Department chair resources:  Chairing the academic department.  [Online] Available:http://www.samford.edu/ctls/department_chair_resources.html 

Graham, S., & Benoit, P.  (2004).  Constructing the role of department chair.[Online] Available:  ACE Department Chair Online Resource Center athttp://www.acenet.edu/resources/chairs/ 

Menges, R. & Associates.  (1999).  Faculty in new jobs:  A guide to settling in, becoming established, and building institutional support.  San Francisco, CA:  Jossey-Bass. 

Olmstead, M.  (1993).  Mentoring new faculty:  Advice to Department Chairs.CSWP Gazette, 13(1), 1. 

Rice, R., Sorcinelli, M., & Austin, A.  (2000).  Heeding new voices:  Academic careers for a new generation.  Inquiry #7.  Washington, DC:  American Association for Higher Education. Seagren, A. et al.  (1993).  The department chair:  New roles, responsibilities, and challenges.  Washington, DC:  George Washington University/ERIC Clearinghouse on Higher Education. 

Wergin, J. L. (Spring 2004). Leadership in place.  The Department Chair, 14 (4).[Online] Available: http://www.acenet.edu/resources/chairs/docs/Wergin_LeadershipFM.pdf