Conference Agenda

Organized by the Committee on Career-Related Issues.

Finding committed, effective chairs can pose difficulties for organizations. Sometimes, a single individual might prove such an effective leader that their colleagues press them to remain in the position longer than they might wish. In other organizations, chairing might function more like a “tour of duty” passed between stewards who have varying levels of interest in or facility with the role. This panel features faculty who have served as department chair (or in other chair-like roles) and who embraced the position as a vehicle for positive change. Speakers will discuss topics such as approaches to hiring, advancing D.E.I initiatives, addressing pay inequities, making workplace cultures more family-friendly, and meaningfully integrating adjunct faculty into the workforce.

Each of five panelists will give a five-minute lightning talk, after which the co-chairs will engage the panelists as a group for approximately twenty minutes of targeted discussion. Speakers may reflect on a number of questions, including but not limited to: How can faculty prepare themselves to be good candidates for department chair? How might chairing impact work–life balance? What skills should potential chairs seek to develop? How can chairing be a vehicle for advancing principles of inclusion, diversity, equity, and access? What are some of the challenges and rewards of taking on the chair? How can one balance such a role with teaching and research? The session co-chairs will then moderate discussion among all those in attendance for the remaining forty-five minutes of the session. The speakers have, collectively, served as chair or in chair-like roles in a range of public and private colleges and universities. This session builds on a well-attended session held in Denver (2023) that focused on moving into administrative positions.