Academic Leaders

Leadership development opportunities provided by the Office of Faculty Affairs include workshops and cohort program designed to prepare faculty for leadership roles across their career. Programs align with the knowledge and practices articulated in the University System of Georgia Leadership Competencies Model, which foregrounds ethics and integrity. Further, C. Clinton Sidle’s leadership development model informs our emphasis on four leadership competencies: personal mastery, interpersonal communication, team management, and systems thinking. As Walter H. Gmelch and Jeffrey L. Buller explain in their Building Academic Leadership Capacity (2015), “Academic leadership is the act of empowering members of the faculty and staff by working with them collegially to achieve common goals, build a community of scholars, and sustain a high level of morale.” Our programs offer a range of opportunities for leaders to learn with one another, build community, stretch their knowledge and skills, and advance their careers. We also draw on Gmelch and Buller’s paradigm of habits that leaders should employ to increase learning and effectiveness:

Habits of Mind: The Development of Conceptual Understanding
Habits of Practice: The Development of Skill
Habits of the Heart: The Development of Reflective Practice

Cohort Programs and Series

Workshops and Events

Navigating the Waters: Team Leadership in Times of Change - 9/30/2024, 11:30 AM - 1:00 PM

Stacy Campbell, Synovus Director, Institute for Leadership Advancement, Terry College of Business

This session will discuss ways to help your team embrace change positively, emphasizing adaptability and highlighting the importance of emotional awareness. Dr. Campbell will delve into the core tenets of empathetic leadership, offering strategies to handle change, resolve conflicts, and foster a culture of understanding within your departments.

Financial Management and Fundraising for Academic Leaders - 10/30/2024, 9:00 AM - 10:30 AM

Elizabeth Prince, Chief Financial Officer, UGA Foundation, and Jeremy Ransom, Associate Vice President for Development and Alumni Relations

This session for academic leaders who oversee budgets will introduce the responsibilities of managing a budget with attention to the UGA budget process, fiscal leadership responsibilities, and resources available. This session will also focus on some fundamentals of fundraising for department heads and others in leadership positions. The session will provide opportunities for participants to ask questions and discuss their experiences.

Revised Faculty Annual Evaluation Policies: Now What? - 12/10/2024, 10:30 AM - 12:00 PM

Elizabeth Weeks, Associate Provost for Faculty Affairs, and Mary Carney, Director of Programming, Office of Faculty Affairs

You’ve heard about the changes to annual evaluation policies, now join us for this workshop that will provide a full overview of the revised faculty annual evaluation policies. You will also garner resources to support this evolution. We’ll discuss strategies for structuring effective faculty evaluations, developing performance criteria, and fostering faculty success all year. You will have a chance to share best practices. This session is limited to faculty in titled leadership roles who supervise faculty.

Supporting Student Success - 1/24/2025, 9:00 AM - 10:30 AM

Anne Shaffer, Associate Dean of the Graduate School, and Carrie Smith, Director of Student Care and Outreach

In this session, Anne Shaffer and Carrie Smith will share current research findings regarding student wellbeing and strategies for responding to student needs. Participants will garner resources and insights about how to further enrich UGA’s community of academic excellence.

Student Learning Outcomes Assessment and Program Review - 3/20/2025, 10:00 AM - 11:30 AM

Katie Burr, Director of Assessment, and Maggie Parker, Director for Accreditation and Institutional Effectiveness

This session will provide insights into student learning outcomes (SLO) assessment and program review. By attending this session, participants will be able to 1. Explain the rationale behind the Program Review and SLO Assessment processes and identify the key components that need to be addressed, 2. Explain how data from the SLO Assessment informs the Program Review process, and vice versa, and 3. Describe key aspects of strong assessment design, such as choosing appropriate assessment methods and measures, analyzing data, and using assessment to inform instructional and curricular improvement. This session is open to all faculty and geared toward program coordinators, department heads, associate deans, and deans.

Select Books and Resources

Books

Buller, J. L. (2014).  Change leadership in higher education: A practical guide to academic transformation.
Buller, J. L. (2015). The essential academic dean or provost: A comprehensive desk reference (2nd ed.).
Buller, J. L. (2011). The essential department chair: A comprehensive desk reference (2nd ed.).
Buller, J. L. (2013). Positive academic leadership: How to stop putting out fires and start making a difference.
Cameron, K. (2008). Positive leadership: Strategies for effective performance.
Gmelch, W. H., and Buller, J. L. (2015). Building academic leadership capacity: A guide to best practice.
Gmelch, W. H. and Miskin V. D. (2004). Chairing an Academic Department.
Gunsalus, C. K. (2021). The College Administrator’s Survival Guide.
Kouzes, J. M. and B. Z. Posner. (2017). The leadership challenge: How to make extraordinary things happen in organizations (6th ed.).
Kouzes, J. M. and B. Z. Posner. (2019). Leadership in higher education: Practices that make a difference.
Marturano, J. (2014). Finding the space to lead: A practical guide to mindful leadership.
Seligman, M., & Csikszentmihalyi, M. (2000). Positive psychology: An introduction. American Psychologist, 55(1), 5–14.
Sidle, C. C. (2019). Empowered: Leadership development for higher education.
Stanier, M. B. (2016). The coaching habit: Say less, ask more, & change the way you lead forever.
Wolverton, M. and Gmelch, W. H. (2002). College deans: Leading from within.

Journals and Web Resources

The Chronicle of Higher Education is a must read for academic leaders. The Advice section regularly publishes series such as “Admin 101” and “Ask the Chair,” as well as a range of essays on leadership topics.
The higher education website Faculty Focus offers articles to grow the skills and knowledge of deans, department heads, and other academic leaders. Topics include how to set priorities, evaluate faculty, plan for succession, make the transition from faculty to administrator, create a culture of mentoring, build community, and many more.
Inside Higher Ed (IHE) has a series of articles on “Advancing as an Administrator.” Both new and seasoned leaders may find insights of value. Two examples include an essay entitled Why Is Change So Difficult? and ‘Leave the Gun. Take the Cannoli.’
AAUP Journal of Academic Freedom
Department Chair, Wiley
Change: The Magazine of Higher Learning
Higher Education: Handbook of Theory and Research
Jossey Bass Higher Education Newsletter Series
Journal of College Student Development
Journal of Faculty Development
Journal of Higher Education
Journal of Student Affairs Research and Practice
Research in Higher Education
University Business

For more information, please email the Faculty and Leadership Development unit of the Office of Faculty Affairs at [email protected].

Office of Faculty Affairs