Department Chair Leadership Institute
DCLI is designed to develop critical skills for leading your department as an institutional citizen.
Learn more.Develop leadership skills needed to lead change during turbulent times.
The Department Chair Leadership Institute is designed for current department chairs who serve at state colleges and universities and aspire to be dynamic, strategic, and empathetic leaders. Participants gain a national perspective on the importance of the department chair in serving the institutional mission, leading with an equity mindset, delivering value and ensuring student success.
Who Should Participate
- Current or newly appointed department chairs who are committed to strengthening their leadership skills.
How You’ll Benefit
- Develop critical skills for leading your department as an institutional citizen.
- Build a strong and supportive network of colleagues and mentors.
What to Expect
- Diversity, equity, and inclusion discussions integrated throughout.
- Tailored to the distinctive needs of department chairs serving at state colleges and universities.
- Strong relational component—commitment to create and support trust, encourage peer-to-peer learning, confidentiality, and safety among the cohort.
- Develop critical skills for leading as an institutional citizen.
- Equip department chairs with tools to overcome common challenges.
- Prepare department chairs with tools and skills to succeed in their chair role as well as for future roles in university administration.
In anticipation of high demand, the Department Chair Leadership Institute will be offered twice in 2024. The program will be the same for both the January and August cohorts and will be led by a faculty of experienced Department Chairs and University Administrators from AASCU institutions.
- Cohort One
- An intensive in-person program at AASCU’s Washington, D.C. office on January 10 and 11, 2024.
- In-person programming will not be livestreamed or otherwise recorded. One-hundred percent attendance and participation is expected.
- Two, 75-minute virtual sessions in February and March.
- Cohort Two
- An intensive in-person program at AASCU’s Washington, D.C. office on August 14 and 15, 2024.
- In-person programming will not be livestreamed or otherwise recorded. One-hundred percent attendance and participation is expected.
- Two, 75-minute virtual sessions in September and October.
Special thanks to Zulma Toro and Central Connecticut State University for piloting the department chair curriculum.
- Leading your department in alignment with your institution’s mission and strategic plan
- Growing and sustaining a future-focused department
- Navigating difficult conversations
- Maintaining relevance in the face of changes in higher education
- Resource management
- Principles of supervision
- Wellness for leaders
- Applications that are complete, including a nomination/endorsement from a dean, provost, president or chancellor, and submitted by the deadline will be considered.
- The Department Chair Institute faculty will review applications and select a cohort that reflects the diversity of AASCU membership.
- Preference is given to applicants from AASCU member institutions.
- A maximum of 36 participants will be selected for both cohorts.
The application period for Cohorts One and Two for this program will open in late summer 2023. A complete application for the Department Chair Institute includes the following:
- Applications and endorsements are due by Oct. 10, 2023
- Nomination or endorsement from a dean, provost, president or chancellor from your home institution. (Nominations from higher-level administrators do not carry more weight.)
- Clear and concise summary of your personal and professional development goals.
- Demonstrated interest in subsequent leadership positions.
- Commitment to 100% participation.
- $1250 members
- $2250 non-members (AASCU members receive preference)
Program impact
77%pt. increase
19% of January 2024 cohort members reported feeling connected before the program vs. 96% who felt connected at the end of day 2.
4.38/5
Average rating of content, presentation, and speaker quality for the January program.
Meet the Department Chair Leadership Institute faculty
Terry
Brown
Vice President of Academic Innovation and Transformation
AASCU
Ralph A.
Gigliotti
Assistant Vice President for Organizational Leadership, University Academic Affairs
Rutgers University (NJ)
Adriana
Gordillo
Professor and Chair, Department of World Languages and Cultures
Minnesota State University, Mankato
Richard
Helldobler
President
William Paterson University (NJ)
David
Hood
Provost and Senior Vice President of Academic Affairs
Minnesota State University, Mankato
Lisa
Hunter
Associate Vice President for Academic Innovation and Transformation
AASCU
Mehruz
Kamal
Associate Professor and Chair, Department of Computing Sciences
State University of New York at Brockport
Crystal L.
Miller
Chief Learning Officer and Organizational Strategist
BiasSync
Mary C.
Toale
Deputy to the President
State University of New York at Oswego
Kathleen
Scott
Vice President of Leadership Development and Partnerships
AASCU
Frequently Asked Questions
AASCU member institutions may nominate more than one Department Chair. In order to engage a diverse cohort and to best serve as many of our member institutions as possible, AASCU may cap the number of participants from the same institution at two per cohort.
Aspiring leaders are encouraged to apply for the Department Chair Leadership Institute and for 2024 Leadership Development Programming. Program timing and curriculum is designed uniquely for different audiences.
AASCU Consulting offers a 1.5-day department chair institute onsite at your institution, followed by four 1-hour virtual workshops during the academic year. The institution-specific onsite academy program aligns with the AASCU Department Chair Leadership Institute or can be further tailored to address specific topics at your institution. Contact Matt Ceppi to learn more.
2024 Cohort #1
Jackie
Apodaca
Professor and Co-Chair of Theatre, Faculty Senate Chair
Southern Oregon University
Arne
Baruca
Chair, Management and Marketing Department at the College of Business
Texas A&M University-San Antonio
Maria Alessandra
Bollettino
Chair and Professor of the Department of History
Framingham State University (MA)
Lizabeth
Cain
Associate Professor, Department of Teaching and Learning
State University of New York at New Paltz
Cristóbal
Cardemil-Krause
Chair, Department of Languages and Cultures
West Chester University (PA)
Theresa B.
Clarke
Academic Unit Head and Professor of Marketing
James Madison University (VA)
Caress A.
Dean
Chair, Department of Public and Environmental Wellness and Master of Public Health Program Director
Oakland University (MI)
Dee
Fretwell
Chair, Senior Faculty, School of Business
Southern Oregon University
Anthony L.
Fulmore
Chair and Assistant Professor, Accounting and Finance Department
Texas A&M University-Central Texas
Robin
Gallaher
Chair and Associate Professor, Language, Literature, and Writing
Northwest Missouri State University
Larry
Gibbs
Chair, Healthcare Administration Program
Southern Oregon University
Denise
Gorsline
Chair, School of Communication and Journalism
Minnesota State University Moorhead
Jessica Loyet
Gracey
Chair and Associate Professor, Department of Humanities & Social Sciences
Northwest Missouri State University
Jacqueline J.
Hill
Chair, Department of Nursing
Bowie State University (MD)
Mehruz
Kamal
Associate Professor and Chair, Department of Computing Sciences
State University of New York at Brockport
Elizabeth P.
Karam
Academic Unit Head, Department of Management
James Madison University (VA)
Neelam
Khan
Department Chair of Physics and Pre-Engineering
Georgia Gwinnett College
Ji Young
Kim
Department Chair and Associate Professor of English
Fayetteville State University (NC)
David
Kirschner
Chair, Department of Human Services and Cultural Studies; Associate Professor of Sociology
Georgia Gwinnett College
Danielle T.
Ligocki
Chair and Associate Professor, Department of Teaching and Learning
Oakland University (MI)
Jesse
Longhurst
Chair and Associate Professor, Education
Southern Oregon University
Gerard
Madlambayan
Chair and Professor, Biological Sciences
Oakland University (MI)
Scott L.
Newbert
Chair and Professor, Department of Entrepreneurship and Innovation
City University of New York, Baruch College
Matthew
Pangborn
Chair and Professor, English
Georgia College & State University
Jeffrey
Pietruszynski
Chair, English Department
West Virginia State University
Jonathan D.
Raskin
Chair and Professor, Psychology
State University of New York at New Paltz
Rachna
Sadana
Chair and Professor, Department of Natural Sciences
University of Houston-Downtown (TX)
Marieke C.
Schilpzand
Chair and Associate Professor, Department of Management, International Business, and Business Communications
Georgia Gwinnett College
Kyle
Seifert
Academic Unit Head and Professor, Biology
James Madison University (VA)
Preety
Tripathi
Chair, Math Department
State University of New York at Oswego
Keaghan
Turner
Chair and Associate Professor, Digital Writing and Humanistic Studies
Coastal Carolina University (SC)
Michael
Waldman
Interim Chief Librarian
City University of New York, Baruch College
Jessica
Welsh
Chair and Instructor, Communication Disorders
State University of New York at New Paltz
Concetta A.
Williams
Chair, Department of English, Foreign Languages and Literatures, and Interdisciplinary Programs
Chicago State University (IL)
Application Details
Applications are closed for the 2024 cohorts.
Sign up below to receive notifications about the next application period.
Application Requirements
- Nomination or endorsement from a dean, provost, president or chancellor from your home institution (nominations from higher-level administrators do not carry more weight.)
- Clear and concise summary of your personal and professional development goals.
- Demonstrated interest in subsequent leadership positions.
- Commitment to 100% participation.
Important Dates
- Applications and endorsements are due by Oct. 10, 2023
- Registration will open in late summer 2023.
- Cohort One
- An intensive in-person program at AASCU’s Washington, D.C. office on January 10 and 11, 2024.
- Two, 75-minute virtual sessions in February and March 2024.
- Cohort Two
- An intensive in-person program at AASCU’s Washington, D.C. office on August 14 and 15, 2024.
- Two, 75-minute virtual sessions in September and October 2024.
Sign up to receive notifications about the next application period.
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