Department Chairs
Department chairs have a wide array of responsibilities that involve navigating faculty and administrative priorities and interests. The role of the department chair is complex and broadly involves leadership, management and mentoring responsibilities. Faculty Affairs supports an orientation for new department chairs and a monthly series for all department chairs, which began in fall 2023, to further their professional and leadership development and connect with other department leaders to build relationships and further develop practical strategies to provide effective departmental leadership.
Monthly Forum for Department Chairs
The Monthly Forum for Department Chairs is aligned with the various roles and responsibilities of department chairs and embeds opportunities to address topics initiated by current chairs. See below for details on upcoming and past forums.
Fall 2025-Spring 2026
Spring 2026
- New P&T Policies: What Department Chairs Need to Know | January 21 | 10:00-11:00am or January 22 | 9:30-10:30am
This monthly forum prepares department chairs for when the revised promotion and tenure policies for term, tenure-eligible and tenured faculty go into effect. Chairs will gain clarity on promotion and tenure basics and key policy changes, including communicating progress towards promotion and/or tenure. The session helps chairs to rethink how they are supporting faculty and develop strategies for assisting candidates through the updated review process. - COACHE Faculty Job Satisfaction Survey: Insights for Department Chairs | February 17 | 10:00-11:00am
This monthly forum highlights results of the COACHE Faculty Job Satisfaction Survey relevant to the work of department chairs: department culture, nature of faculty work, and opportunities for professional development and growth. Understanding the experience of our faculty is critical for retention, fostering a thriving academic environment, and achieving departmental, unit and institutional goals. This session shares key findings to provide actionable insights to inform departmental leadership goals and strategies. -
Navigating Difficult Conversations: Practical Approaches for Constructive Dialogue | March 17 | 10:00-11:00amAs an academic leader, addressing performance issues or behavioral concerns with faculty peers is one of the most challenging aspects of the role. This monthly forum provides Department Chairs with tools and strategies for managing conflict and navigating challenging conversations with clarity and confidence. Using example scenarios, chairs will learn how to prepare effectively, facilitate productive dialogue and stay focused on solutions.
- In Good Company: Building a Community of Chairs | April 30 | 12:00-1:00pm
The role of a department chair is often described as "the toughest job in the academy" -- balancing the needs of faculty, the expectations of administration, and the success of students. In the rush of daily operations, space to step back and connect with other department leaders is rare. This session is designed to support building connections among department chairs and across units using a peer-to-peer consulting model. Whether you are in your first-year or a seasoned veteran, this session provides the space to exchange ideas, explore challenges and solutions to renew and recharge department leadership.
Fall 2025
- Balancing Leadership and Your Academic Identity | September 10 | 10:00-11:00am
This monthly forum explores effective strategies for managing administrative responsibilities and your academic and professional pursuits. A panel of department chairs will share strategies they use to maintain their scholarly identity while leading an academic department. Whether you're new to the role or a seasoned chair, this forum provides valuable insights to support your success in balancing these critical aspects of your professional life.
Panelists: Kevin Allison, Professor and Chair, Psychology; Rebecca Heise, Inez A. Caudill, Jr. Distinguished Professor and Chair, Biomedical Engineering; Cynthia Myron, Associate Professor, Senior Director, Fine Arts and Director of Graduate Studies, School of the Arts; Robert Perera, Associate Professor and Interim Chair, Biostatistics - Leading Change: A Discussion of Departmental Transformation | October 7 | 10:00-11:00am
This monthly forum explores three critical areas of departmental leadership: fostering positive cultural transformation, developing innovative academic programs and courses, and implementing new processes to enhance departmental effectiveness. Chairs will leave with actionable strategies for leading change in their departments, an understanding of common implementation challenges and solutions, and a network of peer contacts for ongoing support.
Panelists: Dave Dixon, Professor and Chair, Pharmacotherapy and Outcomes Science, School of Pharmacy; Rebecca Segal, Professor and Chair, Mathematics and Applied Mathematics, Acting Chair, Department of Statistical Sciences and Operations Research - Navigating Uncertainty: Supporting Faculty Through Academic Transitions and Challenges | November 12 | 10:00-11:00am In today's rapidly evolving academic landscape, faculty face unprecedented levels of uncertainty across multiple dimensions of their professional lives. Academic leaders need to be equipped to provide comprehensive support that addresses both practical and emotional needs. This session supports department chairs in effectively guiding their colleagues through periods of uncertainty. Speakers will address resources and strategies to support faculty research, assist their students, and foster their own health and wellness.
Speakers: John Ryan, Associate Vice Provost for Research Development; Gabe Willis, Associate Vice President and Dean of Student Advocacy, Division for Student Affairs; Jennifer Bucknam, NP, Employee Health Services
Fall 2024-Spring 2025
Spring 2025
- Anticipating and Responding to Complex Situations as a Department Chair | January 29 | 10:00-11:00am
Department chairs often address complex situations influenced by multiple factors. This session offers legal and practical guidance to department chairs about when and how to document interactions, the types of conversations to initiate; and how to gain clarity to inform appropriate responses and/or actions.
Jake Belue, Associate University Counsel; Mangala Subramaniam, Senior Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs - Strategies for Building Inclusive Workspaces | April 16 | 10:00-11:00am
Mangala Subramaniam, Senior Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs
Fall 2024
- The Role of Department Chairs in Creating a Healthy Workplace Culture | September 9, 10:00-11:30am
This session focuses on specific strategies and actions department chairs can use to promote a healthy department culture. The session builds on foundational ideas of psychological safety and includes practical and case examples to illustrate how administrators can foster belongingness and productive collaboration within their departments.
Suzanne Milton, Chief Ethics and Compliance Officer - VCU to Participate in COACHE Faculty Job Satisfaction Survey Through Harvard | October 21, 10:00-11:00am
This monthly forum will provide department chairs with an overview of the COACHE faculty survey.
Mangala Subramaniam, Senior Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs - Understanding the Graduate Faculty Mentor/Student Compact | November 13, 10:00-11:00am
Jeff Wilson, Associate Dean, The Graduate School
Fall 2023-Spring 2024
Spring 2024
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Opportunities & Resources: Scholarship Opportunities with the National Scholarship Office and Approaches to Managing Conflict with the VCU Ombudsperson | January 24, 10:30-11:30amThis session will have two presentations: one by the National Scholarship Office about their office and the scholarship opportunities available to faculty and students. The second presentation will be by the University Ombudsperson, focusing on approaches to managing conflict.
Jeff Wing, Director of the National Scholarship Office; William E. King, University Ombudsperson - Chair Cafe | February 28, 11:00am-12:15pm
The Chair's Cafe is an opportunity to come together to network and share experiences. We will listen and learn from each other about accomplishments, concerns, experiences, and positive actions taken. Please come to the session with 1-2 topics, questions, concerns you would like to discuss.
Fall 2023
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Meet the Provost Leadership Team | September 21, 11:00am-12:00pmThis session is designed to learn about the various functions within the Office of the Provost to support your success, engage in mutually beneficial discussions, and cultivate stronger partnerships.
Mangala Subramaniam, Senior Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs; William Nelson, Senior Vice Provost for Academic Administration and Operations; Andrew T. Arroyo, Interim Senior Vice Provost for Academic Affairs; Hernan Bucheli, Vice President for Strategic Enrollment Management, and Student Success; Aaron J. Hart, Vice President for Student Affairs -
Appreciative Leadership & Creating a Culture of Belonging and Inclusion | September 27, 10:30am-12:00pmAppreciative Leadership is a collaborative and rigorous approach to fostering employee engagement and wellbeing. During this session we will explore how we might use Appreciative Leadership practices to facilitate a culture of belonging and inclusion. | Sponsored by ADVANCE VCU Council of Chairs
Amy J. Armstrong, Associate Dean of Faculty, College of Health Professions; Darcy Mays, Professor, Department of Statistical Sciences and Operations Research, College of Humanities and Sciences -
Teaching, Learning, and Academic Regulations | October 3, 2:00-3:00pmThis session will discuss the role chair’s play with monitoring and discussing the basic requirements for teaching, syllabus development, textbook selection, and evaluation policies.
Andrew T. Arroyo, Interim Senior Vice Provost for Academic Affairs; William Nelson, Senior Vice Provost for Academic Administration and Operations - Chair Cafe | October 31, 11:30am-1:00pm
The Chair's Cafe is an opportunity to come together to network and share experiences. We will listen and learn from each other about accomplishments, concerns, experiences, and positive actions taken. Please come to the session with 1-2 topics, questions, concerns you would like to discuss. -
Using a Coaching Approach to Support Faculty Development | November 15, 10:30am-12:00pmJoin this engaging and interactive session to learn how to apply basic strengths-based coaching principles to foster career growth, expertise, and goal attainment for your faculty. | Sponsored by ADVANCE VCU Council of ChairsJean Bailey, Associate Dean for Faculty Development; Stacey Wahl, Senior Instructional Designer
New Department Chair Orientation
Effective leadership starts with a strong foundation. This interactive orientation is designed to set chairs up for long-term success. During the session, attendees will unpack the core responsibilities of their new role, acquire practical tools and management strategies for navigating academic leadership, and learn about the institutional resources offered by the Office of the Provost - Faculty Affairs. This orientation is also about building community. Attendees will have time for informal conversations with fellow incoming chairs and an opportunity to network over lunch with current department chairs to establish a professional support system from day one.
Fall 2026 Orientation
Orientation will be held on August 6 from 8:30am-3:00pm. Register here >>
Fall 2025 Orientation
Orientation was held on August 5 from 8:30am-3:00pm. Session details are below:
- Welcome and opening remarks
Kathy Rudasill, Interim Senior Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs; Beverly Warren, Interim Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs - The Roles and Responsibilities of the Chair
This session provides an overview of the primary roles of department chairs, the various responsibilities they undertake, and how related priorities may shift throughout the academic year.
Lisa Abrams, Interim Assistant Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs - The Role of Feedback in Cultivating Positive and Productive Relationships
Department chairs are essential to fostering an environment that enables all employees to thrive.This session highlights how feedback can help faculty learn, grow and be their best. We’ll discuss and practice ways that chairs can deliver supportive, intentional messages that ultimately lead to individual and team excellence, strong relationships and healthy workplace cultures.
Penny McFarline, Organization Development Specialist, VCU Human Resources; Shana Ryman, Learning, Development, and Cultural Specialist, VCU Human Resources - Navigating Your New Role, Relationships and Expectations
This session offers guidance to new department chairs with a focus on strategies for success in year one. A panel of current department chairs and deans from the Monroe Park and Health Sciences campuses will share suggestions for how chairs can: develop positive and productive relationships with faculty and administrators; engage faculty in the unit and university mission; and navigate the dual responsibilities of department advocacy and implementing unit goals and initiatives.
Moderator: Lisa Abrams, Interim Assistant Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs | Panelists: Paul Brooks, Chair, Information Systems, School of Business; Carole Ivey, Chair, Occupational Therapy, College of Health Professions; Christiana Lafazani, Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs, School of the Arts; Marcus Messner, Associate Dean for Faculty and Academic Affairs, College of Humanities and Sciences; Patrick Mullen, Chair, Counseling and Special Education, School of Education - Equity, Access and Compliance in Conflict Management
Department chairs have a key role in shaping a positive culture of respect, acceptance, and accountability within the department, unit and institution. There are likely to be disagreements and conflicts from time to time that chairs will need to address and resolve. This session focuses on ways to promote an open working environment, strategies for addressing conflict, and the thresholds needed to move a complaint forward to the appropriate university office.
Cleopatra Magwaro, Associate Vice President of Equity and Access Services (EAS); Suzanne Milton, Chief Audit and Compliance Executive; William King, University Ombudsperson - Leveraging the Office of Faculty Affairs in Department Leadership
This session describes the core functions and services provided by the Office of the Provost - Faculty Affairs. These include professional development opportunities for faculty at all career stages; internal and external faculty rewards and recognition; teaching enhancement initiatives supported by the Center for Teaching and Learning Excellence. The session is designed to support new department chairs' understanding of: the programs available to faculty; ways to access resources; how the office can serve as an essential partner in departmental leadership.
Lisa Abrams, Interim Assistant Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs; Susan Coombes, Director of the Center for Teaching and Learning Excellence; Tiffany Freitas, Program Manager, Faculty Affairs; Archana Pathak, Assistant Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs; Kathy Rudasill, Interim Senior Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs
Fall 2024 Orientation
Orientation was held on August 1 from 8:30am-3:00pm. Session details are below:
- Welcome and opening remarks
Mangala Subramaniam, Senior Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs; Fotis Sotiropoulos, Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs - The Roles and Responsibilities of the Chair
This session introduces you to the many facets of the department chair role and how these roles shift in emphasis over the course of the academic year.
Lisa Abrams, Interim Assistant Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs; Mangala Subramaniam, Senior Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs - Promoting a Culture of Care and Well-being
Department chairs have an active role in promoting a culture of care and well-being in their units to foster an environment in which all employees can thrive. This session features how department chairs can encourage well-being, mindfulness and mitigate stress among faculty and staff. Information about VCU resources available to support employee health will be distributed.
Anika Hines, Assistant Professor, Health Policy, School of Public Health; Shawn Utsey, Professor & Chair, African American Studies, College of Humanities and Sciences - Navigating Your New Role, Relationships and Expectations
This session is designed to provide guidance to new department chairs and strategies for success in year one. A panel of current department chairs and deans will offer recommendations and suggestions for how chairs can develop positive and productive relationships with faculty. We will also discuss how being the chair impacts relationships with faculty, strategies for engaging faculty in the unit and university mission, and suggestions for navigating the dual responsibilities of department advocacy and carrying out unit goals and initiatives.
Moderator: Lisa Abrams, Interim Assistant Vice Provost of Faculty Affairs | Panelists: Alisa Brink, Professor & Chair, Accounting, School of Business; Azim Eskandarian, Alice T. and William H. Goodwin Jr. Dean, College of Engineering; Les Harrison, Associate Professor & Chair, English, College of Humanities and Sciences; Carmenita Higginbotham, Dean, School of the Arts; Patrick Mullen, Associate Professor & Chair, Counseling and Special Education, School of Education - Supporting Faculty and Academic Success
This session provides an overview of the role, responsibilities, and resources available through the Offices of the Senior Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs and the Senior Vice Provost for Academic Affairs. The goal is to assist department chairs in understanding the functions of the offices and how each can support their work with faculty and academic programs.
Andrew Arroyo, Senior Vice Provost of Academic Affairs; Susan Coombes, Interim Director of the Center for Teaching and Learning Excellence; Mangala Subramaniam, Senior Vice Provost of Faculty Affairs - Centering Equity, Access, and Compliance in Conflict Management
Department chairs have a key role in shaping a positive culture of respect, acceptance, and accountability within the department, unit and institution. There are likely to be disagreements and conflicts from time to time. This session focuses on ways to promote an open working environment, strategies for addressing conflict, and the thresholds needed to move a complaint forward to the appropriate university office.
William King, Ombudsperson; Cleopatra Magwaro, Associate Vice President of Equity and Access Services; Suzanne Milton, Chief Ethics and Compliance Officer
Fall 2023 Orientation
Orientation was held on August 15 from 8:15am-12:20pm and August 23 from 11:30am-3:50pm. Session details are below:
- Welcome and opening remarks
Mangala Subramaniam, Senior Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs; Fotis Sotiropoulos, Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs; Michael Rao, President - Supporting Faculty and the Operational Academic Enterprise
This session will provide an overview of the role, responsibilities, and resources available through the Office of the Senior Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs and the Office of the Senior Vice Provost for Academic Administration and Operations. The goal is to assist in understanding the functions of the offices and how each can support your role.
William Nelson, Senior Vice Provost for Academic Administration and Operations; Mangala Subramaniam, Senior Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs - Supporting Academic and Student Success
This session will provide an overview of the role, responsibilities, and resources available through the Office of the Senior Vice Provost for Academic Affairs and the Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs. The goal is to assist in understanding the functions of the offices and how each can support your role.
Andrew T. Arroyo, Interim Senior Vice Provost for Academic Affairs; Aaron J. Hart, Vice President for Student Affairs; Erin Webster Garrett, Associate Vice Provost for Relevant, Experiential, and Applied Learning - Promoting a Culture of Health and Wellness
Suzanne Weaver, Employee Health - The “New” Balance: Navigating Relationships, Roles, and Expectations
This session is designed to provide guidance on the transition from faculty to chair and how that impacts your relationship with faculty, your role as both advocate for the department and implementer of the dean’s requests, and creating a productive and open environment.
Jill Gordon, Assistant Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs; Tracey Gendron, Gerontology; Preetam Ghosh, Computer Science; D’Arcy Mays, Institutional Research and Decision Support - The Good, the Bad, the Practical: Legal Guidance for Department Chairs
New chairs are faced with many unknowns, this session will provide helpful guidance on when and how to document, notify your supervisor, or engage with legal counsel. Guidance will be provided on the “do’s and don’ts”, communication strategies, and the role of the office and who oversees what types of concerns.
Jake Belue, Associate University Counsel; Kristen Calleja, Associate University Counsel and Senior Assistant Attorney General - What’s the Threshold? Why Does Equity, Access, and Compliance Matter?
It is important for department chairs to recognize the role they have in shaping a positive culture of respect, acceptance, and accountability regardless of one’s position within the unit. There are likely to be disagreements and conflicts from time to time. This session will discuss ways to promote an open working environment, strategies to handle conflict, and demystify the thresholds required for a complaint to be substantiated in two key offices.
Cleopatra Magwaro, Associate Vice President of Equity and Access Services; Suzanne Milton, Chief Ethics and Compliance Officer - Fostering ’Belongingness’ in the Workplace
This interactive session will discuss a focus on ‘belongingness.’ Doing the ‘work’ of belongingness intentionally can build community, foster the success of faculty, staff, and students, and facilitate retention.
Mangala Subramaniam, Senior Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs
President Rao addressing audience at New Department Chair Orientation, August 2023.