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 2026-Spring 2027
Fall 2026
- Academic Year Kickoff: Policy Updates, Faculty Credentials & Success Tips | September 8 | 10:00-11:00am | Register
As academic leaders, department chairs play an essential role in maintaining institutional integrity, supporting faculty success, and ensuring compliance with accreditation standards. This forum is designed to equip chairs with the most up-to-date information about faculty policies, credentialing requirements and quick tips for starting the academic year seamlessly. - Balancing the Scales: Practical Strategies for Addressing Faculty Workload Disparities | October 7 | 9:00-10:15am | Register
Faculty workload disparities, including invisible service, high-volume advising, and unbalanced teaching loads, frequently impact faculty retention, satisfaction, and career advancement. Designed for academic department chairs, this forum starts a conversation about faculty workload. The session provides foundational information and strategies to recognize, evaluate, and rebalance faculty responsibilities. - Master Your Time. Maximize Your Impact. | November 12 | 10:00-11:00am | Register
What separates highly effective leaders from everyone else? It’s not that they have more time – it’s that they make better decisions about how they spend it. In this session, we’ll explore the Eisenhower Matrix, a powerful framework used by leaders to prioritize tasks, delegate effectively and focus on what truly moves the needle. You’ll learn how to distinguish between what’s urgent and what’s important, reduce time spent on low-value activities, empower others through delegation, and create more space for strategic thinking. Whether you’re leading a team, managing a project, or simply trying to get more done without burning out, this practice session will help you work smarter, lead better, and reclaim control of your calendar.
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
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 was held on August 6 from 8:30am-3:00pm. Session details are below:
- Welcome and opening remarks
Kathy Rudasill, Senior Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs; Arturo P. Saavedra, Executive Vice President and Provost - 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, Assistant Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs - Navigating Change as a Department Chair
This session introduces chairs to concrete strategies to improve communication and decision-making, with the broader aim of improving the climate in which we work. This focus is not on a framework or philosophy, but rather, specific practices that will help you navigate ways to respond to resistance, obfuscation, and/or toxic behaviors that prevent your department from moving forward. Incorporating these practices in your leadership can have a positive impact on improving transparency, building trust, and encouraging engagement.
Katy Hanggi, Chair, Department of Focused Inquiry, College of Humanities and Sciences - 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, Assistant Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs | Panelists: Dave Dixon, Chair, Pharmacotherapy & Outcomes Science, School of Pharmacy; Lee Franco, Chair, Kinesiology and Health Sciences, College of Humanities and Sciences; Tracey Gendron, Interim Associate Dean of Faculty Affairs, College of Health Professions & Chair, Gerontology; Carrie LeCrom, Executive Director of the Center for Sport Leadership, School of Business - Equity, Access and Compliance in Conflict Management
Department chairs play a key role in shaping a positive culture of respect, acceptance, and accountability within their department, unit and the institution. While disagreements and conflicts are bound to arise from time to time, this session focuses on ways to promote an open working environment, strategies for addressing conflict, and how to forward a complaint to the appropriate university office and resource.
Jason Block, Chief Ethics and Compliance Officer; William King, University Ombudsperson; Cleopatra Magwaro, Associate Vice President of Equity and Access Services (EAS) - Reflection and Planning: Turning Insights into Action
This collaborative closing session provides an opportunity for new department chairs to reflect on the core themes and leadership strategies discussed throughout the day. Chairs will begin translating these insights into immediate, practical application for their own departments. - Leveraging the Office of Faculty Affairs in Department Leadership
This session describes the core functions and services of the Office of the Provost - Faculty Affairs. These include: professional development opportunities for faculty at all career stages; faculty recognition; teaching enhancement initiatives supported by the Center for Teaching and Learning Excellence and the LED Studio; and research and scholarly support. The session introduces new department chairs to the programs available to faculty; ways to access resources; and how the office can serve as a key partner in departmental leadership.
Lisa Abrams, Assistant Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs; Susan Coombes, Assistant Vice Provost & Director, Center for Teaching and Learning Excellence; Archana Pathak, Assistant Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs
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
President Rao addressing audience at New Department Chair Orientation, August 2023.