Institutional Leadership  ›  About this Theme

Guiding Principles

Academic leaders--especially the provost, dean, and department chair--play critical roles in shaping the satisfaction or dissatisfaction of faculty members. COACHE research has found that tenured faculty desire from the administration a clearly-articulated institutional mission and vision that do not change in ways that adversely affect faculty work (e.g., increased focus on research over teaching or vice versa; raised expectations for generating funding from outside grants). Faculty also wish for clear and consistent expectations for the mix of research, teaching, and service or outreach; support for research (pre- and post-award) and teaching; and a sense that their work is valued.

Deans and department chairs (or heads) can improve faculty morale through honest communication, and particularly by involving faculty in meaningful decisions that affect them. Deans and chairs are also responsible for ensuring opportunities for faculty input and supporting faculty in adapting to any changes to mission and institutional priorities. Equity and fairness in faculty evaluation are also important factors when assessing department head or chair leadership.

Hallmarks of Successful Models

COACHE researchers interviewed leaders from member institutions whose faculty rated items in this theme exceptionally well compared to faculty at other participating campuses. We learned that high-performing institutions do some or all of the following:

Even if the Leadership: Senior marks are low, share them with faculty. Embrace reality, promise change, and be grateful that you have brought to light your faculty's concerns before a vote of no confidence was called.

Ensure that resources are allocated effectively to support changes in faculty work.

Be careful not to let faculty get caught unaware, unsuspecting, or unprepared for shifts in priorities. For example, guidelines for tenure and promotion should not be changed midstream; commitments (e.g., in a memorandum of understanding) should be honored.

Allow senior faculty members grace periods to adjust to new expectations.

Be transparent: it is almost impossible to over-communicate with faculty about changes to mission, institutional priorities, and resource allocation.

Consistent messaging is pivotal to strong leadership: work diligently to ensure that senior, divisional, and departmental leaders are hearing and communicating the same message about institutional priorities.

Priorities must be communicated via multiple channels, media, and venues. A blanket email or a website update does not adequately ensure broad communication of institutional priorities. Develop a communication plan that considers how the faculty everywhere--even the hard-to-reach--get information.

Provide consistent, well-designed management training and educational sessions for your institutional and departmental leaders. Offer department chairs more than just a one-day tutorial on the job--develop their leadership competencies. When their term as chair concludes, they will return to the faculty as leaders, not merely managers.

Provide chairs with a "Chair Handbook" and a web portal with "one stop shopping" on mentoring strategy, career mapping tools, and access to advice from peers.

Create opportunities for chairs to convene--perhaps without a dean or provost present--to discuss best practices, innovations, and shared struggles. Then, invite them to share their take-aways with the deans' council or other senior administrators.