Executive Summary
Universities and colleges face a growing crisis of relevance in the
twenty-first century, and academic departments and disciplines will not
be immune or protected. Department chairs and other academic leaders
need to provide leadership in this new complex, competitive,
technologically advanced, communications-dependent, and
consumer-oriented society. In doing so, they need an informed voice, as
well as support and even advocacy for faculty members, who are the heart
and soul of academic innovation.
Academic leaders need to understand the changing contexts in which
universities are operating, including evolving learner expectations,
culture, challenges, and opportunities. New technologies are changing
the nature of learning and teaching, and powerful competitors, who are
seeking to meet the educational needs of adult workers and other
nontraditional students, have emerged. The department chair is at the
center of effective leadership, helping faculty and staff to use
technological developments wisely, effectively, and efficiently. While
the department chair will provide leadership in changing technical and
procedural processes (first-order changes), the more important changes
will be at a fundamental level that will involve substantial shifts in
philosophy, values, goals, and core processes (second-order changes).
This briefing explores both opportunities and challenges for exercising
leadership in exploring new uses for technology in department settings.
It offers specific ideas for chairs to consider in promoting
technological changes as they develop approaches and strategies for
program development, department administration, faculty development and
mentoring, and overall departmental leadership.