Leadership for Academic Units: A Performance Improvement Model for Department Chairs, Deans, and Academic Vice Presidents (and those who aspire to be)

Introduction

The various SWOT analyses provide ideas that, at least at a superficial level, appear to make sense. They must be developed into formal proposals that are reviewed and put through the academic approval process before they can be implemented. Many good proposals do not emerge successfully from the process because they are turned over to a faculty committee with a passive elected chair. Such an individual might view his or her role to be simply a moderator and vote counter, as opposed to ardent proponent and leader charged with “making it happen.”

All of the concepts developed in the Old Dominion University case study are multi-disciplinary and, therefore, have an impact on every department in the college. When this is the case, any ...