The Chair’s Role in the Continuing Pandemic

George Justice discusses how department chairs are continuing to deal with Covid on campus, and how they’re dealing with the added pressures if leading through the pandemic.

Transcript:

Department chairs are in a tough spot in the fall of 2021. Whether you’re at a small private institution. A community college, a regional State College, or a large research University, you’re dealing with COVID. And for many of you, the politics of masking and the politics of vaccines.

We all wanted this to be over, but it’s not. Maybe you have had to push unwilling faculty into the classroom, physically. Or maybe deal with students who are tired of online learning. Your staff might be in rebellion against institutional policy, even if they mostly like you. You’re probably working extra hours on top of the extra hours you were already putting in as chair. Trying to keep up with your own teaching, or, ha-ha, a research agenda. Good luck with that.

So what are you going to do? Maybe your wristwatch, like mine, periodically reminds you to breathe deeply. That’s a start, but it isn’t enough. Identify different groups that might provide mutual support. Maybe it’s your departmental leadership team. Maybe it’s a set of chairs who are all dealing with the same issues at your institution. Maybe it’s some friends from graduate school. They will understand. They will listen without trying to solve your problems. And you will do the same for them.

Video provided by Dever Justice LLC.

Learn more about The Chronicle’s Strategic-Leadership Program for Department Chairs