The Strategy Symposium: A Blueprint for Higher Education Trustees
The Chronicle of Higher Education has the nation’s largest newsroom dedicated to covering colleges and universities. As the unrivaled leader in higher education journalism, we serve our readers with indispensable real-time news and deep insights.
Our professional-development resources are designed to combine critical information from The Chronicle‘s journalism with practical skill-building workshops, seminars, and tools that will help you succeed in higher ed. We partner with leading experts and experienced practitioners to provide robust programs tailored to the evolving needs of professionals navigating an ever-changing academic landscape.
Through our groundbreaking programs, we have helped hundreds of academic professionals think strategically about their roles, departments, and institutions. With a range of engaging events, carefully curated readings, and specially-designed exercises, our professional development resources can help you approach challenges and opportunities with a fresh lens and innovative mindset.
Thank you for your ingenuity in creating [these] training sessions for Department Chairs. I applied for them because they appeared to offer something others did not. Your sessions were not simply how to do the 'mundane' things of being Chair, but more open and inviting on navigating the challenges of being chairs, which I feel most of us need.
As an aspiring University President I felt this workshop provided me with the tools and resources that will help me be a well rounded leader. The president's panel allowed me to see myself in the role and to hear about the good, bad, and ugly sides (mostly good) of being a female leader.
Just had a meeting with my department and by the end of the meeting they initiated the very goal and action plan I wanted them to. I felt like a Department Chair Ninja!
-
The Strategy Symposium: A Blueprint for Higher Education Trustees
Now more than ever, trustees need clarity on how to support the strategic direction of their institutions. While board members bring a wealth of experience and expertise in their fields, it is often challenging for them to contribute meaningfully without a background in higher-education planning and processes. To help navigate the current tumultuous landscape, The Chronicle of Higher Education and the Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges (AGB) are partnering to offer the first of its kind forum for board members to advance their strategic thinking. -
The Chronicle’s Women Leading Change Program
Th Chronicle has partnered with Strategic Imagination to create a groundbreaking virtual leadership series that will provide critical context, creative strategies, and guided exercises for women in leadership roles across academe. Our program tracks are designed to target the areas most important to women at different leadership levels, culminating in a Summit to bridge the gaps between those levels for a more comprehensive view on systemic pressure women face in higher ed. -
The Chronicle’s Strategic-Leadership Program for Department Chairs
As a bridge between administration and faculty, department chairs have one of the toughest jobs on campus. We’ve partnered with experienced academic leaders at Dever Justice LLC and leading research experts at Ithaka S+R to design a program that will help guide new and experienced chairs through the challenges and transformative opportunities of their role. Through collaborative workshops, high-level seminars, strategic planning exercises, and more, chairs will be empowered to turn their service into leadership.

Dever Justice LLC is a partnership dedicated to supporting college and university faculty. Together, Carolyn Dever and George Justice offer a combined 50 years of experience as professors at a total of eight universities, large and small, urban and rural, in the north, south, midwest, and west of the US. They have each served in a number of senior leadership roles, at levels ranging from the department to the institution, and have worked to advance excellence in education and research, and to create diverse, inclusive pathways for all members of our campus communities.

Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges
The Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges (AGB) is the premier membership organization that strengthens higher education governing boards and the strategic roles they serve within their organizations. Through our vast library of resources, educational events, and consulting services, and with more than 100 years of experience, we empower 40,000 AGB members from more than 2,000 institutions and foundations to navigate complex issues, implement leading practices, streamline operations, and govern with confidence. AGB is the trusted resource for board members, chief executives, and key administrators on higher education governance and leadership.

Ithaka S+R works with leaders in higher education, academic libraries, museums, foundations, and publishers to research, evaluate, and provide strategic guidance in a range of areas. Ithaka S+R helps academic and cultural communities serve the public good and navigate economic, technological, and demographic change. Their work aims to broaden access to quality postsecondary education, improve student outcomes, and advance research and knowledge.

Strategic Imagination uses the tools of the imaginative arts to help individuals and organizations get unstuck when they can’t afford to do things as they’ve always done. Fiction, theatre, comics, and other imaginative arts have the power to get leaders out of trapped mindsets, build empathy for colleagues and customers/stakeholders, and see bolder future visions than we thought possible. Strategic Imagination brings these tools and more to the table to help organizations and leaders bolster DEI initiatives, organizational agility, and to practice future visioning.
-
Advice
Managing Conflict as a Department Chair
Department chairs often find themselves in the role of “faculty whisperer,” trying to solve conflicts that can be decades in the making. George Justice provides a tip on how chairs can improve their skills and understand their role. Video provided by Dever Justice LLC. -
Work/Life (Im)Balance
Conceding that work/life balance is a myth, Carolyn Dever offers help for those academics struggling to manage the chaos of work/life imbalance. Video provided by Dever Justice LLC.
-
Seven Practices for Building Community and Student Belonging Virtually
Most colleges have traditionally provided in-person programming and supports to strengthen bonds between students and build community. This research brief was originally published by Ithaka S+R. -
The Disproportionate Impact of the Pandemic on Women and Caregivers in Academia
Evidence is mounting that women in academia have disproportionately been affected by the pandemic, and recent research points to new gender gaps. This research brief was originally published by Ithaka S+R. -
Advice
How to Prepare to Chair a Department at a Community College
What steps can you take now if you are thinking about moving into a career in academic administration? -
Advice
The Provost Files: 8 Dos and Don’ts for New Leaders
What to expect in your first year in academic administration. -
The Review | Opinion
Women Do Higher Ed’s Chores. That Must Change.
From the mundanely sexist to the lawsuit-worthy, service work is inequitable. -
Advice
Faculty Job Dissatisfaction Isn’t About ‘Burnout’
The core issue many academics struggle with is how their work can have more of an impact on people.