ABSTRACT: 2013 ELATE Institutional Action Project Poster Symposium
Project Title: Creating a Productive Departmental Climate
Name and Institution: Jacqueline A Isaacs, Acting Chair and Professor of Mechanical and Industrial
Engineering, Northeastern University (NU)
Collaborators: J. Rinehart, Exec Director ADVANCE; S. Ambrose, Assoc Vice Provost for Teaching and
Learning;
N. Feld, Chair Art+Design; G. Jones, Chair Chemistry and Chemical Biology
Background, Challenge or Opportunity: Department chairs serve important roles in academic
institutions – as administrators, leaders, and mentors. Northeastern’s Office of the Provost regularly
offers workshops for chairs twice annually on topics of interest; these workshops provide useful
information and guidance to available resources and in some cases, offer insights on effective strategies
for handling departmental issues. Participants include Chairs as well as Associate Deans and Deans.
Currently, there are formal or informal events, workshops or meetings for the group of chairs to interact
among themselves to discuss relevant issues.
Purpose/Objectives: This Institutional Action Plan is focused on creation of a resource for department
chairs: a cross-college peer-to-peer network for chairs to encourage both formal and informal means for
seeking insights from other chairs on the Northeastern campus. This will offer department chairs
opportunities to obtain input when faced with difficult dilemmas or to provide insights to other chairs
facing new circumstances. There are numerous situations that require action by the chair. Some include
issues on leading and managing faculty, while other issues are related to managing staff or
communicating with other administrative units, students, alumni, donors and industry. Creation of a
“chair network” could contribute to building a community among department chairs with virtual and
face-to-face opportunities for communication of insights on various topics of importance.
Methods/Approach: In this IAP, several venues for chair interactions are explored. 1) As a co-PI to our
NU ADVANCE Institutional Transformation Award and a member the NU STRIDE Committee – a
committee of full professors based on the University of Michigan’s STRIDE (Strategies and Tactics for
Improving Diversity and Excellence) Committee – the committee is developing a workshop that will be
offered in the spring term for department chairs that highlights the distinct role chairs play in influencing
departmental climate. 2) Prior to this workshop, the Michigan Players – a theater group based out of
UMich ADVANCE -- performed several vignettes on our campus in late January. The vignettes focused
on interactions among junior and senior faculty that were related to mentoring and the resulting
climate. The scenes were followed by facilitated discussions, where the audience queried the actors
about their character’s thought process. 3) Separately, discussions and literature review identified
existing models for encouraging a cross-college peer-to-peer network for chairs at other universities.
Discussions with several other chairs were held regarding development and implementation of
“NUChair.NET”.
Outcomes and Evaluation: These three activities for department chairs will be assessed via surveys
to determine best practices for promoting communication among unit leaders to enhance departmental
climate. A monthly forum for chairs during lunch with topical discussion and time for informal
discussions is planned. The model will hopefully be embraced and adapted by chairs.
Creating A Productive Departmental Climate
Through Peer-to-Peer Conversations
Jacqueline A Isaacs, Ph.D.
Acting Chair and Professor of Mechanical & Industrial Engineering,
College of Engineering, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
Background on NU Campus Climate
Department chairs serve important roles in academic institutions – as
administrators, leaders, and mentors – and they have influence on
departmental climate. NU partakes in national surveys and makes
use of other internal measures to assess campus climate.
 Survey trends from HERI (Higher Education Research Institute)
assessed since 1989, recently in 2011 and next in 2015.
Significant progress on campus climate, e.g., 90% women faculty
agree that they are treated fairly, compared to 70% in 2007; and
in 2011, 75% women faculty agree that criteria for advancement
are clear, compared to 46% in 2007.
 In 2005 COACHE (Harvard’s Collaborative on Academic Careers in
Higher Education) survey, women faculty reported lower levels of
satisfaction in professional interactions with colleagues, and felt
isolated within university and their disciplines. More recent HERI
survey showed improvements.
 In 2012 NU ADVANCE reviewed NU STRIDE activities through
focus group discussions. Faculty appear committed to conducting
successful searches and credit STRIDE for creating a better
environment for discussion of hiring underrepresented faculty.
 NU STRIDE (Strategies and Tactics for Improving Diversity and
Excellence), as part of NU ADVANCE, conducted informal
interviews with groups of NU faculty to discuss climate,
retention, turnover and job satisfaction, and performed a
literature review on climate.
 Literature review found general recommendations on
importance of deep and structural change. Common reasons for
faculty satisfaction or dissatisfaction included:
 Salary
 Collegiality
 Mentoring
 Tenure and Promotion Processes
 Department Chair
Provost Holds Retreats for Administrators
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Chairs and Deans meet with Provosts for Saturday retreat
41 chairs, 7 college deans, 8 vice provosts and Provost
Topical lectures led by NU internal leaders
Opportunities for Q&A and large group discussion
Limited time for informal discussions
Hosts Michigan Players
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19 of 41 Chairs see “Leading Through Faculty Communications”
Topical “trigger vignettes” written and premiered
Designed to spark dialogue on difficult issues
Discussion guided by trained facilitator
Participants said they would now…
“Initiate more conversations with junior faculty regarding their career goals, etc.”
“Rethink who mentors; development for mentors and rewards.”
“Engage more proactively.”
Creates Chairs’ Workshop
Source: Ambrose, Huston and Norman (Res Higher Ed, 2005)
 Currently, three means for chairs to converse on these issues.
1. NU Office of the Provost offers retreat for chairs twice annually.
2. NU ADVANCE invited the Michigan Players – a theater group
based out of the University of Michigan ADVANCE Program –
to perform trigger vignettes on our campus in January 2013.
3. NU STRIDE Committee (part of NU ADVANCE) is developing a
workshop for department chairs to highlight the distinct role
chairs play in influencing departmental climate for Fall 2013.
Workshop to present literature on climate and offer best
practices for opportunities for chairs to improve climate
 Foster transparency of rules and procedures
 Encourage diverse voices in departmental matters
 Focus on early intervention, consistent mentoring,
oversight to provide a strong support structure
 Increase flexibility for faculty members
1.
2.
3.
Maranto, Cheryl L. & Andrea EC Griffin, The antecedent of a ‘chilly climate’ for
women faculty in higher education, Human Relations 64 (2)139-159, 2011.
Gee, Michele V. and Sue Margaret Norton, Improving the status of women in
the academy. Thought and Action, 25, 2009, 163-170.
Martinez, E. D. et al, Falling off the academic bandwagon, EMBO reports, vol.
8, No 11, 977-981, 2007
4.
5.
6.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, A report on the status of women
faculty in the schools of science and engineering at MIT, 2011.
Settles, Isis H. et al, Voice matters: Buffering the impact of a negative climate
for women in science. Psychology of Women Quarterly 31 (2007): 270- 281.
Sorcinelli M.D. (2000). Principles of good practice: Supporting early-career
faculty. American Association for Higher Education, 5-16
Presented at the 2013 ELATE® Leaders Forum
Creation of C4C: Conversations for Chairs
PURPOSE: to create a resource for department chairs
 Cross-college peer-to-peer network for chairs
 Formal and informal means
for seeking insights from
other chairs
 Monthly lunch forums
and afternoon receptions
on topics of interest
…leading / managing faculty,
mentoring faculty, managing
staff, communicating with
other administrative units,
difficult conversations with
faculty or students, development with donors and
industry, increasing research expenditures…
METHODS: working with collaborators, craft a meaningful
forum with “staying power”
 Planning meetings with chairs within each college
 Invitation to all chairs for lunch in May’13 to set topics
 Election of Steering Committee to select topics & venues
EXPECTED OUTCOMES:
 Feedback indicates that many chairs would engage…
 Discussions at forums could encourage adoption of best
practices to enhance departmental climate
ASSESSMENT: work with NU ADVANCE to survey chairs on
forum benefits and potential improvements; number of
participants is clear sign of success; improvements to
dept climate expected as secondary effect, and could be
more difficult to track…
Collaborators
Mary Loeffelholz, Senior Vice Provost, Faculty Affairs
Susan Ambrose, Senior Vice Provost, Teaching and Learning
Jan Rinehart, Executive Director, NU ADVANCE
Nathan Felde, Chair and Professor of Art+Design
Graham Jones, Chair and Professor of Chemistry & Chem Biol
NU STRIDE Committee
George Adams, Professor of Mechanical & Industrial Engineering
Dana Brooks, Professor of Electrical & Computer Engineering
Craig Ferris, Director of the Center for Translational Imaging
Miriam Leeser, Professor of Electrical & Computer Engineering
Mark Williams, Professor of Physics