Leadership Essentials for New Department Chairs

The seminar will prepare participants to build an empowered community of faculty and staff and work alongside them to achieve the department’s goals. In highly interactive sessions, you’ll explore your leadership style, learn how to manage a variety of people, and develop strategies for building departmental morale. The bulk of time will be spent in discussion with your peers while working through case studies, scenarios, and tricky issues of academic leadership. Along the way, you’ll form invaluable connections with colleagues who you can call on for advice and support throughout your term as chair.

Leadership Essentials participants are academic department chairs, and directors of department-like units, who have less than one year of experience in their role.

Dates and Location

  • August 19 and 20, 2025
  • 8:00 a.m.–3:30 p.m. on both days
  • In person at the Pyle Center, on the UW–Madison campus

Registration

  • Registration is free for all participants
  • Registration information will be posted in Spring 2025.

Past participants say the best part of the seminar is getting to know colleagues from different schools and colleges and people who you can contact for help during your term as chair.

Contact

All new department chairs and new academic program directors will receive an invitation to register in late May / early June 2025. If you do not receive this invitation, or need more information, please contact us at vpfsa@provost.wisc.edu.