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Washington State University
Washington State University Office of the Provost

Chairs and directors workshops engage leadership

Department chairs and directors play key roles in the operations of WSU’s academic units, but also in relaying information, serving as mentors, and providing leadership. The Office of the Provost is hosting a series of workshops designed to provide information, facilitate engagement, and promote idea sharing and discussion.

The revamped workshop schedule is designed to provide timely insights for participants.

“We’ve scheduled topics to coincide with the responsibilities throughout the term,” says Melanie Neuilly, interim associate vice provost for faculty development. “The idea with the workshops is to balance some soft skills training with the hard skills training. We’ve also balanced the material for new chairs and directors with the experienced chairs and directors to keep it interesting and relevant for everyone.”

The workshops are open to current leadership and any other faculty interested in learning more about university processes and potentially stepping into leadership roles in the future. Neuilly says current chairs and directors are encouraged to bring faculty who may succeed them in their roles.

Several of the workshops coincide with Faculty Crimson Club evenings, where conversations can continue and expand.

“We want to encourage networking and interactivity,” Neuilly says. “We’d like to create more of a community of chairs and directors so that they can share ideas and solve problems together.”