The Faculty Leader Academy (FLA) is designed for new department or program chairs and formal faculty leaders, who have been in their leadership role/position for three years or less. The most visible example of a “faculty leader” is the Department Chair. However, not every college’s organizational structure includes this title; in these cases, other faculty leaders should be considered for this academy.
This intensive three-day Academy will deliver content aligning with nine key topical areas and Competencies developed based on input from the Iowa community college Chief Academic Officers, a review of the literature on chairs and faculty leader development, and the American Association of Community Colleges Faculty Leader Competencies (2023). The FLA was designed with the assumption that each college will continue to offer their own faculty leader/chair onboarding, orientation, and training for location or field-specific knowledge.
The content aligns with nine key topical areas and competencies:
- Guiding Collaboration
- Leading as a Peer
- Conflict Resolution
- Effective Meeting Management
- Budgeting 101
- Coordinating Compliance & Improvement
- Strategic & Meaningful Communication
- Mentoring Faculty
- Moving Towards Systems Thinking
Format: Intensive three-day learning experience to include content delivery, interactive activities, and community building.
Participation is by nomination only, as the colleges cover the program costs and associated travel expenses.
FLA will be offered in May each year, if need is indicated by the Chief Academic Officers.