This summer, the Idaho State Board of Education allocated one-time leadership development funds to Idaho’s public institutions specifically to support department chairs. Boise State and the College of Western Idaho combined their funding and partnered with Academic Impressions (AI) to bring the training “Leading and Influencing as a Department Chair” to the Boise State campus.
Workshop leaders tailored the material to the specific contexts of both institutions. The workshop was facilitated by Leadership Development Specialist Dr. Jeanne Hey. Participants learned about the balancing acts of academic leadership, about their own leadership styles and the role of self-awareness in leadership, about engaging in difficult conversations with radical candor, and about building and sustaining a healthy department culture.
One outcome of the joint leadership program was building relationships with our colleagues from CWI, and we will continue that collaboration among department leaders throughout the year.
In addition to the on-campus workshop, department chairs who attended will have a one-year Academic Impressions membership that includes access to additional development resources, customized learning plans, and four online sessions with AI mentors throughout the year for continued reflection and learning. We are optimistic that the State Board will continue to support leadership development across Idaho institutions into the future.
Thank you to all who participated!