Clemson Chair Academy kicks off with New Chair Onboarding program

Last month, Clemson University introduced the Clemson Chair Academy, a leadership development community designed to cultivate leadership awareness, skills and styles for all department chairs at any career stage. Through a combination of instructional and learning activities, focused programs and communities of practice, Clemson's department chairs will have opportunities throughout the year to support their leadership growth, foster a community of care and belonging and promote academic excellence in ways that amplify Clemson's land-grant mission.

New Chair Onboarding, the first program from the Academy, is a nine-month program for individuals new to the role of department chair and new to leading a department at Clemson. The program covers foundational topics such as institutional values, mission-critical processes and best practices in leadership. The sessions capitalize on inter-college collaborations and facilitated activities to develop department chairs across a range of leadership styles critical for leading others, managing teams, addressing issues and achieving desired outcomes.

I'm confident these leaders will excel in their new roles while upholding Clemson's values and traditions," said Clemson University President Jim Clements, who addressed the inaugural cohort in September.

At the kick-off meeting last month, Wendy York, dean of the Wilbur O. and Ann Powers College of Business, Clemson University Historian Otis Pickett and an academic leaders panel featuring Carlyle Brewster, chair of the Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Jesus de la Garza, director of the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Earth Sciences, and Jennifer Siemens, associate dean for faculty excellence in the College of Business, also addressed the benefits of leadership development while weaving in elements that make working at Clemson a truly unique and special experience.

Sponsored by the Office of the Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost and led by Associate Vice President for Strategic Alliances Tia Dumas, the Clemson Chair Academy programs and activities are executed by a combination of institutional and external partners and proven leaders who share research strategies, techniques and best practices, often presenting real-life situations and case studies for participants to examine and discuss.

This initiative is a key step in Clemson's commitment to leadership development while fostering a collaborative and supportive environment for our academic leaders."