1. A discussion of characteristics of a healthy department
Larry Abele
Institute for Academic Leadership
May 2016

2. A Healthy Department
Define academic department: an administrative unit within a college or university composed of faculty in the same or related disciplines. Departmental faculty are responsible for performing teaching, research and service identifying the essential knowledge and courses necessary to certify that a student is competent in the discipline and should be awarded a degree.
Define healthy: a healthy academic department is one in which faculty members are engaged in fully performing their individual assignments and fulfilling the department mission to the best of their abilities with shared aspiration to high performance. 

3. Characteristics of a healthy department
You, your colleagues, staff and students enjoy coming in every day. Individuals are supportive of one another and are collegial as well as civil.
Collegial: Relating to or involving shared responsibility as among a group of colleagues (OED).

4. Some areas to consider Governance and communication Educational issues
Intellectual/scholarly/creative issues
Staff relations
Collegial issues
University relationships

5. Governance and communication
General support of chair
Transparency of all actions. including the budget and allocations
Availability and understanding of By-laws
Regular faculty/committee meetings with timely agendas
Operational strategic plan with easily measured and understood metrics

6. Educational Issues Undergraduate Graduate Discipline society for UGs
Research opportunities
Up to date curriculum
Academic Maps with Milestone courses listed
Graduate
Yearly evaluation process
Process for graduate student assignment
Participation in graduate education by faculty
Preparing graduates for job interviews

7. Collegial Issues Balance of ranks/ages Balance of effort
Regular recognition
Gathering site
Conference/travel opportunities
Socials for faculty members and spouses
Mentoring in place
Welcoming / transition processes

8. Intellectual/Scholarly/Creative Issues
On going journal/book club with faculty and student participation
Regular seminar series with talks given by visitors and faculty
Faculty awards committee to monitor available awards and to nominate appropriate faculty and students

9. Staff Relations
Public recognition of the valuable contributions of staff through awards and ceremonies
A process to review staff classification and salaries

10. University Issues
Strategic sense of participation in university wide governance
Understanding of the relationship between the legislature and university
An understanding of the university’s and Board of Trustees and Board of Governors priorities

11. Do you consider your department to be healthy?
Thank you

12. a healthy department should be one in which faculty members are engaged in fully performing their individual and department missions to the best of their abilities with shared aspiration to high performance.