Report of the Teagle Group #2 on The Holistic Department

Terry Weiner, Facilitator

Issues addressed:

• Defining the Concept• How the Concept Impacts the Role of the

Department Chair.• What institutional policies and procedures need

to change?• Impact of the Holistic department on faculty

evaluation.• How would a Holistic Department be Evaluated?

Defining the Concept:

• “Faculty are supported and rewarded for doing differentiated work to fulfill institutional and departmental goals including and beyond the expectations for teaching, scholarship and professional development.”

The Role of the Chair:

• Chair must be an instructional leader.• Department chair role needs to be strengthened and

empowered.• Chair must simultaneously see themselves as a

member of the team and be its leader.• Chair must be transparent.• Chair must have access to team building skills.• Chair must have frequent, scheduled meetings.• Chair must be a role model for the holistic

department.

Change in Policies and Procedures

• Professional development should be added to faculty expectations.

• Service redefined as campus citzenship.• Each campus should define campus citizenship.• Define the department, its role and its mission related to the

college mission.• Recommend departments have a “workplan” which publically

describes the department tasks and who will do them.• Some departments may find it useful to also have faculty

workplans so that each faculty has a clear expectation of their roles and responsibilities.

Faculty Evaluation

• Holisitc departments make an effort to respond to changes in the lifecycle, career paths, and special needs of faculty.

• Colleges encouraging this model must take the Boyer model seriously and reward scholarship on service, teaching and application/civic enagement-as well as discovery.

• Promotion to full professor must not punish those who have worked well to support departmental success.

• Service need to be evaluated.

Departmental Evaluation And Review

• Program Review should be more frequent and include an evaluation of both departmental goals but how well the department achieved institutional goals. Some colleges require an annual review that asks these questions and the report is the basis for departmental planning.

• Departments should report on how well they are doing in implementing High Impact Practices.

Providing rewards for success

• Outstanding department awards.• Best department teaching award.• Departmental innovation grants.• Provost and president acknowledge publically

departments that are pushing the institution forward with innovation and success in teaching, retention, diversity, etc.

• Hiring and allocation for new faculty slots to improved departments.