Restructuring Academic Affairs

1. Restructuring Academic Affairs Phase 1 Arts & Humanities English/World Languages 2013

2. Purpose • Approach • Processes for implementation • Proposed model • Plan for ongoing training and support • Assessment and expansion

3. Purpose and Approach Our charge: Plan and pilot an effective, sustainable, dynamic, and responsiveacademic structure that exemplifies our values, can be used as a model for continuous improvement and expansion across the Academic Affairs divisions, and requires no additional funding to initiate. Opportunity Stewardship Focus on process assessment and enrichment

4. Academic Affairs Values Statement The VPAA leaders serve as the college’s stewards of academic excellence. We encourage creativity, flexibility, innovation, entrepreneurship and informed risk-taking in providing the highest quality of instruction. We emphasize collaboration and partnerships, both internal and external, and inclusion, especially of adjunct faculty and our general community. We foster a welcoming, supportive learning environment that enhances student success. We nurture strong leadership and invest in enriching professional development and scholarly resources. We appreciate evidence and its limits. The outlook is global, the focus is the continuous pursuit of excellence, and the climate is trust. 

5. Successfully Leading Large-Scale Change (adapted from Kotter, 2002) • Increase urgency: understand why? and why now? • Build the guiding team. • Get the vision right (based on values). • Communicate and include on regular basis. • Empower action – no pointless exercises. • Create short-term wins (show progress). • Persevere. • Make changes last.

6. EGWL Change Process Systems thinking informs us of the need to reduce anxiety through transparency. • Reach clarity on purpose and values (especially Stewardship) • Focus on possibilities, not problems • Create genuine opportunities for involvement • Involve everyone • Communicate progress regularly • Anticipate needs for ongoing support and enrichment • Assess frequently and remain open to adjustments • Communicate plans, progress, and assessments to wider audiences

7. Appreciative Inquiry, August 2012 • What is our contribution to the college? • What is our role in the story of HCC? • What are our values? • What do we want to retain? • What opportunities are there for positive change?

8. Strengths to retain • Be powerful, positive, wide-ranging academic leaders • Continue to grow and move forward as innovators • Connect, communicate, teach, and collaborate across levels and areas • Maintain strong individual voices in shaping our roles, schedules, and initiatives within division

9. Brainstorming Session, November 2012 [Ahead of time: Provided summary of notes from August] • Explained charge, purpose, and parameters for change • Reviewed our strengths to retain • Showed A&H example • Reviewed my own commitments

10. Parameters • Must have one Divisional Representative to oversee and have accountability for English/World Languages Division and report to VPAA • Must resolve “sprawl” in terms of supervisory reports (currently 32 direct reports to Division Chair  less than 15 suggested) • Must work within current budget constraints (for now)

11. Commitments • EGWL Faculty to have active role in process • High-quality training to be provided for new supervisors • Community-building opportunities for new supervisors to be supported • Evaluation and feedback to be solicited and implemented to improve process and make recommendations across divisions

12. Proposal Review and Enhancements, January 2013 Will provide packet with the following: • job descriptions • timeline for search process • description of search process • tentative training schedules and topics • considerations in choosing successful leaders Will discuss the following: • What else can we do to support ourselves and our best work during this transition? • How can we sustain an open, dynamic culture of leadership?

13. New Structural Model: English/World Languages

14. VPAA Dean of English/World Languages Division Associate Dean of EGWL Division Co-Chair, Dept. of English Chair, Dept. of English as a Second Language (ESL) Co-Chair, Dept. of English Chair, Dept. of World Languages Academic Office Supervisor Academic Office Supervisor English Faculty, assigned to Co-Chairs to ensure diverse ranks, teaching areas, otherwise alphabetically World Languages Faculty ESL Faculty Faculty Coordinators are selected by department chairs and retain roles as supervisors of adjunct faculty.

15. Chair “Academy” Training Professional Development in May/June, 2013 Two day session

16. Training modules • Transformational and servant leadership models and philosophy • Faculty chairs and their roles as organizational leaders • Strength-based leadership and behavior work styles (StrengthFinders and DiSC) • Team Building • Leading Change • Conflict Management

17. Practical Steps • Conducting an effective MAP meeting (with a Strengths focus) • Budget development and maintenance • Student Code of Conduct and complaint processes • Core work and assessment • August and January “checklists”: that which needs to be in place • Building support teams and resources • Creating community among each division’s Chairs

18. Moving forward • Ongoing professional development throughout the semesters and in January (all chairs), 2014. • Assessing “what’s working and what’s not?” via bi-weekly chair meetings and those with dean/associate dean