Resources for Administrators
New Administrator Booklet The Booklet is filled with useful Resources to help you in your new position at UNC Charlotte.

The links below are designed to make some policies, procedures often utilized by administrators readily available
- Toolkit for Chairs when Hiring a New Faculty Member
- Faculty Procedures, Policies and Regulations including RPT
- Important information for DRCs and CRCs
- Resources Related to Research
- We Built a Diverse Academic Department in 5 Years. Here’s How
- Improving Department Climate: Tools and Resources for Departments and Department Chairs
Please check out these leadership resources, which were compiled by Towards Hiring, Resources, Inclusion, Value and Excellence (THRIVE) at East Carolina University. In 2020, East Carolina University was awarded a nearly $1M grant (HRD- 2017210) from the National Science Foundation ADVANCE program, and from this award, the THRIVE initiative was developed.
Equity and Inclusion Leadership Toolkit: Leadership Development
The department chair’s role is challenging. Time is short. The task list is long. And people aren’t always nice. But by investing in yourself – both your professional development and self-care – you will be better able to serve others. Here are resources to help you THRIVE.
- AAL Chairs and Academic Administrators Management Program
- AAMC Toolkit Becoming an Effective Leader (free)
- ACE Leadership Academy for Chairs
- Council of Colleges of Arts & Sciences
- The Chair Academy (an international professional network & conference)
- The Chronicle’s Strategic Leadership Program for Department Chairs
- Tips for Designing College/ University Level Programs
- Buller, D. L., & Cipriano, R. E. (2015). A toolkit for department chairs. Rowman & Littlefield.
- Chun, E., & Evans, A. (2015). The department chair as transformative diversity leader: Building inclusive learning environments in higher education. Stylus Publishing, LLC.
- Cowley, S. (2019). Emotional labour in the role of university department chair. SFU Educational Review, 12(2), 9-26.
- Dean, Y., Nickel, J., Miller, J., & Pickett Seltner, R. (2021). Creating an Academic Ecosystem Where Chairs Can Thrive: A Call for Action in Postsecondary Institutions. Brock Education: A Journal of Educational Research and Practice, 30(2), 99-115.
- Gmelch, W. H., & Buller, J. L. (2015). Building academic leadership capacity: A guide to best practices. John Wiley & Sons.
- Gmelch, W. H., & Miskin, V. D. (2011). Department chair leadership skills. Atwood Publishing.
- Gmelch, W. H., Ward, K., Roberts, D., & Ezeh, C. C. (2018). The Stressed‐Out Swivel Chair. The Department Chair, 28(3), 9-11.
- Kandiko, C. B. (2012). Leadership and creativity in higher education: The role of interdisciplinarity. London Review of Education.
Equity and Inclusion Leadership Toolkit: Improving Communication and Climate
As asserted by Buller and Cipriano (2015), good communication skills are among the most important for a chair. This is not just because chairs are intermediaries of the deans and other more senior academic leaders, they also have a role in listening to and trying to understand the perspectives of faculty, students, and staff. Poor communication habits facilitate suspicion. But healthy communication practices engender trust and are foundational for achieving a welcoming and inclusive work environment.
- How do you cultivate intellectual community and supportive communication? (Virginia Tech ADVANCE)
- How do you facilitate inclusive department climates? (West Virginia University)
- How do you co-create new or revise existing annual merit review criteria and processes with inclusive engagement? (University of Colorado Colorado Springs)
- How do you make faculty evaluation and promotion & tenure criteria transparent? (University of Colorado Colorado Springs)
- How do you cultivate internal networks? (Equity in STEM Community Convening)
- Schein, E. H., & Schein, P. A. (2021). Humble inquiry: The gentle art of asking instead of telling. Berrett-Koehler Publishers.