To: Members of the Distributed Leadership Implementation Work Group Cc: Instructional Department Chairs
From: Dr. Gaye Lynn Scott, Vice Chancellor, Instruction
Re: Enhancing the Department Chair Role and Function at Austin Community College, submitted on November 19, 2024
Hello instructional colleagues,
Let me begin by thanking the members of the Department Chair Roles & Responsibilities Task Force for their dedicated efforts last year and their thoughtful recommendations regarding how to better support the work of department chairs and their leadership of instructional programs. As part of their process, the Task Force members conducted a comprehensive survey of chairs, which provided crucial insights into the needs and challenges faced by the faculty in leadership roles within instructional departments. The themes that emerged from this survey are foundational for ensuring that the Department Chair role is both tenable and rewarding for those who hold it.
The Instructional Leadership Team (the Vice Chancellor for Instruction and the AVCs and Managing Director) collectively reviewed the recommendations in detail. Initial feedback is offered here, with more detail available during the next phase of this work:
1. Reframe the Department Chair Role as Primarily Administrative
a. The Task Force recommended framing the Department Chair role as primarily administrative, but acknowledged the desire of many to continue teaching. The ILT (Instructional Leadership Team) appreciates the need for role clarity, and the importance of staying connected to the classroom for those in the Department Chair role. This includes determining a more feasible distribution of operational and department-specific job duties, and the need to clarify job duties across a well defined network of faculty leaders that integrate within each division and across Instruction as a whole.
2. Comprehensive Compensation and Flexible Release Time Structure a. The Task Force identified the opportunity for a more comprehensive approach to release time, compensation, and contract length, and shared the desire for a more formalized Assistant Department Chair structure. The ILT acknowledges the set of recommendations under this heading and looks forward to building on them during the next phase of this work, crafting relevant and viable action plans. 3. Supplementary Support Measures
4. Formalize Department Chair Involvement in Policy Formation
The survey findings, along with the Department Chair Task Force’s recommendations and administrative feedback, will guide our next steps as we move forward with the work of aligning the responsibilities of faculty release-time roles—such as Department Chair, Assistant Department Chair, Associate Dean, Assistant Dean, and others—with the needs of our
departments, divisions, and the college’s broader goals. Our Chancellor has called on us to consider opportunities to align our work in the interest of scaling opportunities and support for our students, ultimately leading to greater impact and student success. Alignment can support clarity of role and tenability of workload for our faculty leaders while simultaneously contributing to the support and success of our students.
Given the context above, as part of the next phase of this work we are assembling a Distributed Leadership Implementation Work Group, a group dedicated to translating these recommendations into actionable steps. This team will conduct a comprehensive review of the roles and responsibilities of faculty in various release-time positions across Instruction. The Distributed Leadership Implementation Work Group will examine how these roles support departmental and divisional operations, curricular caretaking and innovation, and the progress and success of our students, ensuring that job duties and responsibilities are appropriately allocated and aligned. The goal is to ensure that each instructional department and division is well-staffed, with roles that support the overall vision of the college and our North Star focus.
To ensure that the recommendations are carefully considered and aligned with the diverse contexts of departments across Instruction, as well as the broader goals of Austin Community College through our Theory of Change, the Distributed Leadership Implementation Work Group will convene no later than late-April with appointees made by the Vice Chancellor for Instruction with input from the instructional leadership team. In the spirit of collaboration and continued progress, this cross-sectional group will include current department and assistant department chairs, faculty in other release time roles such as assistant and associate dean, instructional dean representation, instructional leadership, and faculty members who may be interested in or aspire to leadership roles such as department chair. By incorporating these diverse perspectives, we will ensure that all voices are heard as we refine the Task Force’s suggestions, integrate informed feedback, and develop actionable next steps. This collaborative process will culminate in a comprehensive implementation plan, with a clear timeline, beginning with the upcoming AY26 academic year.
Related deliverables should include:
1. Framework for roles and responsibilities, with specific job duties. This should include a draft structure for clear and transparent access to leadership opportunities, including length of service and mechanisms for evaluation. Note: The relevant ARs (1.0500.02, 1.0500.03) and G/P (1.0500.02.1) may also be reviewed and updated accordingly.
2. Guidelines for implementation delineated by departmental context. These guidelines should include flexibility that accommodates the size and unique circumstances of various departments.
3. Comprehensive timeline for implementation, and a structure for the continued review of roles to ensure that the framework and specific job duties align with the needs of departments, Instruction, and the larger institution on an ongoing basis.
The workgroup is expected to make significant progress on these tasks and deliver drafts of the outlined resources by June 30, 2025 to the Vice Chancellor of Instruction.
Distributed Leadership Implementation Work Group Members:
● Instructional Associate Vice Chancellor & co-lead: Brandon Whatley
● Instructional Associate Vice Chancellor & co-lead: Beth Knight
● Managing Director, Instructional Operations and Initiatives: David Borden
● Instructional Dean: Toño Ramirez
● Instructional Dean: Lorlie Braxton
● Department Chair: Jeffrey Muhammad
● Department Chair: Brian Bocknack
● Department Chair: Carleen Sanchez
● Department Chair: Jessica Hejny
● Assistant Department Chair: Kyle Nutter
● Assistant Department Chair: Pedro Merced
● Assistant Department Chair: Yousif De Valle
● Associate Dean: Tiffany Ricks
● Assistant Dean Jason Vidrine
● Assistant Dean: Jamie Rogers
● Faculty Member: Julz Decker
● Faculty Member: Farrah Keeler
● Faculty Member: Mario Aguilar
● Faculty Member (Faculty Senate appointee): Pamela Carlile
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