General Info

The annual Academic Chairpersons Conference provides practical, usable information in a climate of open discussion and collaborative exchange benefitting academic chairpersons, administrators and faculty from all areas of higher education.

The conference format includes:

Keynote - Dr. Tia Brown McNair, Becoming a More Student Ready Leader by Moving from Equity Talk to Equity Walk

General Session Panels - Demystifying AI & Practical Application of AI for Chairpersons

New Chair Alliance Pre-Conference (optional), Interactive workshops, Best Practice Presentations, Roundtable Discussions & Mentoring Sessions

 WHO SHOULD ATTEND?
  • Department chairs/heads
  • Division chairs/heads
  • Deans
  • Academic vice presidents
  • Program or project directors

  • Faculty development coordinators
  • Anyone responsible for directing, coordinating or supervising academic programs
ATTENDANCE STATISTICS (2020 In-Person Conference):

Total registered 

412

Female Participants

59%

Male Participants

41%

Department Chairs or Heads

59%

Deans

7%

Other (professor, associate professor, etc.) 

33%

LENGTH OF TIME SERVING AS CHAIR

More than 3 years

21%

Less than one year

21%

1-3 years

23%

Not a chair

14%

No response

20%

 

INSTITUTION SIZE

1500 or less               

3%

1,500 – 3,000

7%

3,000 – 6,000

7%

6,000 – 10,000 

9%

10,000+   

55%

No response

19%

CONFERENCE HISTORY

The Academic Chairpersons Conference was designed and operated by Kansas State University 1983-2023. IUPUI Event and Conference Services was selected by the ACC Advisory Board to plan ACC in 2024 and beyond.

The longevity of the conference can be attributed to the provision of great educational opportunities combined with strong networking between participants. Educational opportunities focus on leadership, growth and management, including a variety of pertinent topics. New and seasoned department chairs receive tools to help them deal with current situations and prepare for the future.

The department chair is a unique position on higher education campuses; it’s the higher education version of middle management. Chairs report to their dean while supervising faculty and staff, and they have numerous responsibilities related to students. Regardless of institutional size, the overall challenges for chairs generally remain the same whether they serve in private, public, liberal arts or research institutions.