Chairs of the Chairs (L-R): Dr. Bill Sterrett, Dr. Emily Hunter, and Dr. Jamie Van Eyck
Dr. Bill Sterrett, chair of the Department of Educational Leadership, has just completed a two-year term as the co-chair of a new initiative launched by Baylor’s Office of the Provost.
Baylor University’s Chair Leadership Training initiative is an effort designed to connect and support the university’s 70+ academic leaders — primarily department chairs but also leaders in roles such as associate deans and directors. Sterrett described the group’s mission as “connecting silos” across campus academic units.
Each academic year starts with a half-day Chairs’ Retreat. SOE’s Department of Curriculum & Instruction Chair Trena Wilkerson led the group through case study scenarios.
Sterrett was a new-to-Baylor chair during the program’s first year, 2022-23, and was then invited to take a two-year term by inaugural chairs Dr. Emily Hunter, chair of Management in the Hankamer School of Business and Dr. Deanna Toten Beard, who was transitioning from chair of Theater to Vice Provost of Faculty Affairs, and the Office of the Provost. The two-year chair terms stagger to ensure leadership continuity.
During his two-year term, Sterrett collaborated as co-chair first with Hunter and next with Dr. Jamie Van Eyck, associate dean in Baylor’s School of Music. The trio just published an article in The Department Chair journal and will present a related session at the Academic Chairpersons Conference in Atlanta in February.
The Chairs Leadership program includes an annual retreat and regular panel discussions on key leadership topics. Session topics range from supporting colleagues in their research and managing budgets to hiring and mentoring faculty, and from strengthening student support to leading strategic planning efforts, reflecting the wide variety of leadership challenges chairs face.
During his tenure, Sterrett helped launch a new, no-agenda informal monthly “Sic ’Em Chairs” coffee gatherings to allow more informal times for chairs to get to know and support each other. They gather each month at the Moody Library Starbucks area and indulge in a hot cup in their custom-designed coffee mugs.
Sterrett said the program has found success in its initial years and helps chairs improve in their roles as leaders and managers. Provost Dr. Nancy Brickhouse’s office launched the program in response to faculty survey data, he said, and the collaboration is appreciated by campus leaders as a program by chairs and for chairs, rather than as a pre-packaged leadership training.
Reflecting on the experience, Sterrett said, “I was drawn to Baylor first because of its unique mission and the opportunity to serve as a department chair to support students, staff, and faculty in working together as a team. The provost’s Chairs Leadership group helped me grow new connections, engage in strategic planning, envision and seek interdisciplinary grant partnerships, and help add new tools to our leadership toolboxes.”
Monthly “Sic ‘Em Chairs” coffees provide time and space for Baylor chairs to discuss and share ideas.
For more news from Baylor School of Education, visit the Instant Impact home page.
For media inquiries, please contact Meg_Cullar@baylor.edu / (254) 710-6435.
ABOUT BAYLOR SCHOOL OF EDUCATION
For more than 100 years, the School of Education has advanced Baylor’s mission across the globe while preparing students for a range of careers focused on education, leadership, and human development. With more than 70 full-time faculty members, the school’s growing research portfolio complements its long-standing commitment to excellence in teaching and student mentoring. Baylor’s undergraduate program in teacher education has earned national distinction for innovative partnerships with local schools that provide future teachers deep clinical preparation. Likewise, the School of Education’s graduate programs have attained national recognition for their exemplary preparation of research scholars, educational leaders, innovators, and clinicians. Visit the School of Education website to learn more.
Baylor University is a private Christian University and a nationally ranked Research 1 institution. The University provides a vibrant campus community for more than 20,000 students by blending interdisciplinary research with an international reputation for educational excellence and a faculty commitment to teaching and scholarship. Chartered in 1845 by the Republic of Texas through the efforts of Baptist pioneers, Baylor is the oldest continually operating University in Texas. Located in Waco, Baylor welcomes students from all 50 states and more than 90 countries to study a broad range of degrees among its 12 nationally recognized academic divisions.