Departments That Work: Building and Sustaining Cultures of Excellence in Academic Programs

by Jon F. Wergin

Book Overview

Evaluation in departments is widespread but often fails to spark positive change. Based on his extensive work with academic departments across the country, Wergin explains that successful department... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1882982576
• ISBN13: 9781882982578
• Release Date: December 2002
• Publisher: Jossey-Bass
• Length: 176 Pages
• Weight: 0.85 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 6.2" x 9.1"

Customer Reviews

interesting suggestions for moving forward

How to evaluate and improve a university department? That has been a perennial and contentious topic in many universities. Wergin weighs in with several observations and suggestions. The basic idea for moving forward is simple. The faculty should be closely involved in defining and promoting a department's mission and focus. This takes advantage of a desire amongst many academics for a sense of community and purpose within their department. The biggest problem is simply that, once tenured, individuals are largely autonomous. Plus, in order to get tenure, researchers often have to be very competitive within their fields. Wergin offers ways to counteract these tendencies. Appealing in part to that sense of community. Along with the notion that faculty working together often have greater political clout within a university.