Faculty leaders face increasingly complex challenges at the University of California--such as regulatory requirements and funding constraints--while higher education faces an anticipated shortage of skilled academic administrators, even as UC campus populations are growing. Across academia, department chairs report a lack of adequate training once appointed. Although the dearth of training and preparation for faculty leaders is not limited to UC, the University has a unique opportunity to cultivate and foster the careers of outstanding faculty leaders, and to create opportunities and pathways for them to advance within the world’s leading public university system.
Clinical Faculty at UC are experts in the fundamental academic pillars of research, teaching, and service. Administrative leadership roles, however, require different skills and knowledge not typically acquired through traditional faculty positions.
Developing our own faculty for leadership provides many advantages to the University of California, including the creation of an intentional, robust and diverse pipeline for the future. UC Faculty:
- Have a wealth of intellectual talent and institutional knowledge
- Are committed to UC’s culture, values and mission as a public institution
- Have established national and international reputations, and networks of colleagues within and beyond the institution
- Are interested in leading and shaping the direction of the institution
Leadership development has the additional advantage of creating visible career paths for faculty interested in administration.