Designing the Middle
Department Chairs and the Future of Academic Leadership
Department chairs occupy a curious place in independent schools. Almost everyone agrees the role is important. Few schools are entirely satisfied with how they have it structured. The Association for Academic Leaders has a solution.
Research
Designing the Middle: Department Chairs and the Future of Academic Leadership
Drawing on original research and interviews with Academic Leaders and Department Chairs across independent schools, Designing the Middle offers practical insights, compelling examples, and fresh thinking about how schools can successfully support the meaningful work of Department Chairs.
Programs
Start with the Work: A Practical Approach to Shaping Academic Leadership
What would your school's academic leadership structure look like if you designed it today, starting with the work that needs to get done?
Drawing our Designing the Middle research, the Association helps schools answer that question and put the answer into practice. Our research-informed approach guides school leaders through designing organizational structures, defining roles, and building the leadership capacity their schools need to achieve their goals. Join us for one of our 2026-2027 programs designed to help schools get to a better solution:
Workshop
November 12, 2027 | 1:00 PM ET
Small changes to how department chairs are supported can make a big difference in their effectiveness. Join us for an interactive, one-hour session where you'll put ideas from the Association's research to work, identifying an opportunity to strengthen the department chair role and designing one practical change you can bring back to your school.
Included with Association membership
Live Online Workshop Series
Feb 17, March 10, March 31, April 21, May 12 from 1-2:30pm ET
Ready to redesign your school's academic leadership structure? This five-part, live online series gives your team the guidance, tools, and structure to make it happen. You'll work together to develop a new organizational model, test ideas with colleagues, and make decisions about how leadership roles and responsibilities should be organized. With work completed between sessions, your team will make meaningful progress toward a new structure and a plan for bringing it to life.
Registration coming soon.
Included with Association membership
Academic Leadership Design Lab
Two-Day Summer Intensive
Summer 2027
What could your leadership team accomplish with two days dedicated entirely to building a better academic leadership structure?
Bring your leadership team together for two days of focused, hands-on work to build a new academic leadership structure for your school. Through a series of working sessions designed by the Association, you'll tackle the big decisions, develop a draft organizational model, and build a shared vision for how academic leadership can better support your school's goals. You'll head home with substantial progress toward a new structure and a concrete plan to finish the work and put it into action.
Details and registration coming in Nov 2026.
Consulting
Customized to your school's needs
Imagine an academic leadership structure built specifically for your school, its mission, and what it hopes to accomplish. Working alongside your leadership team, the Association will guide you through a collaborative, research-informed process to design that structure from the ground up. Together, we'll build a new organizational model, clarify roles and responsibilities, and create a practical plan to bring it to life. You'll finish the engagement with a leadership structure designed to move your school's priorities forward and a clear roadmap for making it work.
Contact us to discuss a consulting engagement.
Not A Member Yet?
Not yet an Association member but interested in accessing this research and programs to support your work? We'd love to hear from you at members@academicleaders.org.