Creating an Academic Ecosystem Where Chairs Can Thrive:

This study aimed to understand the lived experience of department chairs in a Canadian university context. Guided by phenomenological inquiry, twenty-one individual interviews of experienced academic chairs were analyzed. Findings focus on the rewards and challenges of the position, advice for professors interested in taking on this role, and the systemic issues that impact change. Results highlight the importance of preparatory training and ongoing institutional support including the deliberate building of a chair community. This paper includes a call to action which will be of interest to Deans and other senior administrators, faculty leaders, those contemplating the chair role, and those involved with institutional governance.