2023-24 Department Chairs Webinar Series

The seminars were organized by AHA staff in collaboration with Dana Rabin, department head and professor of history at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.

Recognizing and Responding to Crises: Navigating the Challenges in Academic Leadership

October 20, 2023

Dana Rabin (Univ of Illinois), Carlos Blanton (Texas A&M Univ.), Noell Wilson (Univ of Mississippi), Kathryn Dungy, (Univ. of New Orleans), Sace Elder (Eastern Illinois Univ.)

How do department chairs know when something is a crisis, a solvable problem, or a mere distraction?  At this webinar, gain insights from facilitators and fellow attendees about distinguishing between crises, problems that need long-term solutions, and distractions, and learn when it’s essential to escalate issues to higher levels of responsibility. In breakout sessions attendees will have the opportunity to share their own experiences and extract valuable lessons learned from real-world scenarios.

Graduate Education in History: Adapting to the Post-Pandemic Landscape

December 8, 2023

Dana Rabin (Univ. of Illinois), Adam Kosto (Columbia Univ.), Anne Lester (Johns Hopkins Univ.), Quincy Mills (Univ. of Maryland), Karen Petrone (Univ. of Kentucky)

Join history department chairs and directors of graduate studies for an interactive webinar about meeting the needs of post-pandemic graduate education. Explore strategies for building strong cohorts, developing a pipeline of students with diverse interests and backgrounds, and navigating the changing landscape of the history discipline.  Share your insights and experiences as we collectively delve into the challenges and opportunities facing history departments in this new era of graduate education shaped by the pandemic.

Navigating Legal Issues in Academic Leadership

February 23, 2024

A conversation between Fred Palm of the Social Sciences Research Council and Dana Rabin. history department chair at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champagne, explores essential topics such as Title IX compliance, accommodations, personnel matters, grievance procedures, and the role of the university general counsel. Attendees will have the opportunity to submit questions in advance of the webinar and share their own experiences during the discussion.  Please note that this webinar does not provide legal advice.

History in the Current Gen Ed Landscape

April 19, 2024

Emily Baran (Middle Tennessee State Univ.), Amy Froide (Univ. of Maryland, Baltimore County), Steven Hackel (Univ. of California, Irvine)

Trends in general education (gen ed) requirements continue to evolve with recent shifts toward interdisciplinary approaches, competency-based education, digital literacy, experiential learning, and civic engagement and global awareness.  How can department chairs work to keep history courses and faculty a vital part of gen ed? In this interactive webinar, explore the impact of gen ed requirements on enrollments and undergraduate recruitment and share strategies for ensuring history’s centrality to these requirements.