ALP

Department chairs and school directors are responsible for directing the tenure and promotion processes within their units. The process can be challenging and, although procedural problems are rare, they have serious implications for colleagues and the institution.

Join us for a supportive open discussion with experienced chairs as well as the FAUW Academic Freedom and Tenure Committee Chair and the AVP Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Anti-Racism. Topics will include promotion among tenure and teaching stream faculty, as well as considering diversity in scholarship and service. 

As a department chair, associate chair, director, or associate dean, you play a key role in shaping the University’s future, and philanthropy is an increasingly important lever for advancing Waterloo’s mission and vision. 

Colleagues from Advancement will host our May 14th session, designed to give academic leaders a clear, practical understanding of how Advancement works at Waterloo and how your leadership directly influences fundraising success and alumni engagement that support both departmental and institutional priorities.  

Please click on the title for additional details about thi session.

The Waterloo Leadership Academy is now open for registration. The Waterloo Leadership Academy is an in-person intensive retreat for Waterloo academic leaders and is set to take place across three days from May 6 to May 8th, 2026 at the Stratford campus. Intended primarily for department chairs and school directors, the Academy provides highly engaging executive education and opportunities for interaction with colleagues from across campus. Topics to be covered include Leadership, Change Management, Negotiation, Leading Team Decision-making, Thinking Strategically, and more.

Please click on the session title for details about Waterloo's Leadership Academy. 

The Waterloo Leadership Academy is now open for registration. The Waterloo Leadership Academy is an in-person intensive retreat for Waterloo academic leaders and is set to take place across three days from May 6 to May 8th, 2026 at the Stratford campus. Intended primarily for department chairs and school directors, the Academy provides highly engaging executive education and opportunities for interaction with colleagues from across campus. Topics to be covered include Leadership, Change Management, Negotiation, Leading Team Decision-making, Thinking Strategically, and more.

Please click on the session title for details about Waterloo's Leadership Academy. 

The Waterloo Leadership Academy is now open for registration. The Waterloo Leadership Academy is an in-person intensive retreat for Waterloo academic leaders and is set to take place across three days from May 6 to May 8th, 2026 at the Stratford campus. Intended primarily for department chairs and school directors, the Academy provides highly engaging executive education and opportunities for interaction with colleagues from across campus. Topics to be covered include Leadership, Change Management, Negotiation, Leading Team Decision-making, Thinking Strategically, and more.

Please click on the session title for details about Waterloo's Leadership Academy. 

Crises—whether global, institutional, or discipline-specific—present complex challenges for academic leaders. While formal crisis management typically resides with senior administration, department Chairs and program Directors remain essential sources of guidance and stability for their colleagues and students. 

Please join us for a session with Dr. Richard Florizone, former President of Dalhousie University and Special Advisor to the President of the University of Waterloo, along with a panel of senior academic leaders. The discussion will examine the particular challenges of academic leadership during periods of significant disruption. Participants will gain practical frameworks for crisis leadership and identify resources to strengthen their units' resilience for future challenges. 

Topics will include: 

• Maintaining academic continuity amid uncertainty 

• Balancing institutional priorities with departmental needs 

• Supporting faculty, staff, and students through crisis periods 

• Aligning unit-level decisions with institutional values and protocols 

• Developing preparedness through strategic relationship-building 

Attracting and admitting students is an essential function at the University, and the current environment is particularly challenging. Join us for this essential ALP session with the teams responsible for UW's brand, marketing, and recruitment strategy, and admissions.  

Learn how our brand identity shapes our external messaging, explore the undergraduate recruitment pipeline from first contact to enrolment, and understand the mechanics of our admissions processes. You'll hear directly from leaders of Admissions, Marketing and Brand Strategy, and Marketing and Undergraduate Recruitment (MUR) about the evolving challenges in student recruitment and the strategic responses we're implementing. 

This session will help you understand the recruitment and admissions landscape and how your leadership role connects to Waterloo’s broader recruitment and retention objectives. 

Breakfast will be provided prior to the session at 8am.

Effective leadership at Waterloo requires understanding how decisions are made, how policies are developed, and how authority flows through our institution. As a large and complex public university, our governance structures affect all aspects of our operations, from daily delivery of academic programming and research to the development of major strategic initiatives and change.  

Join University Secretary Genevieve Gauthier-Chalifour and members of the Secretariat for an interactive exploration of university governance. You'll learn how the Board and Senate function, understand the legislative framework in which we operate, and consider the critical role of Policy in your day-to-day leadership.  

This session will equip you with the governance knowledge you need to navigate decision-making processes and lead more effectively within Waterloo's institutional structure. 

Coffee and tea provided.

Freedom of expression is among the most important, and the most difficult, issues that universities have had to deal with. Open engagement and free expression are at the core of our academic mission, but the combination of new technologies and a fractured political context has created an environment that can be hard for academic leaders to navigate.  

In this session, the co-Chairs of the University’s Taskforce on Freedom of Expression, Christine McWebb, (AVP Faculty, Planning and Policy) and Scott Kline (Department of Religious Studies), will help academic leaders understand the issues around freedom of expression, and the  work of the Taskforce. They will give an overview of the University’s recent guidance on freedom of expression and institutional neutrality, and lead scenario-based discussions. This session will leave you with a better understanding of your role in supporting freedom of expression, and more confident in your decision making. 

Coffee and tea provided.

Navigating the role of Department Chair and School Director can be daunting. Fortunately, our colleagues have lessons to share about their time and experience navigating these roles. Join the Academic Leadership Program on Wednesday, October 29, 2025 from 12-2pm EST and hear from colleagues from across the university who have previously held Department Chair roles. Lunch will be provided.