Academic Leadership

"A book that every academic leader should read and put into practice." --Kim Cameron, associate dean of executive education, Ross School of Business, University of Michigan Praise for Positive Academic Leadership " Buller has produced a book that every academic leader should read and put into practice. Positive Academic Leadership pulls together an amazing array of scientific findings and practical guidelines that will be invaluable for academic leaders looking to improve themselves and their institutions." -- Kim Cameron, associate dean, William Russell Professor of Management and Organizations, Ross School of Business; professor of higher education, School of Education, University of Michigan " If I had a magic wand and could make one wish for all of higher education, it would be that we had better institutional leadership. Whether one is a chair, dean, provost, president, or on the Board of Trustees, this book can make a world of difference in your ability to provide that leadership!" -- L. Dee Fink, author, Creating Significant Learning Experiences; former president, Professional and Organizational Development Network in Higher Education " Buller's book brings hope for leadership in higher education by emphasizing the importance of a positive approach that empowers and inspires others. Positive Academic Leadership has the potential to transform higher education for the benefit of students, faculty, and ultimately our communities and our world." -- Kina S. Mallard, provost and vice president of academic affairs, Carson-Newman University " Academic leaders who find themselves engulfed in negative thinking and considering only damage control scenarios for pressing issues will want to read this book. Employing what Jeffrey Buller calls 'positive academic leadership' is, I believe, essential to transforming feelings of despair into constructive leadership." -- Mary Lou Higgerson, vice president for academic affairs, emerita, Baldwin Wallace University " I can't recall reading any book on leadership that is more applicable to the work of faculty development. Every academic leader--faculty member, chair, dean, or campus administrator--will benefit from Jeffrey Buller's evidence-based model and practices of positive academic leadership." -- Mary Deane Sorcinelli, associate provost for faculty development, University of Massachusetts Amherst

The COVID-19 pandemic. The assault on the U.S. capitol. Global warming. Toxic polarization. These and other factors have created what many in higher education now refer to as “the New Normal.” It is a period when many of our former assumptions about higher education—including the reason for going to college itself—are increasingly being called into question. How can administrators and faculty members lead most effectively in this altered landscape of higher education? What has really changed, and what has remained relatively untouched by recent events? In Academic Leadership in the New Normal, Jeffrey L. Buller provides surprising answers to these questions. He traces why the future of higher education has now become much harder to predict and offers suggestions about what academic leaders should do as a result. He concludes that, counter to all expectation, the New Normal is a period when data analysis will be less, not more valuable for making decisions about the future. And he advises colleges and universities on how to prepare the next generation of academic leaders. Jeffrey L. Buller is a senior partner in ATLAS: Academic Training, Leadership, & Assessment Services. After a long career as an academic administrator, he now trains and advises academic leaders all over the world.