Higher education is experiencing its most difficult times in recent memory. Multiple budget cuts in a single fiscal year have been an all-too-frequent occurence for many campuses.

The challenges we face can destroy the vitality of a department if not addressed appropriately. However, they can also provide the impetus needed to initiate positive changes not possible during affluent times. During these times it is critical that departmental aspirations be consistent with realistic possibilities. Departments must carefully rethink how they serve their institution and its students. Will the departmental mission need to change? Can we attend to all parts of our mission in the same ways as we have, or will our distribution of effort and talent toward teaching, scholarship, and service need to change? The choices are often hard and the consequences great. Reflecting honestly about departmental qualities, and gaining a clear understanding about how they can best address pressing institutional, community, and societal needs should result in choosing paths that will support continued departmental vitality.

How a department can best distinguish itself and its mission during challenging times will be the focus of the Twenty-First Annual Academic Chairpersons Conference.