For a large number of teenagers, the possibility of earning a college degree still seems out of reach due to lack of adequate financial resources, guidance, and support. Each year, according to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, 34.1 percent of high school graduates fail to enroll in college. Many colleges and universities are ramping up their efforts to target students in traditionally underserved communities, particularly following last year’s College Opportunity Summit hosted by the White House.
A second strategy would be to negotiate with the dean for a package of support that would allow the chair time and resources to do some personal “reinvention” immediately following chair service. Included might be released time from partial or full faculty obligations (perhaps an in-house sabbatical) for a semester (or year) and some monetary resources that will allow the former chair and “new” faculty member to attend conferences in the research area or focused on teaching, hire an assistant/student helper, and purchase some basic materials or equipment for research or teaching. Because this fund is similar to start-up funds many institutions provide for new faculty, it could be called a “restart-up” fund. This modest investment is justified by the professional sacrifices that the chair has made by engaging in administrative work and by the fact that the institution will be far better off in the future with this individual contributing at a more productive level.
