Clemson Chair Academy announces third New Chair Onboarding cohort, Academic Leader Learning Series

Office of the Provost

The Clemson Chair Academy, a customized leadership development program for academic leaders at all career stages that supports development of greater awareness, sound judgment and a commitment to stewardship, recently began its third year of New Chair Onboarding with a 12-member cohort of department chairs, directors and associate deans.

New Chair Onboarding (NCO) is a nine-month, cohort-based intensive program designed to support faculty as they transition into their roles as academic leaders at Clemson. Organized around the rhythm of academic leadership, Clemson Chair Academy programming includes opportunities for learning, practice, reflection, connection and service.

Founded in 2024 through a partnership among the President’s Office, the Office of the Provost, academic deans and university collaborators, the Clemson Chair Academy is designed to strengthen leadership across the institution. Led by Associate Vice President for Strategic Alliances Tia Dumas, the academy aims to establish a community of practice to support academic leaders at every stage of their leadership journey.

“Academic leadership is not a role inside a unit, it’s one of the ways Clemson fulfills its mission through people, relationships, decisions and shared purpose. New Chair Onboarding and the work of our cohort is an investment in the future of leadership at Clemson.”
Tia Dumas, Associate Vice President for Strategic Alliances

Goals of the Chair Academy include:

Stronger academic leadership across departments and colleges
Healthier departmental cultures grounded in trust and collaboration
Increased leadership depth and continuity
Stronger cross-college relationships
More intentional development of future academic leaders
A sustained culture of stewardship throughout the academic enterprise

In addition to New Chair Onboarding and the Academic Leader Learning Series, the CCA includes several Academy-wide practices to support every academic leader across the CCA’s flexible progression model:

Communities of Practice (CoPs) connect academic leaders who share a common role, concern, or area of interest. Through ongoing conversation and knowledge-sharing, participants learn from one another, exchange strategies, and work collectively on challenges relevant to academic leadership.
Leading in Service emphasizes leadership as a responsibility to contribute, support others, and strengthen the broader academic community. Through service to colleagues, programs, and the University, academic leaders apply their knowledge and experience in ways that advance shared purposes and create meaningful impact.
Family Ties strengthens the relationships and sense of belonging that connect members of the Clemson Chair Academy. This practice recognizes that leadership development is sustained through community, mutual support, and continued relationships among colleagues across the University.

Provost Cole Smith speaks to New Chair Orientation.

New Chair Onboarding is stage one of the Chair Academy. The cohort met on September 9 for a kickoff NCO event focused on leadership identity. J. Cole Smith, executive vice president for academic affairs and provost, welcomed the group with a discussion about future trends in academic leadership and challenge of collaborating effectively to make and communicate time-sensitive decisions. University Historian Otis Pickett then touched on the importance of understanding history through a stewardship lens before an afternoon of leadership discussions, Success Coach mentoring circles and reflection.

“Strong academic leadership is essential to Clemson’s continued success,” said Smith. “The Clemson Chair Academy provides the opportunity to strengthen the relationships, judgment and communication skills that help our leaders make increasingly complex decisions to serve our students, faculty and University.”

2026-27 New Chair Onboarding Cohort

Derek Daniels, associate dean of the Harvey S. Peeler Jr. College of Veterinary Medicine

Eric Davis, associate chair of the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, College of Engineering, Computing and Applied Sciences

Jim Faust, acting chair of the Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, College of Agriculture, Forestry and Life Sciences

Dan Harding, interim director of the School of Architecture, College of Architecture, Art and Construction

Nigel Kaye, associate chair of the Glenn Department of Civil Engineering, College of Engineering, Computing and Applied Sciences

Rebecca Killick, associate director of the School of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences, College of Science

Olga Kuksenok, associate chair of the Department of Materials Science and Engineering, College of Engineering, Computing and Applied Sciences

Tom Leathem, chair of the Nieri Department of Construction and Real Estate Development, College of Architecture, Art and Construction

Yongjia Song, associate chair of the Department of Industrial Engineering, College of Engineering, Computing and Applied Sciences

Jeremy Vinson, associate chair of the School of Accountancy, Wilbur O. and Ann Powers College of Business

Ken Webb, associate chair of the Department of Bioengineering, College of Engineering, Computing and Applied Sciences

Nicki Wise, associate dean of the Harvey S. Peeler Jr. College of Veterinary Medicine

Academic Leader Learning Series (ALLS)

Academic leaders work at tables at the Academic Leader Learning Series.

For the Stage 2: Institutional Insights portion of its programming, the Clemson Chair Academy introduced the Academic Leader Learning Series (ALLS), a fall and spring event series open to all academic leaders focused on four complementary areas of leadership development: data acumen and literacy, team design and effectiveness, Workday partnerships and support, and strategic communication and storytelling. The series includes eight workshops held on Fridays from noon to 1:30 p.m., through December 4. Prior attendance is not required for any session.