March 5-6, 2026
Day(s)
:
Hour(s)
:
Minute(s)
:
Second(s)
When everything lands on YOUR desk. You need more than advice.
You need perspective, peers and plans that will actually move you forward.
March 5-6, 2026 | 11:00-2:00pm ET | Virtual Summit (Zoom)
BONUS Pre and Post Networking Sessions to meet and greet your fellow Department Chairs & Dept. Heads.
WIBE MEMBERS: Free, included with your annual membership fee
NON-WIBE Members: $149 USD
Department Chairs are holding more than ever.
And too often, you are expected to figure it out alone.
This summit was designed to give you space to think, space to lead, and strategies you can use immediately.
Topics we will tackle:
- Faculty dynamics
- Budget pressure
- Student expectations
- AI and academic integrity
- Aging faculty
- Hiring and retention
- Culture change
- Leadership without formal authority
The Virtual Summit is free for WIBE Members and only $149 for non-members, learn more about how membership can help you launch your career.
Not yet ready to register, but want to keep up to date on future deans programming? Join Our Mailing List for updates here.
Who This Summit Is For:
This summit is built for you if you are:
- A current Department Chair or Dept. Head feeling stretched thin and looking to connect with your peers
- A future Chair preparing for what is coming
- An interim Chair navigating uncertainty
- A faculty leader carrying invisible leadership labor
- Someone who wants to lead well without burning out
You do not need to have all the answers.
This is a (Zoom) room that understands your questions.
Can’t make it to the Virtual Summit LIVE? All sessions will be recorded and accessible for six months.
AGENDA
Day 1: Thursday March 5, 2026
All Times are in Eastern Time (New York)
10-10:45 ET - Coffee, Connection, and Setting Your Focus (Optional Opening Session)
Start the summit with a moment to arrive, connect, and get grounded. This optional opening session invites Department Chairs to gather informally, meet fellow participants, and reflect on what brought you here in small breakout groups.
11:00-11:45am - KEYNOTE CONVERSATION Leading What Matters (Without Owning Everything
Department chairs are often rewarded for being responsive until responsiveness quietly turns into overload. This session focuses on how to decide what truly requires their leadership and what does not.
We will explore practical frameworks for boundary-setting, and delegation that protect both the work and the people doing it.
Participants will leave with language and strategies for resisting “default ownership” while still being seen as effective, engaged leaders.
12:00-12:45am - Caretaker, Architect, Superhero… Chair?
Department Chair can be one of the most impactful and rewarding roles in academia. You are on the front lines, closest to faculty, students, and the systems that shape daily experience.
Chairs are also constantly balancing people, systems, and high stakes decisions. This session explores how clearer role alignment helps move leadership from reaction to intention.
1:00-2:00pm - Culture is the Real Curriculum
Policies may set the rules, but culture determines how work actually gets done. This session looks at how unspoken norms, shared stories, power dynamics, and everyday behaviors shape departmental life far more than formal structures.
Panelists will examine how culture is formed, how it drifts, and how it can be influenced.
Day 2: Friday March 6, 2026
11:00-11:45am AI, Ethics, and the Chair’s Impossible Line
Are you juggling innovation, academic integrity, faculty autonomy, and institutional risk? This session explores how leaders navigate AI adoption.
We will discuss real dilemmas and how chairs can create guardrails that support learning while protecting trust.
The focus is on judgment, communication, and leadership in a fast-moving future.
1:00-2:45pm Faculty Conversations (& Reviews) That Move You Forward
Department Chairs play a critical role in supporting faculty across all stages of their careers.
This session explores how to approach meaningful performance conversations with respect and fairness. We will discuss building trust, exercising good judgment, and leading hard conversations with courage.
2:45-3:15pm Coffee, Connection, and What Comes Next (Optional Networking & Reflection Session)
This optional closing session creates space to pause, connect, and reflect together.
Join fellow Department Chairs for informal conversation, shared insights, and a moment to ask: What resonated most?
What You Will Walk Away With:
- New ways to approach faculty challenges
• Tools to manage time, pressure, and expectations
• Support for culture and change
• A network of peers you can actually reach out to
• Confidence that you are not doing this alone
This is a powerful (Zoom) room that understands your questions.
Can’t make it to the Virtual Summit LIVE? All sessions will be recorded and accessible for six months.
What Makes This Summit Different
“It’s a Big Chair in Complex Times. And you are the exact right person to fill it.”
This is not a passive conference.
Each session is intentionally designed to include:
- Real conversation
- Audience Q and A
- Reflection and discussion
- Practical takeaways
- Multiple voices in the room
You will hear from experienced leaders.
You will also hear from peers who are living this right now.
Not yet ready to register, but want to keep up to date on future deans programming? Join Our Mailing List for updates here.
Speakers & Facilitators
Meet the Team Behind the Summit!
Ana Rosado Feger
Department Chair, Ohio University
Lisa Leander
Founder & CEO, Where Imagination Builds Excellence
Meg Meloy
Department Head, Pennsylvania State University
Cassie Elrod
Department Chair, Missouri S&T
Renee Ford
Senior Instructional Designer, Pennsylvania State University
Ellen Best
Department Head, University of North Georgia
MEET OUR KEYNOTE: Kathy Farrell
Dean, College of Business, University of Nebraska-Lincol
Tracy Porter
Department Chair, Cleveland State University
Michael Merz
Department Chair, San Jose State University
Anna Sidorova
Department Chair, University of North Texas
WIBE Members
Free with Membership
(Log-in required)
Non-Members
What Our Members Say
The energy and inspiration I get from WIBE has been so uplifting and incredible.
WIBE is a wonderful support system for all business academics. The professional development, upskilling, and networking opportunities are phenomenal.
Wonderful summit! There were so many ideas shared and connections made that I can’t wait until the next one
Academia can be lonely and isolating, WIBE provides a great platform to build connections to other academics around the world.
About WIBE Network
WHERE IMAGINATION BUILDS EXCELLENCE
WIBE Network is a global community for bold, creative leadership in business education.
We bring together deans, senior faculty, and academic innovators who are ready to reimagine what leadership looks like in higher education, and then we make it happen.
Originally launched as Women in Business Education, WIBE has evolved into a dynamic space for both men and women leaders who believe that imagination is not just a skill but a strategic advantage.
We shape the future of business education with creativity, courage, and community.
Through leadership summits, peer networks, and year-round programs, WIBE helps members connect, share ideas, and turn vision into reality.
Corporate Partners
Thank you to our corporate members who champion our WIBE Members
Frequently Asked Questions
What if I can’t attend a session live?
No problem! All sessions will be recorded and available to registered participants after the event. You can watch (or re-watch) at your own pace on our private membership site up to six months.
Who should attend?
This summit is designed for current and future Department Chairs or Department Heads across business and management education.
It is especially valuable for those navigating complex faculty dynamics, institutional change, budget pressure, and growing leadership expectations.
You will find this summit helpful if you are:
• A current Department Chair
• An interim or acting Chair
• Preparing to step into a Chair role
• A faculty leader carrying significant administrative responsibility
• A former Chair supporting others in leadership
Come be curiuos and learn more!
Men and women are encouraged to register (and join our membership)
Although started as Women in Business Education, we are now Where Imagination Builds Excellence (WIBE) and open to all who want to lead with curiousity and creativity.
What if I am not a Department Chair? Can I attend?
While the content is designed with Department Chairs in mind, many sessions are also valuable for associate deans, program directors, and faculty leaders who are moving towards or simply interested in leadership
Come be curiuos and learn more!
Will sessions be recorded?
Yes. Registered participants will receive access to session recordings if they are unable to attend live.
Is this summit specific to business schools?
This Summit is open to all Chairs in any Departments and will find discussions in leadership useful.
However, the conversations, examples, and challenges are grounded in the realities of business and management education.
What will I leave with?
Participants consistently leave with:
• Greater clarity about their leadership role
• Practical language for difficult conversations
• New approaches to faculty and systems challenges
• Renewed confidence and perspective
• A stronger sense of connection with peers
Can I join WIBE membership?
Absolutely! Joining WIBE means you’ll not only attend the summit, but also gain year-round access to workshops, networking opportunities, and our global community of bold, creative leaders in business education. You can join at any time through our membership page.
www.wibenetwork.com/membership
After registering as a member, head to the events page and then RSVP to the Future Deans Summit for the Zoom link and calendar invites.
What makes WIBE different from other professional associations?
No gatekeeping. No “members-only if you’ve been in the club for 20 years.”
We’re fresh, welcoming, and obsessed with giving you real tools and connections you can use now.
Plus, we mix in a whole lot more imagination and fun.
Are there group discounts if a university wants to send a group of non-members?
Yes! Please email membership@wibenetwork.com if you’d like to send three or more participants from your institution, and we’ll provide group pricing details.
How do I join the sessions?
After you register, you’ll receive a confirmation email with your personal Zoom link. We’ll also send reminders before each day’s sessions so you’re ready to jump in.