Daniel W. Wheeler

The following are consulting opportunities in this category:

About Daniel W. Wheeler

Daniel (Dan) W. Wheeler is a Higher Education Consultant and Professor Emeritus of Leadership Studies and former Head of the Department of Ag Leadership, Education and Communications at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Previously he was Coordinator of the Office of Professional and Organizational Development at Nebraska. He has degrees from Antioch College, Cornell and SUNYAB. Dr. Wheeler has made numerous contributions to faculty development, chairing departments and leadership. For example, he has co-authored The Academic Chair Handbook (2008), Enhancing Faculty Development: Strategies for Development and Renewal (1990) and has contributed numerous book chapters and articles on faculty development and department chairs. Dan is a past president of the Professional and Organizational Development (POD) Network in Higher Education and recipient of the prestigious Spirit of POD Award.

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Leading the Academic Department

with Daniel W. Wheeler

Leading a department requires a different set of skills than learned through many faculty positions. This workshop addresses both  addressing long-range issues and taking care of the everyday work. Emphasis is on how leadership and management go hand in hand to be successful. 6 hour workshop

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Consider Your Own Development: Sharpening the Edge

with Daniel W. Wheeler

Chairs learn on the job often through trial and error. To be proactive in development requires identifying ways to plan continuously and to stay ahead of the curve in learning. Needs are identified, learning opportunities specified and resources, both internal and external, are described. 3 hour workshop

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Creating a Positive Interpersonal Work Environment

with Daniel W. Wheeler

A number of critical elements of a positive work environment have been identified. They include: being open, listening, creating conditions that motivate faculty and staff, being a role model and providing effective feedback. The workshop addresses strategies to incorporate these elements in the everyday life of the department. 6 hour workshop

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On Being a New Chair: Understanding the Past, Present & Future

with Daniel W. Wheeler

To be successful chairs should understand the past and present of the department. The future needs to be addressed in this context. Strategies that build this understanding, involving both documents and conversations, will be shared. Strategies for developing a preferred future will be addressed. 6 hour workshop

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Making Change Initiatives Successful

with Daniel W. Wheeler

Change, whether just adapting to it or initiating it, is a topic of conversation everywhere. This session is about developing commitment to and ownership of change. A change model will guide the development of strategies to make the change successful. 3-6 hour workshop

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Leadership Succession

with Daniel W. Wheeler

Successful leadership succession does not happen by accident. Careful planning involving assessment of departmental needs, the stage of the department and the departmental history are required. Growing one's own leaders versus going outside for leaders will also be addressed. 3-6 hour workshop or session

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Faculty Career Development: Stages & Keys for Success

with Daniel W. Wheeler

Faculty needs are different at various career stages. This session will focus on early, mid-career, well established and late career stages. Not only will there be a focus on needs, there will be emphasis on strategies to facilitate meeting these needs. 6 hour workshop

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Helping New Faculty Be Successful

with Daniel W. Wheeler

New faculty are the future face of the organization. The twin needs of having autonomy and finding collegiality, the latter often unfulfilled, are addressed. Additional needs in teaching and scholarly development and strategies to help faculty meet them will be explored. Exemplary development processes are identified. 3-6 hour workshop

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Improving or Enhancing Faculty Instruction

with Daniel W. Wheeler

The workshop addresses the following three areas: 1) promoting excellence in teaching 2) supporting teaching improvement, and 3) addressing teaching problems. The first two focus more on department-wide strategies while the third has an emphasis on working with individual faculty. 3-6 hour workshop

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Visioning and Planning

with Daniel W. Wheeler

Visioning is a process of identifying a preferred future for the next 5-10 years. Participants will develop an image or state of the organization that will  provide direction for the future. Based on the vision, planning will require appropriate resources and commitments to move toward the vision. An analysis of what it will take to move from the present to the vision will be part of the session. 3-6 hour workshop

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Team Building

with Daniel W. Wheeler

Teams require a framework and tools to be effective and to continue to grow. Purpose, goals, task-process balance, setting benchmarks for progress and conflict management are all addressed. Stages of team development and strategies for development will be included. 3-6 hour workshop

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Servant Leadership

with Daniel W. Wheeler

Servant leadership is a philosophy that starts from a premise of wanting to serve and leadership growing our of that service. The focus is on helping followers meet their highest priority needs. The session will identify and develop the five factors of servant leadership: 1) altruistic calling 2) emotional healing 3) persuasive mapping 4) wisdom, and 5) organizational stewardship in the context of your organization. Each of the factors will be applied to the academic enterprise including service, teaching, research and administration. 3-6 hour workshop or session

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Developing Your Own Leadership Development Program

with Daniel W. Wheeler

One of the best ways to have effective leaders is to grow your own. This session addresses various ways to grow leaders and a process to facilitate their development. The model of assessment, challenge, and support in development is stressed. Successful programs should be tied to a needs assessment and identification of critical organizational needs. 3-6 hour workshop or session

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