This is the pre-peer reviewed version of the following article: Stawnychko, L., & Wang, T.
(2024). ‘No man is an island’…except for department chairs. The Department Chair, 35(2), 22-23.
which has been published in final form at https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/dch.30609.
This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance with Wiley Terms and
Conditions for Use of Self-Archived Versions.

“No Man Is an Island” … Except for Department Chairs
Leda Stawnychko, Tracy Wang
In his 1624 poem “No Man Is an Island,” John Donne pontificates on the interconnectedness of
humankind, calling for empathy and humanity: “No man is an island / entire of itself; every man
is a piece of the continent, / a part of the main.” The communities we build as postsecondary
educators are powerful: We create support networks, inspire new ideas, and uncover synergies
to achieve more than what we could as individuals. However, department chairs seem to be an
exception. The nature of the role can create many forms of isolation, ultimately harming their
health and wellness.
Views from seventeen department chairs were collected as part of a research study in 2019 to
learn about their leadership development experiences when first entering their roles. Although
many spoke highly and positively of their journeys, the significant personal and professional
costs of the position were resounding. In general, these academic leaders mentioned facing
heavy workloads, high levels of responsibility, and demanding schedules, especially since most
had multiple additional roles as practicing clinicians, researchers, and teachers. They noted
working long hours and not having enough time for self-care. For many, resting on evenings and
weekends was a luxury they could not often afford. As a result, these leaders reported feelings
of isolation arising from their professional identity, their relationships, and themselves.
Isolation from Professional Identity
The role of department chair was seen as a temporary step away from one's core professional
identity as a clinician, researcher, and/or teacher rather than as a permanent step toward
academic administration. The added workload of the chair role took time and capacity away
from their other commitments, resulting in lower research productivity or compromising their
professional practice. The trade-off was often made unwillingly. Many chairs described taking
the chair role as “sacrificing” their true academic passion.
The chairs who shared their experiences as part of the study believed their peers viewed them
as outside influences, no longer part of the team. This newly felt isolation contributed to a
perceived loss of humanity, making them seem more like a cog in the system than a person,
colleague, and friend. They described the role as a lightning rod for addressing complaints,
noting that they were rarely approached with positive feedback, which further strained
relationships. For example, in cases where the best course of action for a department conflicted
with a faculty member's self-interests, the resulting disappointment was projected directly to
the chair, who acted as a mediator and absorber of negative feelings. Alternatively, faculty
members expected chairs to problem-solve for them when, in reality, they often had no
authority or control over the matter. These situations resulted in feelings of helplessness, both
to address the issue and to manage unfair expectations.

Isolation from Personal Relationships
All department chairs noted sacrificing personal relationships to meet the demands of the
leadership position. They spoke about the limited time and energy they had available to spend
with friends and family and their inability to be fully present, which negatively impacted the
quality of their experiences. Some chairs noted that the pressures of the position had led to a
desire to retreat alone—seeking to recharge—rather than mustering up the energy to engage in
social activities.
Spousal relationships were highlighted in particular. Many noted that having a supportive
spouse was foundational to navigating the demands of the position. However, the role was
heavily straining these relationships, in some cases potentially leading to divorce.
Old friendships with colleagues were described as new potential minefields. In addition to the
limited time they had available for informal socializing, they noted that the nature of the
relationships had changed. Chairs said that it would now be inappropriate for them to vent,
particularly about departmental matters.
Isolation from the Self
Isolation from the self was a prevalent theme during the conversations with chairs. The
accumulated emotional and mental exhaustion from the role created energy deficits and
ongoing difficulties in meeting basic physiological needs, including exercise or sleep, adopting
convenient but unhealthy eating patterns, and consuming alcohol for the purposes of selfnumbing. Several chairs expressed a sense of loss from giving up cherished personal hobbies.
Female faculty, in particular, spoke of a desire to engage in personal reflection and contemplate
self-actualization. Still, they did not have the time or the mental presence to do so due to their
family responsibilities. One of these chairs shared, “I have an hour or two of downtime and then
I'm in bed. If I don't do that, the whole house of cards falls apart.”
What Do We Do?
Thankfully, it's not all doom and gloom. All the department chairs felt tremendous pride in the
opportunity to make a larger impact on their institution, particularly by mentoring early-career
faculty. To prevent the personal costs from scaring faculty away from these positions, there are
some practical considerations for institutions to consider.
Mental health and wellness. If department chairs receive the main message—whether direct or
implied—to meet mandates and make tough decisions, they will continue to feel the pressure
to achieve it at all costs. As a first step, institutions may acknowledge the challenges chairs face
and prioritize their wellness and mental health. From there, tangible individualized supports can
be put in place.
Peer mentoring. Creating communities of practice specifically for department chairs may
increase feelings of support and connection. Receiving validation from others who are

successfully overcoming similar challenges and sharing ideas can make chairs feel less alone. For
this, institutions could prioritize formally and proactively supporting these communities'
development.
Share the load. Heavy workloads and limited capacity were identified as the root problems
resulting in feelings of isolation. As such, the ability to delegate administrative responsibilities to
other department faculty members by creating assistant, associate, or deputy chair roles could
bring about much-needed relief. The benefits would include more manageable workloads for
chairs while creating a sustainable leadership pipeline for the institution.
Conclusion
Department chairs can feel like islands, isolated from their original professional identities, their
meaningful personal relationships, and their own sense of self. Ultimately, Donne's poem
laments that this isolation weakens the community more broadly. Awareness is the first step to
setting academic institutions on a course to improve the experiences of faculty in these roles
while increasing institutional leadership capacity and sustainable pipelines for the position.