A Descriptive Analysis of Chairs of Academic Neurology Departments in the United States

There remains a limited understanding of the characteristics of academic leaders within neurology departments, despite similar research in other fields. This investigation characterized the demographics, academic background, and scholarly productivity of United States (U.S.) neurology department chairs. Here, 131 chairs at Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME)-certified neurology programs were identified. Publicly accessible demographic and academic data available online were collected in March 2021. Among the 131 neurology chairs analyzed, 84.7% were male. On average, these faculty were 60.5 years old and were appointed at a mean age of 52.0 years. 74.8% of chairs graduated from an American medical school, although a notable proportion of department heads received medical training internationally. A substantial cohort also acquired an additional graduate degree, of which Doctor of Philosophy (PhD; 22.1%) and master's degree (21.4%) were most common. 82.4% completed a post-residency fellowship, which were most frequently in vascular neurology (24.1%) and clinical neurophysiology (17.6%). The mean h-index, m-quotient, and lifetime NIH grant funding received were 39.2 ± 29.4, 1.2 ± 0.8, and $20,021,594 ± $31,861,816, respectively. No between-gender differences were observed. Overall, neurology chairs are predominantly male, most often completing fellowships in vascular neurology or clinical neurophysiology. Research productivity is a notable component of these chairs' careers, although certain programs place less emphasis on these metrics. Finally, substantial effort remains to address disparities in female representation at this leadership position. These findings serve as a benchmark to evaluate demographic trends among neurology department chairs.

Gynecologic Surgery and Obstetrics Leadership Roles in Academic Military Treatment Facilities by Subspecialty and Gender

ABSTRACT Introduction Gender distribution in academic ob-gyn leadership positions has previously been examined in the civilian sector, but not in military medicine. Objective To characterize the distribution of department-level leadership positions by gender and subspecialty in academic military facilities in comparison to those reported in the civilian sector. Methods This is an observational cross-sectional study. We queried military obstetrics and gynecology (ob-gyn) specialty consultants, for title and gender of personnel assigned to academic military treatment facilities. Roles were characterized by gender and subspecialty, and the proportion of female leaders was compared to published civilian leadership data. Results Women comprised 25% of Department Chairs, 45% of Assistant Chairs, and 42% of Division Directors. In educational leadership roles, women comprised 25% of Residency Program Directors, 0% of Fellowship Directors, and 62% of medical Student Clerkship Directors. Female department chairs were most often uro-gynecologists (44%) followed by specialists in ob-gyn (37%). Most female residency program directors were specialists in general obstetrics and gynecology. The proportion of women in leadership roles in military departments was not different than in the civilian sector. Conclusion In contrast to civilian academic leadership positions, Department Chairs were most likely to be uro-gynecologists. Similar to civilian programs, women remain underrepresented as chairs, Assistant Chairs, Fellowship Directors, and Division Directors and similarly represented as Residency Program Directors. Despite a smaller pool of women available to fill academic leadership positions in military ob-gyn departments, the proportion of women in leadership roles reaches parity with the civilian sector. This suggests that a greater proportion of women rise to leadership positions in military academic ob-gyn departments than in the civilian sector.

Administrative Perceptions Regarding Supervision of Online Teaching and Learning

Deans, associate deans, and department chairs in higher education institutions manage not only their departments’ course offerings but also faculty and students who teach and learn both in person and online. Possessing a good understanding of how to plan, supervise, and evaluate online degree programs for maximum efficiency, optimum student learning, and optimum faculty support is imperative for these professionals. The purpose of this study was to investigate administrators’ perceptions, attitudes, and experiences managing various online learning environments. A basic qualitative research design was applied to this study. Current and former administrators were invited to participate in individual in-depth interviews that were transcribed and analyzed for emerging themes. Results indicated that administrators need multiple levels of support, including supervisor’s support as well as instructional and technology support, among others. It is concluded that administrators find themselves in “a continuum” in terms of the need for different types of support. Implications for further research are discussed.

THE PROBLEM OF ACADEMIC GENDER MOBBING IN TURKISH UNIVERSITIES

The issue of academic mobbing is growing at an alarming rate in Turkish universities. This is a negative practice whereby outspoken and ethical scholars are attacked. These scholars are always kicking against bad practices in society. They possess knowledge that most people consider intimidating. These actions are usually initiated by their lesser administrators and colleagues. Based on this, it is crucial to know how this problem starts and deteriorates among colleagues. This research study will be aiming to determine mobbing behavior prevalence as exposed by superiors, the dean and heads of departments. Various subtopics will be analyzed and discussed in this paper like faculty outcomes, ethics, and envy twinge. These are all related to rectors, university presidents, provosts, department chairs, deans, policymakers, academic leaders, researchers, academicians, and many others.

Models of the Sociology Minor at Institutions of Higher Education in the United States

Although the structure and content of the sociology major has been addressed by a variety of scholars and several American Sociological Association (ASA) task forces over the past three decades, the structure, content, and even the purpose of the sociology minor has been ignored. In this article, we address this gap in the literature through two investigations. The first utilizes an examination of the websites and academic handbooks of 248 bachelor’s degree-granting institutions to discern the structure and contents of the sociology minor. We identify four models for the sociology minor found in U.S. higher education. The second study utilizes data gathered through the ASA 2019–2020 Department Survey. Included in the survey were a variety of questions regarding department chairs’ perceptions of the sociology minor. We conclude by suggesting that we should not only be concerned with what the sociology minor currently is but also consider what the minor could be.

Admissions Type and Cultural Competency in Graduate Speech-Language Pathology Curricula: A National Survey Study

Purpose This research describes the results of survey questions designed to establish how cultural competency is taught in graduate speech-language pathology programs with a view on how to increase cultural competency in practicing professionals. Method One hundred ten department chairs or designees of university programs with graduate speech-language pathology programs participated in this study. Participants were asked questions to better understand how programs included cultural competency content for teaching purposes in program curricula. Respondents were sorted into groups by admission practices (traditional admissions, some holistic measures, or holistic review ). We provide a description of responses, including which cultural competency topics are included in curricula, and we compare programs' composite cultural competency by admission type. Results Programs that used some holistic measures or holistic review had had significantly more content that focused on cultural competency than the traditional group, and also used a wider range of pedagogical approaches used to teach this content. Programs that employed some holistic measures or holistic review also covered a wider range of topics, including learning the importance of listening nonjudgmentally to clients' disability/health beliefs and valuing curiosity, empathy, and respect for others. Less than 30% of the traditional admissions programs reported that students were taught about institutional biases or the value of eliminating disparities, and less than 40% reported that students are comfortable talking about culture openly or are able to discuss their own cultural backgrounds or biases. The authors discuss implications and recommendations for enhancing cultural competence in graduate speech-language pathology programs.

Creating an Academic Ecosystem Where Chairs Can Thrive:

This study aimed to understand the lived experience of department chairs in a Canadian university context. Guided by phenomenological inquiry, twenty-one individual interviews of experienced academic chairs were analyzed. Findings focus on the rewards and challenges of the position, advice for professors interested in taking on this role, and the systemic issues that impact change. Results highlight the importance of preparatory training and ongoing institutional support including the deliberate building of a chair community. This paper includes a call to action which will be of interest to Deans and other senior administrators, faculty leaders, those contemplating the chair role, and those involved with institutional governance.

Ophthalmology Education Leadership Attitudes Towards Gender-specific Mentorship

Background:Despite relatively equal gender representation among US medical students, a gender gap exists in female representation within academic medicine. Numerous studies have emphasized the influence of gender-specific mentors in medical students' career decisions, but this has not been explored fully in ophthalmology. Therefore, this study evaluated ophthalmology educators’ attitudes towards gender-specific mentorship, to better understand how this relates to medical students’ decision to enter the field and their career development.Methods:A 22-question survey was sent to AUPO Department Chairs, Residency Program Directors, and Medical Student Educators. Additionally, the gender breakdown of current AUPO members was determined through a review of the AUPO membership directory. The authors also compared the number of female students applying to ophthalmology residency with the number of female ophthalmology faculty using AUPO and AAMC workforce data. Student’s t-tests and chi square were used for analysis.Results:75 members responded (23.7%), including 17 of 135 Chairs (12.6%), 34 of 114 PDs (29.8%), and 30 of 72 MSEs (41.7%). Of AUPO members, 85.2% of Chairs, 67.5% of Program Directors, and 43% of MSEs are male. Of respondents, 55.4% identified as female and 44.6% as male.Male and female members had 47.9% and 47.6% female mentees, respectively, (p=0.451). However, 21.2% of male and 56.1% of female members agreed that a mentee of the same gender was important, (p<0.01). Furthermore, 13 of 40 female members (32.5%) reported having a significant female mentor themselves vs. 1 of 29 male members (3%), (p<0.05).Conclusions:Male and female AUPO members reported no difference in the ratio of female mentees. However, female members were more likely to feel gender-specific mentorship was important, suggesting room for further development of this resource. Expansion of gender-specific mentorship in ophthalmology can promote equity in training and help address the lack of female representation in academic leadership.