W&L

University Library

Department Heads' Professional Development Resources

This guide collects and promotes the library's holdings in topics of higher education administration and leadership, including handbooks and guides to effective department management.

Welcome!

Welcome to the Washington and Lee Department Heads Professional Development Resource Guide! The books and other resources listed on this guide are recommended to aspiring, new, and experienced departmental and university leaders.

Use the menu to the left to move among the major categories of books. On the guide you'll find a wealth of topics ranging from general handbooks and overviews of departmental leadership to specific books about topics like communication skills, hiring and evaluation of faculty, finances, and so on. While books from a range of different voices - by gender, race, and country of origin - are represented throughout the guide, the section on diversity, equity, and inclusion particularly highlights the experiences of minoritized faculty and how to support them. 

This guide has both print and e-books. Print books will be added to the Leyburn Library stacks. You can request a book be checked out to you and held on the Leyburn main floor in our grab-and-go space (by emailing library@wlu.edu). If you prefer, browse the stacks to find not just the specific title you wanted, but possibly more that are sitting next to it on the shelf!

The books on this guide were purchased with the help of the College, the Williams School, and the Law School, in addition to University Library operating and other funds. 

Suggest a Resource

This guide is a continual work in progress, as we purchase new print and online books to help department heads learn more about the different roles that they fill. Your recommendations for new titles to add - whether they are in the university library's collection or need to be purchased new - are more than welcome. 


To suggest a resource for library acquisition or inclusion to this guide, fill out the library's Purchase Request Form. Make sure to include a note that you want the book to be added to this guide. We can order either print or electronic versions - just let us know which you prefer.