OFD’s Healthy Relationships at Work (HRW) Fellowship is an intensive workshop, coaching, and mentoring program led by Dr. Emily Heaphy. Since 2023, the HRW Fellowship has supported heads and chairs with practical, evidence-based ways to improve departmental relationships.
Departmental relationships need care, support, and tending—just like a garden. As the head or chair of a department, you are that gardener. Whether your department already has a positive climate you are looking to further improve, you are looking to make your departmental culture and climate more equitable, or you are helping lead a department recovering from conflict, the skills and relationships you build as a part of the fellowship will provide you with a foundation to help support healthy relationships. In turn, healthy relationships will help make your work as chair easier and your department function more effectively.
In Fall 2025, a small cohort of department heads and chairs from across campus will engage in a six-part workshop to learn and discuss research-based approaches and apply best practices to their local context.
Workshop topics include:
- A framework for analyzing and improving departmental relationships
- Understanding and improving staff experiences
- Creating a culture of respect
- Recovering from the past
- Navigating subgroup tensions
- Building a departmental leadership team
Participants need to commit to attend all six sessions and one pre-workshop individual meeting with Emily. Participants will receive individual and group coaching and engage in peer mentoring.
To indicate your interest in participating in this fellowship, please complete this form by Friday, September 12.
For more information, please contact Emily Heaphy at @email.
Note: This program is not departmental mediation. If you need this type of help or related resources, please contact Associate Provost Angela de Oliveira at @email for assistance.
Program Contact
OFD Faculty Fellow, Professor of Management