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William Paterson University President Richard J. Helldobler is serving as executive sponsor and lead faculty member for the American Association of State Colleges and Universities’ (AASCU) Department Chair Leadership Institute (DCLI), a national professional development program for higher education leaders. William Paterson Professor and Department of Communication Chair Chriss Williams is among 31 higher education leaders nationwide selected to participate in the institute’s newest cohort.
The semester-long institute is designed to strengthen the leadership capacity of department chairs at regional public universities. Participants from across the country engage in intensive learning, peer exchange, and professional networking focused on navigating complex challenges, supporting colleagues, and advancing student and institutional success.
“Department chairs play a critical role in institutional culture, governance, and management,” says President Helldobler. “DCLI provides valuable training and insight on how to navigate this complex leadership role in today’s higher education landscape.”
The newest cohort launched with two days of skills building and intensive professional development in Washington, D.C. Throughout the program, participants will explore topics including aligning departmental priorities with institutional mission and strategy, developing and sustaining a future-focused department, managing resources, supervising and supporting colleagues, navigating difficult conversations, adapting to changes in higher education, and promoting wellness as a leader.
Williams’ selection marks the second consecutive DCLI cohort to include William Paterson faculty. Professors Valeriya Avdeev, chair of the Department of Accounting and Law, and David Hack, chair of the Department of Kinesiology, participated in the program’s previous cohort earlier this year.
Williams, who joined the William Paterson faculty in 2000, is a filmmaker, scholar, and attorney whose teaching and academic interests span filmmaking, screenwriting, film education, and issues of diversity and social justice in film. For more than two decades, he has also served as a pro bono attorney representing survivors of domestic violence. His scholarly work includes publications in the Journal of Film and Video and Journal of Media Education, as well as presentations on film pedagogy, directing, screenwriting, and representation. In 2025, Williams was a recipient of a New Jersey State Council on the Arts Individual Artist Fellowship in playwriting/screenwriting for his original script The Twelve. He holds an MFA from New York University and a law degree from Rutgers University.
The Department Chair Leadership Institute is one of AASCU’s leadership development programs and provides participants with opportunities to examine leadership practices, learn from experienced higher education leaders, and build relationships with colleagues who share many of the same responsibilities and challenges. The program is made possible with support from Academic Search.
The American Association of State Colleges and Universities is a Washington, D.C.-based higher education association representing more than 500 regional public colleges, universities, and systems. Its members share a learning- and teaching-centered culture, a historic commitment to student populations, and a dedication to research and creativity that advances the economic and cultural development of their regions.
