DEO Essentials

campus in the fall

Faculty Affairs in the Office of the Executive Vice Chancellor offers DEO Essentials to support faculty who serve in department chair, department head, and school director roles. Have an idea for a DEO Essential topic? Email your suggestion to facultyaffairs@unl.edu

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Workplace Relationships

Relationships between faculty and staff or students, or between supervisors and their subordinates, can create issues when one person has more power over the other. This power imbalance can lead to perceived or real conflicts of interest, favoritism, or claims of harassment​.

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Supporting Faculty Service

Faculty service — one third of the tripartite mission of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln — has an impact. It impacts the institution, our students, our colleagues, and the citizens of Nebraska, as well as those around the world.

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Retiring Faculty

Retirement is a natural part of any career path. Helping your faculty make decisions about when to retire and then guiding them through the process is an important part of being a good leader. Below are suggestions for how to help faculty through the retirement decision and process.

Updated January 2024

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Managing Difficult Issues with Faculty

Department Executive Officers are often required to address issues related to faculty performance or to resolve conflicts between faculty, staff, and/or students.

Updated January 2024

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Faculty Annual Evaluations in the Context of COVID-19

The coronavirus pandemic of 2020 has impacted the lives and work of faculty in many ways, with those impacts varying with respect to both type and degree.

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External Awards and Recognition

The University of Nebraska-Lincoln values the hard work of faculty and recognizes the role of honorific awards in building excellence and impact across a wide range of teaching, research, and outreach activities.

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Dealing with the Death of a Faculty Member

There are a number of things a Department Executive Officer should do when a faculty member dies or is soon to pass away. If the individual has not yet died, it is important to be aware of the many elements involved in keeping the faculty member’s affairs functioning.

Updated December 2020

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Becoming a More Inclusive Leader

Feeling valued and heard is one of the key indicators of whether an employee or student is engaged. It takes time and a concentrated effort by leaders to create real change.