IT Management department chair broadens horizons with national leadership institute

The American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU) is an organization dedicated to fostering collaborative growth between institutions of higher education nationwide.

The organization’s annual Department Chair Leadership Institute (DCLI) focuses that dedication on the leaders heading up individual university departments, and Central Washington University is proud to be represented in this year’s cohort.

IT Management Department Chair Hideki Takei traveled to Washington, D.C., in early January to begin a series of trainings that will last through the end of April. Takei came away from that initial training session with a broadened understanding of what it means to chair a department.

“The individual departments are the front line when it comes to supporting the university’s mission and vision,” he said. “The better we can organize and lead at the department level, the better the university does as a whole.”

The DCLI is designed with both current and newly appointed department leaders in mind, helping them develop the skills necessary to navigate higher education as part of a larger whole. The initial, in-person training session was held January 7-8, and wasted little time getting to the meat of the matter, according to Takei.

“It felt unique to me because it wasn’t just a series of lectures and case studies,” he said. “We received a quick lecture and perspectives from past participants, and then we were handed real-world situations to navigate, which was amazing for me.”

The opportunity to tackle real-world scenarios with his counterparts from across the country helped Takei find fresh perspectives on the hurdles shared by colleges and universities everywhere.

“A lot of us share similar challenges and opportunities, so we were very comfortable discussing how we could best take what we learned back to our universities,” he said. “Talking about issues with people outside of our university gives us the power to be creative, positive, and well-informed.”

Going forward, Takei will be participating in regular virtual tabletop sessions with his fellow DCLI 2026 cohort members, advancing their shared knowledge and laying the foundation for a professional network positioned to benefit participants over time. He looks forward to sharing what he’s learned with the CWU community.

“I feel very fortunate to be part of this training, and I want to make myself available to anyone who might be interested in the program,” Takei said. “I’m happy to share my experience.”