Coping with the death of a faculty member: Editorial 

In the Chronicle of Higher Ed’s “Ask the Chair” series, Kevin Dettmar (Pomona College) answers a question about how to support a department after the death of a faculty member. Dettmar underlines that “leading through loss” requires being sensitive to needs of staff and students before “stepping up to meet them.” While there is no one-size-fits-all approach to mourning, the author highlights some approaches that may be useful for departmental chairs moving forward, including asking students-once they’ve had the chance to absorb the news-what sort of tribute that they would find meaningful to honour their mentor; maintaining open lines of communication with family members who want to be involved in memorial activities; and creating opportunities for alumni to share tributes.