| This qualitative phenomenological study examined the lived experiences and
perspectives of Idaho community college department chairs regarding their leadership and
support of faculty during the COVID-19 pandemic. Guided by the trauma-informed leadership
theoretical framework (Manderscheid, 2009) and the trauma-informed educational model of
safety, empowerment, community, and meaning (Imad, 2022), this study explored how
department chairs prepared for, responded to, and supported faculty during crisis.
Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 20 department chairs from four Idaho
community colleges, representing diverse disciplines and institutional contexts. Thematic
and process coding revealed that while most participants had no formal training in traumainformed leadership, many intuitively practiced its principles, emphasizing empathy, trust,
collaboration, and transparency.
Key themes included fostering psychological safety, empowering faculty decisionmaking, building community, and promoting resilience and post-traumatic growth. Findings
suggest that trauma-informed leadership can enhance crisis response and organizational wellbeing in higher education. Implications include the need for targeted leadership development
programs, institutional policies that prioritize emotional well-being, and proactive crisis
preparedness. Recommendations for future research include expanding the scope to other regions
and exploring the long-term effects of trauma-informed leadership on institutional culture and
faculty retention.
Keywords: Community College Leadership, Trauma-informed Leadership, Crisis Leadership,
Community College Department Chair, Faculty Support, COVID-19, Phenomenology |