Administrators of business schools across the country are coming under increasing pressure to demonstrate accountability in many ways, from curriculum to faculty development. As such, department heads are being asked to formalize processes and assess outcomes for purposes of "continuous improvement". Toward this end, it is vitally important for department heads to continuously scan the environment and reevaluate their programs in an effort to ensure that their degree programs, planning processes, and initiatives carry out the department's mission. Providing an impetus to strong leadership are recent trends in academia, including new modes of content delivery through Internet courses, weekend executive programs, and a new emphasis on creating partnerships with external constituencies, including industry and international universities. In this article, a roadmap--heavily influenced by AACSB (1999) standards--is presented for academic department heads. Based on the successful transformation of the authors' academic department, the article demonstrates both the roadmap for change, as well as discussing the challenges that must be addressed in instituting such a continuous improvement process in the academic environment.