Online Resources for Department Chairs

Position Guidelines

Department Chairs* provide leadership to their departments and are part of the administrative team working with the deans, Provost, and President to shape the future of the university. Together, each chair and dean articulate the specific duties and outcomes that each individual is evaluated upon. The following are tasks that chairs are typically expected to accomplish either themselves or by delegating.

*in some instances, Program Head, Center Manager or other titles may be used for positions with the same responsibilities

Governance and Administration

• Participate on the Dean’s administrative team to accomplish the goals of the college
• Convene and lead meetings of the department faculty and staff and coordinate the work of departmental committees
• Implement university, college and department policies and procedures
• Maintain departmental records and data
• Lead planning processes to identify short-and long-term strategic goals

Curriculum and Program Development

• Maintain and implement program assessment plans
• Coordinate periodic program review and/or specialized accreditation processes
• Provide leadership for the development and implementation of new programs
• Manage enrollment based on retention, graduation, class size, course availability and other pertinent data
• Determine schedule of courses to be offered
• Oversee curriculum change processes

Faculty and Staff Development

• Coordinate efforts to recruit faculty and staff
• Mentor faculty and support professional development in areas of teaching, scholarly activity, and service
• Provide guidance related to promotion and tenure requirements for pre-tenure faculty
• Incorporate temporary faculty and staff (e.g. adjunct faculty, visiting faculty and professionals) into the life of the department
• Ensure an inclusive and diverse work environment in which all faculty, staff and students are able to safely and effectively work and learn
• Resolve faculty and staff conflicts/grievances/complaints
• Conduct annual performance evaluation and recommend salary increases for department faculty and staff
• Coordinate promotion and tenure processes
• Apply workload policies in a fair manner
• Supervise faculty and administrative staff and facilitate training

Financial and Facility Management

• Assume responsibility for and management of departmental fiscal resources from all sources
• Advocate for and seek support for necessary resources in a timely manner as part of the university budget process and as needs arise
• Develop annual budget plans and allocate/reallocate funds to support departmental goals
• Coordinate the usage and manage the maintenance of assigned facilities (e.g. labs, conference rooms)

Student Relations

• Create a climate in which learning is facilitated and student-faculty relationships are developed
• Approve/disapprove student requests that require chair’s signature (e.g. academic adjustments, independent studies)
• Provide accessible and high-quality academic advising services
• Foster the development of student organizations that encourage academic and social integration
• Facilitate resolution of student conflicts/grievances/complaints

Communication, Advocacy, and External Relations

• Serve as the official channel of communication for all matters affecting the department among the department and the President, Provost, dean, and other University officials or departments
• Market department’s programs to prospective students and the community
• Participate where appropriate in fundraising efforts with deans and development officers
• Foster positive relationships with alumni and external constituents through such means as advisory committees, newsletters, surveys and other opportunities for interaction
• Approve content of all departmental information included in the catalog and other University publications and provide information as requested