2010/2011-08
PROPOSED MANDATE FOR UNIVERSITY COUNCIL
TITLE: Statement on Department Chair
OBJECTIVE: To update the statement on the Department Chair in the Faculty
Handbook dated September 2010.
REASONS FOR PROPOSED MANDATE:
The current statement on the Department Chair (pp 63-65 in the faculty handbook) was
approved by University Council on February, 1969. It was further amended by
University Council on May, 1990 and October, 2001. Since that time many changes have
occurred within the framework of the duties and functions of a department chair.
A committee (Chairs Compensation Committee) recently appointed by the Provost has
reviewed the current role of the Department Chair and determined that a comprehensive
review on the Statement on the Department Chair is needed.
In addition, the committee has done its own review on this document and is attaching
some recommended changes as a start to this process.
RECOMMENDED FOR STUDY BY WHICH BODY?
_____ Faculty Senate:
Academic Policies and Procedures Committee
_x____Faculty Senate:
Faculty Policies and Procedures Committee
_____ College Council:
College of Arts and Sciences
_____ College Council:
Haub School of Business
_____ Standing Committee on Student Affairs, Full-time Undergraduate
_____ Standing Committee on Student Affairs, Part-time Undergraduate/Graduate
_____ Administrative/Staff Council
Joseph M Ragan
Signature:
*on behalf of the Committee
Date:___12/2/10______________
Please forward to the Provost who serves as Chair of the University Council, along with
complete documentation to substantiate the need for the proposed mandate.
Appendix B
The Committee reviewed the current statement of Department chair and has made a
number of recommendations amending the statement where it is in error and enhancing
it where it is needed. These recommendations for change are marked in blue.
Statement on the Department Chair
[This statement was approved by the University Council (formerly known as the College Council)
on February 6, 1969 and by the General Assembly on March 12, 1969; it was amended by the
University Council on May 9, 1990.]
I. Qualifications—The department chair should ordinarily have the following qualifications:
•
an earned doctorate or appropriate terminal degree in the teaching field or a closely
allied field,
•
a minimum of six (6) years teaching experience at the college level,
•
a minimum rank of tenured assistant professor,
•
exceptional competence in the field, and
•
leadership and administrative capabilities.
Waiver of one or more of the above qualifications may be permitted where the
candidate demonstrates strength in the other designated areas.
II. Selection—Final responsibility for appointment of a department chair rests with the President
of the university. This appointment is made after consultation with the senior academic
officer, the dean of the appropriate college, and department members.
In departments having fewer than six (6) tenure track members, there shall be
consultation without formal balloting. In departments having six (6) or more tenure-track
members, recommendation to the President shall be made in the following manner:
A. Each member of the department may nominate a candidate for the office of chair.
Candidates need not be current members of the department and may be nominated
from outside the university.
B. All tenure track members of the department shall be eligible to vote for the nominees,
having one
(1) vote each.
C. The nominee receiving a majority of the total number of votes in the department shall be
recommended to the President. In the event of a tie, both names shall be presented to
the President.
D. The dean of the appropriate college shall set the date, time, and place of the meeting at
which nominations are to be made, giving adequate notice to the members of the
department, and shall preside at this meeting, establish procedures for the balloting,
and report the results to the President.
[This section was amended by University Council on October 18, 2001, and approved by the
President in October 2001.]
E. If the president finds the department’s first recommendation unacceptable, he shall
instruct the senior academic officer to arrange a second ballot according to the
established procedures. If the department's second recommendation is unacceptable to
the President, the senior academic officer shall appoint a search committee of five (5)
tenure-track faculty to make recommendations to the President. In order to ensure
departmental input into the process, two (2) of the five (5) members of the search
committee shall be selected from the department concerned by its ranked members:
the other three (3) members shall come from outside the department concerned.
F. The term of office for a department chair is three (3) years. Normally, a department chair
serves for a maximum of two (2) consecutive terms. Upon 2/3 favorable vote if
department has more than 6 but fewer than 9 faculty or ¾ favorable vote if department
is greater than 9. With consent of the department, the term of the chair may be
extended beyond six (6) years. Interim appointments may be made at the discretion of
the President, either for an unexpired term or for a shorter specified period. For these
appointments, there shall be consultation with the appropriate dean and department
members without formal balloting. The term “Acting Chair” shall normally be reserved
for appointments of less than a full term.
III. Compensation Tiers Under development by Provost office
IV. Duties and Functions—The department chair shall carry out the following duties and
responsibilities:
A. General Responsibilities
1. to foster academic excellence in teaching and leadership
2. to use his/her statutory and delegated powers to administer the personnel and
material resources of the department in a manner that is consistent with the
purposes and objectives of the university;
3. to formulate, in cooperation with the members of the department, specific
objectives for the department, for each major subdivision thereof, and for each
course of instruction;
4. to delegate equitably to members of the department such duties and powers as
may be required to fulfill the functions of the department and to hold department
meetings at least three (3) times each semester, preparing an agenda for each
meeting, notifying members of each agenda in advance, and allowing department
members to make recommendations, with such recommendations being made a
part of the minutes; to maintain minutes of each department meeting and forward
copies to each department member for approval and to the senior academic officer
and the appropriate dean;
5. to provide for student consultation in appropriate departmental affairs; and
6. to prepare an annual report to the President, senior academic officer, and the
appropriate dean, reviewing the progress and current state of the department.
7. To ensure an electronic departmental presence
8. To represent the department and its discipline with professional groups,
community, and regulatory bodies outside the University
9. to participate in development activities with alumni, the development office and
admissions
10. to attend meetings and informational/training sessions for chairs and
11. to be accessible during the summer months
B. Faculty Selection and Development:
1. to undertake the recruitment and selection of new faculty (tenure track, visiting,
and adjunct) for the department, in conjunction with the senior academic officer,
the appropriate dean, and members of the department; to make available academic
dossiers of applicants to appropriate department members, and to invite
appropriate members of the department to interview applicants and to put into
writing their evaluation, which is to be forwarded by the chair to the senior
academic officer and the appropriate dean;
2. to provide orientation for new members of the department;
3. to encourage and support the research, publication, and other professional
activities of department members;
4. to recommend faculty for academic distinctions, grants, etc.
5. to record academic distinctions, degrees, publications, awards, etc., of department
members and to notify appropriate administration officials, particularly when rank
or tenure is involved; and
6. to report annually to the senior academic officer and the appropriate dean on the
performance of each probationary member of the department and members
eligible for promotion to a higher rank, and to review the progress and current
status of any department member at his/her request or as circumstances require.
7. to provide mentoring for new and probationary members of the department
8. evaluative role in tenure and promotion as outlined in the appropriate sections of
the Faculty Handbook
9. add back the dean and department members
Administrative and Support Development
1. to undertake the recruitment and selection of new personnel for the department
including, for example, administrative staff, research/graduate/lab assistants and
work studies,
2. to review annually the progress of any administrative/staff department members.
3. to mentor and supervise administrative/staff department members
C. Curriculum and Instruction:
1. to maintain a continuing review of the departmental curriculum;
2. to initiate, after formal consideration and approval in departmental meetings, those
changes deemed essential to the maintenance of a vital and timely curriculum;
3. to advise the appropriate dean of course offerings and teaching assignments;
4. to provide information to be incorporated in the annual catalog; and
5. to develop academic policy for the department, with the advice and approval of the
members.
6. To interface and integrate with academic programs and other departments and
7. To coordinate assessment of learning
D. Student Services:
1. to initiate and supervise a departmental system of academic advising;
2. to cooperate with those responsible for aiding students in the process of placement
after graduation, and
3. to appoint faculty advisors for student activities related to the department.
4. To approve major/minor selection and major/minor changes; study abroad courses;
and internships
5. To interact with the Registrar’s office in student curricular matters
6. To advise students and be the intermediary contact and
7. To approve or deny course overrides and monitor student registrations
E. Budgeting
1. to submit an annual operating budget prepared in consultation with the members of
the department and reviewed with the appropriate dean;
2. to provide access to the approved budget to members of the department;
3. to approve the disbursement of department funds;
4. to plan annually with department members for long-range budgetary and personnel
needs and to communicate these plans to appropriate administrative officers;
5. to assist, in cooperation with members of the department and librarians, in the
development and usage of the department’s library holdings; and
6. to determine the distribution and use of space, furnishings, and other facilities
assigned to the department and
7. To work with budgetary control models as adopted by the University