GSE Department Chair
Position Description
Appointment: Twelve-month appointment; 0.5 FTE as Chair September 1 – August 31; 0.5
FTE as instructional faculty September 16 – June 15.
Responsibilities: The Chair reports to the Dean of the Graduate School of Education and
serves on the Graduate School’s Coordinating Council and Chairs’ Council. Specific
responsibilities:
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Provide leadership for quality teaching, community outreach, service, and research;
Advance the GSE diversity agenda;
Seek resources to support department programs and initiatives;
Recruit, hire and supervise staff, faculty and graduate assistants;
Ensure program quality and departmental compliance with state and national
licensure and accreditation standards;
Ensure continuous program improvement through ongoing program assessment
and program revision;
Manage departmental functions: personnel, budgeting, program quality, advising
and licensing requirements, scheduling, student advising, alumni and public
relations;
Teach in an area appropriate to qualifications;
Serve as an advocate for departmental programs;
Collaborate with faculty on departmental governance and program development.
December 5, 2011
Updated: February, 2014 by Dean Hitz
GSE Chairs
Responsibilities, Roles, and Tasks
Support for Faculty, Staff and Instructors
Pre-tenure, Tenure Track Faculty:
 Meet with pre-tenure faculty at least quarterly to discuss goals/progress.
 Review and discuss annual reviews from P&T.
 Review P&T portfolios and write recommendations to Dean.
Tenured Faculty:
 Assign mentees and monitor progress of relationship.
 Support advancement progress and opportunities as appropriate.
 Review P&T promotions portfolios and write recommendation to Dean.
 Coordinate Post-Tenure Reviews; independently review progress and write
professional development letters as necessary.
 Review emeritus faculty applications and write recommendation letters.
Non-Tenure Track Faculty (NTTF)
 Support advancement progress and opportunities as appropriate.
 Review and discuss annual reviews.
 Review promotion portfolios and write recommendations to Dean.
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All Faculty/Instructors:
 Review teaching evaluations of all faculty/instructors quarterly; conduct
intervention/instructional development as necessary.
 Coordinate New Adjunct Instructor Orientation.
 Conduct Adjunct Faculty Review(s) at end of first teaching term and as
needed.
Staff:
 Supervise Department/Research Assistant(s); manage work load and
responsibilities.
 Conduct annual personnel evaluation(s).
Graduate Assistants (as appropriate):
 Supervise Graduate Assistant(s); manage workload and responsibilities
General:
 Coordinate recruitment and hiring of all personnel.
Workload/Curriculum
 Develop faculty work assignments and course offerings in collaboration with
Program Coordinators and other GSE chairs including adjunct sections, core
class times/rooms, hybrid/on-line courses, and doctoral program.
 Monitor Student Credit Hour (SCH) production and cancel/reassign
courses/workload as necessary.
December 5, 2011
Updated: February, 2014 by Dean Hitz
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Monitor program enrollment numbers and adviser/advisee assignment.
Act on adjunct hire and overload letters.
Budget
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Monitor department and class enrollments in order to promote maximum
productivity and efficiency
 Monitor and approve use of professional development funds including travel
authorizations and related expenditures.
 Monitor and act on use of Research Start-Up funds.
 Monitor and act on use of Diversity funds.
 Monitor and act on use of other programmatic expenditures including
copying, mileage reimbursements, etc.
 Monitor and act on hiring of graduate assistants.
 Monitor and act on use of foundation funds.
 Monitor and act on use of grant funds.
 Review and act on monthly department expenditure report.
 Collaborate with Technology/MISL Coordinator regarding hardware and
software purchases and support.
Policies and Processes
 Coordinate election and assignment of faculty to GSE committees.
 Coordinate program/department curricular and policy revisions and
changes.
 Monitor printed and electronic materials representing department and
related programs including handouts, brochures, websites, and PSU bulletin.
 Mediate personnel concerns and issues; including related grievance
policies/processes and paperwork.
 Mediate student concerns and issues; including related grievance
policies/processes and paperwork.
 Monitor faculty/staff/student adherence to PSU, GSE, Department
policies/processes and paperwork.
 Monitor faculty/staff/student adherence to PSU, GSE, Department policies
and processes.
 Monitor program assessment development and implementation and ensure
that data are being reviewed and used for program improvements.
Paperwork
 Review and act on all grant/foundation applications.
 Review and act on all IRB research approvals; faculty and students.
 Review and act on all student petitions.
 Review and act on instructor grade changes.
 Review and act on student admission letters.
 Review and act on all student graduation paperwork.
 Prepare department reports in response to Dean/Provost requests.
December 5, 2011
Updated: February, 2014 by Dean Hitz
Meetings (as appropriate)
 Facilitate Department Meetings.
 Represent Department at GSE Chairs Meetings.
 Represent Department at GSE Coordinating Council.
 Represent Department at Fall State of School Address.
 Represent Department at Monthly GSE School-Wide Meeting.
 Represent Department at Quarterly GSE Advisory Council meetings.
 Attend Department Program Meetings.
 Represent Department at PSU Department Chairs Meetings.
Other
Direct individual and department efforts toward PSU Initiatives and GSE
December 5, 2011
Updated: February, 2014 by Dean Hitz