DRAFT -- AS OF OCT 19, 2009
Policy Guidelines for the Selection, Retention, and Evaluation of Departmental Chairs
College of Public Affairs and Community Service
Adopted: ____________
Department chairs serve as the chief executive officers of their department or division. They must hold a
faculty appointment at UNT. Chairs are responsible for (1) the daily operations of their departments, (2)
the recruitment, retention, and professional development of faculty and staff in their department, (3)
advancing the reputational standing of the programs in their department, (4) ensuring compliance with
university policies and procedures, and (5) promoting collegiality within their department and among
units within the college. Chairs also function as scholars, engaging in teaching, research and
professional service.
Leadership Development
Responsibility for developing the college’s pool of qualified leaders rests primarily with the dean. As
such, the dean, in consultation with the chairs and faculty, will develop a plan for fostering future
department and college leadership. The plan should develop the leadership potential in the college
through such measures as
1. Identifying qualified persons who aspire to serve as chairs or in other leadership positions in the
college,
2. Involving those prospects in leadership roles in the college such as committee chairs, assistant
departmental chairs, assistant or associate deans, and other administrative positions,
3. Providing funding for qualified prospects to attend leadership development workshops sponsored by
professional associations, and
4. Encouraging prospects to assume leadership positions in the university such as with the Faculty
Senate, the Provost’s Office, and the Office of Research and Economic Development.
The following guidelines provide the basis for selecting, retaining, and evaluating chairs in the College of
Public Affairs and Community Service.
Selection of Chairs
Departments must develop criteria and procedures for nominating candidates for department chair
consistent with the following guidelines. These criteria may be adopted as guidelines, policy statements,
or by-laws, and they must be approved by the dean prior to implementation.
1. The final selection of chairs is the responsibility and prerogative of the dean of the College of Public
Affairs and Community Service. The dean will receive nomination(s) for departmental chair per the
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department’s selection processes, but the dean may chose to go outside the department’s
nomination(s) in making a final selection.
2. Chairs should normally hold a faculty appointment in the department in which they serve as chair.
3. Once the need for the appointment of a new chair is determined, the dean will meet with department
faculty for the purpose of discussing the goals of the department, its needs and priorities, and its
thoughts concerning the replacement.
4. In the event of a chair’s absence for more than one semester, the department may nominate an
interim chair, subject to the approval of the dean.
5. Selection of chairs from outside UNT will proceed through the normal faculty recruitment process in
which departmental representatives serve on the search committee.
Retention and Removal of Chairs
Each department should develop criteria for retaining chairs recognizing the benefits from a stable
leadership to faculty and staff morale and to advancing the reputational standing of its academic units.
1. Departments must develop criteria for retaining a chair. The criteria for retention should include a
periodic reaffirmation by secret ballot, not less than every five years, to retain a chair. The College does
not require a fixed term in office, although departments may choose to establish a term.
2. Departments must develop criteria and procedures for recommending removal of a chair. The dean of
the College of Public Affairs and Community Service has final authority to remove or retain the chair.
3. Chairs serve at the pleasure of the dean of the College of Public Affairs and Community Service and
may be terminated as chair. Chairs do retain their faculty status and tenure appointment at UNT.
Normally, a chair will serve through the end of the academic year.
Evaluation of Chairs
Annually, as part of the merit review process, chairs in the College of Public Affairs and Community
Service will be provided a written evaluation by the dean using the following procedures and criteria.
1. The dean may choose to evaluate chairs using input from departmental faculty and staff, other chairs,
and/or the professional staff in the dean’s office.
2. Chairs will be provided a written evaluation of their performance by the dean that is separate from
the evaluation provided by the department’s personnel affairs committee as part of the annual merit
review process.
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3. In making merit salary recommendations for chairs, the dean will take into consideration both the
performance evaluation completed by the departmental PAC and the dean’s evaluation of the chair’s
administrative performance.
4. At the beginning of each academic year, the dean should meet with each chair and identify priorities
for the forthcoming year. For evaluation purposes, those activities with the highest priority should be
assigned a weight of 3, those of moderate priority should be assigned a weight of 2, those with lowest
priority a weight of 1, and those that are not applicable a weight of 0.. Then during the annual
evaluation process, a performance rating from 1 (low) to 5 (high) should be assigned by the dean to each
task and an overall weighted score computed by multiplying each task’s weight by its score.
The dean’s evaluation of the chair’s administrative performance will be based on the following areas:
a. Personnel management:
 Oversees departmental processes for recruiting full and part-time faculty and staff
 Promotes the professional development of faculty and staff
 Conducts annual evaluation of all faculty and staff
 Oversees department’s promotion and tenure process
 Prepares recommendations for annual merit increases for faculty and staff
b. Management of Departmental Operations:
 Identifies and promotes research initiatives and other entrepreneurial opportunities
 Coordinates and facilitates the department’s planning processes
 Prepares and provides appropriate and timely information for requests for reports
from internal and external sources including SACS
 Ensures that the department complies with its by-laws and all governance
procedures
 Ensures the efficient allocation of instructional resources to meet student needs and
departmental commitments
 Manages departmental financial resources including course and special fees
 Fosters high standards of ethical conduct and collegiality among faculty and staff
c. Advancing the department’s reputation:
 Represents department to university administration
 Acts as the liaison between the department and professional associations
 Pursues opportunities for marketing the department’s programs to external
constituents
 Coordinates compliance with external reviews and accrediting organizations, if any
 Ensures department’s compliance with all university, state, and federal regulations
d. Student relations:
 Ensures timely completion and updating of class schedules
 Ensures that the department’s Web site is kept current and informative
 Encourages the formation and viability of student organizations in the department
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Ensures due process in handling of student appeals
Keeps students informed of departmental policies and procedures through
orientations, meetings, emails, student handbooks or other means of
communication
Ensures the timely processing of graduate student applications for admission
e. Alumni and external relations:
 Coordinates the creation and continuation of departmental advisory boards where
appropriate
 Engages in external fund raising activities including developing initiatives with
private foundations
 Ensures the nomination and recognition of alumni for awards
 Promotes the engagement of alumni with UNT.
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