2.13 Department Chairs

Normally, chairs serve on twelve-month administrative faculty appointments and are subject to all university policies pertaining to twelve-month appointees, including annual leave policies. Their specific responsibilities, including teaching assignments, are negotiated with the administration at the time of appointment. The term of appointment for a department chair is four years; appointments are renewable. Chairs who serve two or more consecutive terms receive at the end of their last term a study leave equivalent to one-half year's pay for a full academic year's leave or full pay for a semester's leave. If they elect to take such a study leave, however, they may not succeed themselves in an additional term as chair.

During an unforeseen vacancy or during illness or temporary absences of an incumbent chair, the dean or Provost may appoint an acting chair to serve until such time as the regularly appointed chair assumes or reassumes the position.

2.13.1 Duties and Responsibilities

In summary, the duties and responsibilities of department chairs are to:

1. represent the unit to the university community and serve as a channel of communication on program, personnel, and budget matters;

2. consult regarding fair employment practices with the University Equity Office (see Appendix A);

3. encourage and foster excellence in teaching, scholarship, professional and university service and provide leadership in the pursuit of the University's commitment to affirmative action and equal opportunity;

4. coordinate, in consultation with the unit's faculty, the unit's academic programs, and plan and administer the unit's budget;

5. make faculty work assignments;

6. evaluate faculty for purposes of reappointment, promotion, tenure; and make annual reviews for the purpose of recommending salary increases;

7. supervise staff and part-time faculty and provide an environment that, within the limitations of available resources, is supportive of faculty professional activities and goals.

2.13.2 Policies on Appointment and Renewal

Department chairs are appointed by the President on the recommendation of the departmental faculty and the collegiate dean in accordance with the following guidelines:

1. Since department chairs function in a dual administrative/faculty capacity, their selection requires substantive involvement of both the administration and the department faculty. Except under unusual circumstances, the final candidate must be acceptable to both.

2. Procedures for the selection of department chairs therefore foster joint faculty/administrative appraisals of candidates.

3. Similar criteria for reviewing incumbent chairs and searching for new chairs are applied, with the following clarifications:
   1. Incumbent chairs under review for renewal are kept fully apprised of the methods adopted by the review committee and are supplied a copy of the committee's report at the time of its submission to the dean. Chairs have the same rights with regard to their personnel files as other faculty members.

   2. An acting chair is considered as a possible candidate for a vacant position rather than as a candidate for renewal of his/her term.

   3. Incumbent chairs who are not reappointed by the President because of negative recommendations and action at the department, college, or university level will receive a prompt account in writing as to the reasons for this non-renewal, if they request it.

2.13.3 Procedures for Appointment and Renewal

2.13.3.1 Search Procedures

Search procedures are initiated after the incumbent chair has declined to seek reappointment, or after the President has notified the incumbent chair that he/she will not be reappointed, or when the position is vacant. A search committee is constituted no later than December 10th. This committee consists of five persons: (i) a chair, appointed by the dean, from among the faculty of the college but not of the department; (ii) two persons, of whom one may be on probationary appointment, appointed by the dean from among the faculty of the department; (iii) two persons, of whom one may be on probationary appointment, elected by the faculty of the department from among its own ranks. The department elects its members of the committee after the appointments by the dean have been made known. All members of the committee will have taught full-time for at least one year at this University; if this condition cannot be met, the dean will appoint an appropriate faculty member. The search committee:

1. consults with the faculty of the department and other persons it deems appropriate about the qualities to be sought in a new chair;

2. seeks qualified candidates from inside or, if the dean has given notice that external candidates can be considered, from outside the department;

3. requests dossiers, including references, from candidates outside the University, when appropriate;

4. consults regarding fair employment practices with the University Equity Office (see Appendix A).

5. evaluates qualifications and dossiers of candidates;

6. supervises departmental discussion of candidates and balloting to determine the wishes of the department faculty; and

7. submits to the dean reports including a general assessment of the several candidates, a summary of departmental discussions, the results of departmental balloting, and its own recommendations.

The dean reports his/her recommendations and supporting arguments in writing to the Provost, including in that report the full report of the committee. If the committee and the departmental faculty are not in agreement or if the dean does not endorse the majority recommendations of the committee and/or the department faculty, the dean meets with the committee and/or the faculty to seek an identity of views before submitting the report to the Provost.

The Provost reports his/her recommendations and supporting arguments to the President, including in his/her report the full reports of the committee and the dean. If the committee and/or the departmental faculty and the dean have remained in disagreement or if the Provost does not endorse the joint recommendation of the committee and the dean, the Provost meets with the committee and the dean to seek an identity of view before submitting the report to the President.

The President acts upon the recommendations received and apprises the Provost of his/her decision. The decision is transmitted to the dean, the search committee, and the members of the department faculty as promptly as possible. Upon notification of the President's decision, the dean extends a formal invitation to the person chosen.

If the vacancy is not filled nor an offer extended by May 1, the President, after consultation with the dean, the Provost, and the faculty of the department, appoints an acting chair and so notifies members of the department by July 1.

2.13.3.2 Renewal Procedures

The dean of the appropriate school/college or the Provost writes to the incumbent chair before the last day of classes of the spring term of the academic year preceding the chair's final year of appointment. In this letter, the dean or the Provost states that the chair will be considered a candidate for reappointment unless the chair withdraws from consideration in writing before September 1.

If the incumbent chair wishes to be a candidate for reappointment, the dean constitutes by September 15th a committee to elicit and formulate the views of the faculty of the department. The committee is constituted according to the specifications governing the composition of the search committee described in 2.13.3.1.

The committee consults with the department faculty and other persons it deems appropriate concerning the past performance of the chair and the desirability of the chair's renewal. The committee ascertains the will of the department faculty and makes recommendations in writing to the dean no later than October 15th. The report includes the division of departmental and committee balloting by numbers only.

The dean and the Provost will formulate their respective reports by procedures similar to those followed in the search process described in 2.13.3.1. The dean's report will be submitted by November 1st. The Provost's report will be submitted by November 15th.

The President decides whether or not to reappoint the incumbent chair by December 1st. The President promptly communicates this decision and supporting reasons in writing to the Provost, the dean, the committee, the departmental faculty, and the chair.

2.13.4 Removal by the President

The President, under extraordinary circumstances, may replace a chair who is failing to perform at an acceptable level. The President will necessarily utilize the judgment of the faculty, but may also seek outside evaluations by scholars of acknowledged competence in the discipline(s) or field(s) represented by the department. Advice from outside experts in college administration may also be sought. The President will give the chair twenty-eight days notice of his/her intent to remove.

2.13.5 Recall by the Faculty

The faculty of a department, under extraordinary circumstances, may petition the President to remove a chair who no longer enjoys the trust and confidence of the faculty. A petition of this type will be conveyed to the President only if supported by at least three-fourths of the probationary and tenured faculty of the department. Upon receipt of such a petition, the President, after having inquired into the circumstances which have resulted in the petition, will decide if removal of the chair is in the best interests of the department and/or the University.