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PPM 1-15, Appointment of Department Chairs |
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Responsible Office: Office of the Provost |
1.0 PURPOSE
This policy describes the process for the selection and evaluation of department chairs.
2.0 REFERENCES
2.1 PPM 1-5, University Organization
2.2 PPM 1-18, Department/Program Chairs
2.3 PPM Section 9
3.0 APPOINTMENT
3.1 The position of department chair is that of a faculty member with an administrative assignment, with responsibilities outlined in PPM 1-18. The department chair does not hold tenure in the administrative position. (See PPM 8-3.) In this capacity, the chair is an advocate for the department, faculty, students and, in addition, for college and University goals. The department chair is responsible to the dean in the conduct of the administrative assignment. The department chair needs both the confidence of the faculty and the support of the dean. Important considerations in the selection of a department chair should be strong support from the departmental faculty and the ability to work effectively with the dean.
3.2 A department chair may be directly appointed by the President, in consultation with the provost and dean. (See PPM 1-5.)
3.3 The term of appointment is normally for three years, although appointments for other terms may be made when the President considers it appropriate, in consultation with the dean, and/or the provost, who may consult with the members of the department. Appointments made to the position of chair after June 1 shall normally be for a one-year period only. Temporary appointments for a period of less than one year will normally not be counted as a term of appointment. Current chairs shall be eligible for reappointment subject to the procedures outlined in section 5.0 below.
A department chair may be replaced at the discretion of the President before the end of a term, in consultation with the provost and dean, particularly in the event the chair is unable to discharge the duties and/or is functioning in a manner that may damage the department, college, or University.
4.0 PROCEDURE FOR SELECTION
4.1 The dean, under the direction of the provost and President, will normally utilize the following procedures:
4.1.1 Prior to February 1
The dean shall survey the faculty to determine which members of the faculty would be willing to serve as chair. The dean shall also advise the faculty as to whether the option of appointing a chair from outside of the department exists, and shall determine the desirability of doing so.
4.1.2 Prior to March 1
When the position of the chair is to be filled by a member of the department faculty, the dean shall conduct a written survey of the faculty utilizing a method reasonably designed to determine acceptability of proposed candidates.
If the position of the chair is to be filled by a person not presently a member of the faculty, a search may be conducted in accordance with appropriate institutional hiring practices, upon consultation with Human Resources.
The dean will make a recommendation to the President and provost.
5.0 EVALUATION OF CHAIRS
Chairs are to be evaluated during the terminal year of their appointment. The evaluation may include, but not be limited to, (1) a formal survey of faculty, including individual interviews, regarding the effectiveness of the chair, and (2) an interview between the dean and the chair which shall, in part, examine the results of the faculty survey. The results of the evaluation shall be shared with the provost and President.
In the event a concern is raised regarding a department chair’s conduct, the President, in consultation with the provost, may require a review be conducted. In their roles as executives, department chairs are not reviewed under faculty processes described in PPM Section 9.
Revision History
Creation Date: 4-20-77
Amended: 2-7-17; 9-19-24