Department Chair and Program Director Guide

Section Two – The Role of the Department Chair

The Role of the Department Chair – 2:1
The Role of the Program Director – 2:2
Mandatory Reporting – 2:3
Development Opportunities – 2:4

The Role of the Department Chair – 2:1

Information on the role of the Department Chair, including Responsibilities of the Department Chair, Authority of the Department Chair, Appointment and Term of the Department Chair, and The Collective Role of the Department Chairs, are reproduced below from section 1.1.3.2 of the Faculty Handbook (online at: https://gustavus.edu/facultybook/).

1.1.3.2 Department Chairs
The department chair serves as the principal liaison between the department and the rest of the college. The department chair is typically a full-time faculty member who serves in this additional capacity by appointment of the Provost. This appointment carries responsibilities for departmental leadership and management and for liaison to administrative offices, faculty groups, and students. The authority of the chair derives from the mutual confidence expressed by his/her recommendation by election of the department faculty and by the appointment of the Provost. The chair’s appointment is recognized by access to a department chair fund and/or released time for administrative duties.
All department chairs share a common set of responsibilities to their colleagues, administrative staff, and students. In addition, the position description for the chair of each department carries specific responsibilities and conditions that may be unique to that department and which constitute a part of the chair’s and College’s contractual agreement for the position. Each department is responsible for developing and following a collegial model of internal governance, consistent with the Faculty Handbook and Manual and with all applicable laws and regulations.

1.1.3.2.1 Responsibilities of the Department Chair
The department chair serves as the principal interface between his/her department and administrative offices, other departments, outside agencies and organizations, vendors of goods and services, other academic institutions and employers, and students. In his/her role in the leadership and management of the department’s affairs, the chair carries principal responsibility for carrying out or delegating the following tasks:

Facilitating the academic and pre-professional programs of the department
Promoting the academic quality of the department and discipline
Conducting searches for faculty positions
Evaluating faculty
Mentoring junior faculty
Supervising and evaluating support staff
Developing the departmental budget request
Monitoring the departmental budget
Submitting department course schedules to Registrar
Managing the program for faculty leaves
Managing the work-study program within the department
Supervising departmental assistants
Processing paperwork for various committees and offices (January term proposals, area proposals, course proposals, etc.)
Following regulations and guidelines from all manner of sources
Managing external grants, special programs and development projects
Conducting periodic departmental reviews
Managing specialized facilities, laboratories, equipment
Organizing and presiding at department meetings
Encouraging faculty professional development
Providing liaison, information, and evaluations to administrative offices
Providing liaison and information to faculty committees, ad hoc committees, accrediting organizations, and other groups
Providing liaison to other departments
Representing the department at the meetings of the department chairs
Responding to student petitions, degree applications, complaints, requests, etc.

The dual role of the chair includes both administrative and departmental leadership functions. The chair functions as a member of the academic administration when acting on behalf of the College in carrying out assigned management responsibilities such as recruiting, supervising, and evaluating faculty and staff. The chair functions as a first among equals when acting on behalf of his/her department in carrying out internal management and liaison responsibilities such as allocating resources, submitting course schedules, managing facilities, and communicating department views.
In order to carry out these responsibilities on behalf of the department and college, the chair will be kept informed by all administrators, committees, and other groups and individuals who share responsibilities for the efficient management of the college’s programs. Those offices, groups and individuals requesting the department chair’s assistance need to be mindful of the fact that the chair is a member of the faculty with his/her own teaching, research, professional responsibilities and other commitments. Academic departments have very limited support staffs and typically operate on the academic calendar.

1.1.3.2.2 Authority of the Department Chair
The department chair has the primary responsibility for communicating the department’s views to the college community and college community concerns to the department. Because the chair acts on behalf of the department, the chair must distinguish between personal views and those that reflect the consensus of the department. In consultation with departmental members, the department chair has the primary responsibility and authority for:

Formulating and communicating recommendations for hiring, tenure, promotion, retention, and evaluation of faculty and departmental support staff
Establishing departmental budget priorities and allocations
Recommending teaching assignments to the Provost and regulating faculty workloads
Recommending leaves and special assignments to the Provost
Developing and articulating departmental goals

1.1.3.2.3 Appointment and Term of the Department Chair
The department chair is appointed upon recommendation of the department faculty. The recommendation of the department for the appointment or reappointment of a chair is determined by a majority vote in an election conducted by the Provost or the Provost’s representative. A majority vote of regular and joint appointment department faculty will constitute the recommendation of the department. In those cases in which a recommendation reflecting departmental consensus cannot be achieved, the Provost will make an offer of appointment to a member of the faculty. The term of the chair is normally three years and chairs may be reelected for successive terms. The meeting of the department to elect the chair should be held during the last year of the current appointment.

1.1.3.2.3.1 Special Chair Assignments
The Director of the Library carries an appointment directly from the Provost, and also serves as chair of the professional librarians. The Chairs of the Department of Education and the Department of Nursing have specialized administrative responsibilities that extend beyond those listed above.
1.1.3.2.3.2 The Provost carries a special obligation to encourage effective and independent leadership of departments through the chairs, while at the same time maintaining a sensitivity to the needs of all faculty. In those unusual cases in which the department chair is clearly unwilling or unable to represent a department and manage its affairs in a professional manner, or where conflicts within a department have become irreconcilable, the Provost may appoint a new chair or make other arrangements for the temporary management of the department’s affairs.

1.1.3.2.4 The Collective Role of the Department Chairs
The department chairs acting as a committee of the whole will advise the Provost on matters affecting the academic programs of the college. The department chairs shall have the status of a standing committee of the faculty for purposes of bringing motions and reporting to the faculty at faculty meetings following consultation with other faculty committees where appropriate.

The Role of the Program Director – 2:2

Overview

The program director serves as the principal liaison between the program, departments that participate in the program, and the rest of the college. The program director is typically a full-time faculty member who serves in this capacity by appointment of the Provost. This appointment carries responsibilities for program leadership and management and for liaison to administrative offices, faculty groups, and students. The director’s appointment is recognized by access to a program director fund and/or reassignment time for administrative duties.

Responsibilities of the Program Director

In his/her role in the leadership and management of the program’s affairs, the director carries principal responsibility for carrying out or delegating the following tasks:

Maintaining and enhancing the academic quality of the program through facilitating regular review and assessment of its curriculum
Monitoring the program budget and/or developing a program budget request
Submitting program course schedules to the Registrar
Managing the program to ensure course coverage, and proposing changes to the program curriculum as needed
Processing paperwork for various committees and offices (January term proposals, area proposals, course proposals, etc.)
Responding to student petitions, degree applications, complaints, requests, etc.
Conducting periodic program reviews
Organizing and presiding at program meetings
Encouraging faculty professional development and exchange of ideas among program faculty
Providing liaison, information, and evaluations to administrative offices, faculty committees, ad hoc committees, and other groups
Representing the program at the meetings of the DCPDC
Representing the program at admissions events

Because the director acts on behalf of the program, the director must distinguish between personal views and those that reflect the consensus opinion.

Appointment and Term of the Program Director

The program director is appointed upon recommendation of the program faculty. The recommendation of the program for the appointment or reappointment of a director is determined by a majority vote in an election conducted by the Provost or the Provost’s representative. A majority vote of regular and joint appointment program faculty will constitute the recommendation of the program. In those cases in which a recommendation reflecting consensus cannot be achieved, the Provost will make an offer of appointment to a member of the faculty. The term of the director is normally three years and directors may be reelected for successive terms. The meeting of the program to elect the director should be held during the last year of the current appointment.

Mandatory Reporting – 2:3

All college employees, with limited exceptions related to confidential relationships, are required to notify the college if they learn that a student has experienced sexual harassment or misconduct. As members of this “mandated reporter” group, department chairs and program directors are required to provide official notice to the College by making a formal report including the student's name, what occurred, when, and where to the Title IX Coordinator (Amy Pehrson, apehrson@gustavus.edu or 507-933-7526) within 24 hours. For further information on your Title IX responsibilities, please see the current Faculty/Staff Guide to Helping Students Who Have Experienced Sexual Misconduct or Harassment.

Further information on these reporting responsibilities is provided in the Student Sexual Misconduct Policy (https://gustavus.edu/deanofstudents/policies/gustieguide/sexualmisconduct.php).

If an employee reports gender-based harassment, sexual harassment or sexual misconduct to you, please refer to them to Jacque Christensen (jmchristensen@gustavus.edu or 507-933-6535), Director of Human Resources, or Amy Pehrson (apehrson@gustavus.edu or 507-933-7526), Title IX Coordinator.

If an employee reports harassment or discrimination to you, please refer to them to Jacque Christensen (jmchristensen@gustavus.edu or 507-933-6535) in Human Resources.

Please also refer to the Sexual Harassment and Sexual Misconduct Policy for additional information (https://gustavus.edu/facultybook/allcollegepolicies/#con).

Development Opportunities – 2:4

The role and duties of the department chair/program director, particularly for individuals new to the position, can feel unfamiliar. To help facilitate the success of a department chair/program director, the Provost’s Office offers the following resources:

Support to attend national professional development workshops for department chairs and program directors.
Regular internal development opportunities for chairs with topics ranging from budget, hiring, searches, evaluations, etc.
Facilitation/identification of a chair mentor for those new to the position or who would benefit from support in particular areas.

Development opportunities (internal and external) will be distributed to the Chair/Director email list, so be alert for those messages.

Please also reach out to Pamela Conners (pconners@gustavus.edu or 507-933-7541), Dean of Faculty Development, if you are interested in attending a national conference or if you would like a chair mentor.