AA/05/AS/86/SEC - Department Chair

Effective March 13, 1986

Department Chair Assignments

20.30 Department Chairs shall normally be selected from the list of tenured or probationary faculty employees recommended by the department for the assignment.

20.31 Such Department Chairs shall perform duties and carry out responsibilities assigned by the President.

20.32 Such Department Chairs shall be appointed by the President and shall serve at the pleasure of the President.

Stanislaus Campus Delegation of Responsibility

The President delegates the responsibility and duty for the appointment, retention, and review of department chairs to the various school deans through the Provost/Vice President for Academic Affairs.

Term of Office

The Department Chair shall be appointed for a term of three years, and may be reappointed. Acting and Interim Chairs are normally appointed for a period of one year or less, and are appointed by the School Dean. Interim periods of service shall not count toward the three-year term.

Eligibility

To be eligible for a department chair, an individual normally must hold a tenured position in the department and normally shall hold the rank of Associate or Full Professor. A department chair carries with it no tenure in office although service in this capacity shall contribute to meeting the requirements for academic tenure.

Selection of a Department Chair

The School Dean normally shall appoint the Search Committee which has been recommended by the tenure-track faculty of the department. The Dean may appoint a Search Committee member from outside the department. The Search Committee shall recommend one or more candidates for the department chair. Before this recommendation is submitted to the Dean, all members of the department shall have the opportunity to participate in the evaluation of the candidates. The Dean shall normally appoint the department chair from this recommendation.

The committee must be activated at least 90 days prior to the expiration of the Chair’s term of office or when a vacancy occurs.

Responsibilities of the Department Chair

The Department Chair shall have the responsibility for exercising leadership in the teaching, scholarship, service and other activities of the department. The duties of the chair, subject to the approval of the dean, shall include, but are not limited to the following:

Chairpersons are responsible for developing course and teaching schedules and recommending members of their department to these activities.

Chairpersons are responsible for implementing CSU University and School regulations within their departments and for resolving, when possible, problems and disagreements among faculty, departmental employees, students who interact with the department, or other interested persons at the department level.

Chairpersons are responsible for monitoring the attendance and time commitments of their departmental staff employees. They also have the obligation for assuring, as specified in the Faculty Agreement, the proper discharge of faculty responsibilities.

Chairpersons are responsible for instructing new faculty members on the responsibilities of their positions.

Chairpersons are responsible for submitting budget requests, establishing expenditure priorities, and administering the departmental budget within the policies established by the School and University.

Chairpersons are expected to make judgments and recommendations on all departmental faculty appointments, re-appointments, and promotions; faculty compensation, as appropriate; leaves of absence; travel authorizations; and other relevant departmental personnel functions, including discipline and discharge. Chairpersons are also expected to make judgments and recommendations on all departmental staff employees as appropriate.

Chairpersons are expected to encourage faculty members in the department to develop professionally through study, research and participation in professional organizations.

Review of the Department Chair

The School Dean shall initiate a Performance Review of the Chair at regular intervals, but in no case later than the beginning of the Chair’s third year of a three-year term. As part of this review all tenured and probationary members of the department must be consulted. At the request of faculty in a department, the Dean may initiate a Performance Review at any time.

Termination in Less Than Three Years

The School Dean may terminate the appointment of a Chair in less than three years if, after a Performance Review of the Chair, the Dean determines that the best interests of the School and/or University are served by such action. A Dean will not remove a Chair without prior consultation with the probationary and tenured members of the department.

Review History: Approved by the Academic Senate on February 20, 1986. Approved by President John Moore on March 31, 1986.

Academic Affairs Division has the primary responsibility for this policy.

Attachment(s): AA/5/AS/86/SEC - Department Chair  

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