A10.9 Responsibilities of Department Chairperson

Appointment, Term, Compensation, and Service

1. After consultation with the members of the department, the Department Chairperson (henceforth referred to as “Chair”) is recommended by the Dean of the School (henceforth referred to as “Dean”) in which the department resides and is appointed by the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs. Ordinarily, the Chair is a tenured member of the department; however, exceptions may be made when the appointment benefits the health of the department and the faculty member who chooses to serve as Chair.
2. The Chair reports directly to the Dean.
3. The Chair ordinarily serves a three-year term with the possibility of renewal.
4. The Chair receives a reduced teaching load and/or a stipend commensurate with the work associated with their office during the academic year and the summer.
5. The Chair is a peer leader among faculty in the department who facilitates a sense of intellectual community and shared vision across all departmental activities.
6. Some of the Chair’s responsibilities can be delegated to other faculty as part of their departmental service. However, if the workload is significant, the Chair may request the appointment of another faculty member to be responsible for specific departmental duties, with the overall chair compensation shared as appropriate. In the event of a temporary absence, the Dean may designate a deputy chair. In the event of a long absence, the Dean will consult with the department faculty concerning either the appointment of an interim Chair or a new chair.

Overview of Responsibilities and Authority

(When a department has program directors, the chair will collaborate with program directors on some or all of the following.)

1. The Chair functions as the official channel between the department and the Dean and other members of the College administration.
2. The Chair oversees the full-time and part-time teaching faculty, staff, intradepartmental program directors (in all matters), and interdepartmental program directors (as appropriate for the particular needs of the program).
3. The Chair oversees all departmental activities.
4. The Chair convenes department meetings, usually monthly or as needed (with agenda included) and calls or appoints ad hoc committees.
5. The Chair is a voting member of the department.
6. In collaboration with the AP-APA (Associate Provost for Academic Planning and Assessment), the Chair provides oversight of the Department’s regular assessment, program review (self study and external review), accreditation/certification (if applicable), and strategic planning.
7. The Chair generally serves as the outward face of the department in matters related to the offices of Admission, Registrar, Academic Services, Library, Career Development, International Programs, Advancement, Marketing, Alumni Affairs, etc. However, some of these duties may be shared with interested department members as part of their departmental service.

Faculty

1. The Chair coordinates requests for new and/or replacement faculty as well as searches for full and part-time faculty.
2. The Chair is responsible for mentoring new faculty. However, mentoring may be shared with appropriate department members as part of their departmental service.
3. The Chair is responsible for encouraging and facilitating faculty development, including the development, creation, implementation, and support of new faculty/departmental initiatives and programs.
4. The Chair is responsible for annually reviewing faculty course evaluations and having formative conversations with faculty members as appropriate.
5. The Chair is responsible for completing periodic faculty reviews of full-time faculty in accordance with the Stonehill Faculty Handbook.
6. The Chair is responsible for organizing and ensuring the completion of the pre-tenure review of the pre-tenure faculty in the department as described in the Faculty Handbook.
7. The Chair shepherds candidates for tenure and promotion, according to the Faculty Handbook, by consulting on the selection of external reviewers, preparing the departmental letter with the tenured members of the department, and providing additional information when requested by the Rank and Tenure Committee. This is the case regardless of the Chair’s tenure or tenure-eligibility status. However, if appropriate, the Dean may designate another department member to carry out these duties.
8. The Chair provides letters of support for sabbatical leaves.
9. The Chair mediates informal faculty and faculty-student grievances.

Departmental Curriculum and Course Scheduling

1. The Chair oversees the development of a contemporary curriculum that represents the current state of the discipline, facilitates curricular discussion among department members, and coordinates and administers the curricula of majors and minors.
2. The Chair serves as the primary liaison between the department and the Curriculum Committee for changes in curriculum (proposals for new courses, deletions, changes in prerequisites, etc.).
3. The Chair serves as the primary liaison between the department and the Registrar’s Office to coordinate the scheduling of courses, working with both the Registrar and the Office of Academic Affairs to finalize the course schedule each semester and manage course enrollments.
4. The Chair reviews and revises catalog copy to ensure that program and course descriptions/revisions are properly stated in the Hill Book.

Assessment, Program Review, and Planning

1. The Chair, in collaboration with the Associate Provost for Academic Planning and Assessment, coordinates and implements a plan for regular assessment of the department’s programs.
2. The Chair, in collaboration with the Associate Provost for Academic Planning and Assessment, coordinates regular program review (self-study and external review).
3. The Chair coordinates and implements a strategic plan following each round of program review.

Students

1. The Chair oversees the advising of majors, minors, and graduate students, and assists Academic Services in assigning faculty advisors.
2. The Chair administers Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate (IB) credits and also reviews/approves courses for students who are transferring to Stonehill, taking courses outside of Stonehill, or studying abroad.
3. The Chair authorizes student transfers into the program as majors/minors, signs relevant forms, and secures departmental advisors to work with these students on developing four-year plans.
4. The Chair plans, advises, and/or coordinates departmental events and student clubs.
5. The Chair mediates informal student grievances.

Resource Management

1. The Chair formulates and manages the department’s budget and authorizes departmental spending of resources.
2. The Chair manages non-personnel resources of general use by the department such as equipment, space, research facilities, hardware and software, supplies, and other instructional support.

Relationships within the College

1. The Chair attends chairs' meetings, including chairs' institutes.
2. The Chair works with other departments and programs on interdisciplinary activities, programs, and curricula.
3. The Chair works closely with the Office of Admission on planning and coordinating admission events, classroom visits, and one-on-one meetings with prospective students and parents.
4. The Chair is responsible for coordinating representation from department faculty for first-year orientation.
5. The Chair collaborates with the Career Development Center on employment opportunities, recruitment events, alumni connections, and internship program development and opportunities.
6. The Chair works in coordination with the Associate Provost of Academic Planning and Assessment to ensure that the department provides general education courses, as appropriate for the department.
7. The Chair is the primary contact for the Office of International Programs.
8. The Chair is the primary contact for Alumni Affairs.
9. The Chair works closely with the Marketing Department and website personnel on relevant marketing materials and website updates.
10. The Chair works with the Office of Advancement on alumni and fundraising events.
11. The Chair works with the Associate Provost on articulation agreements and joint programs with other educational institutions.
12. The Chair works with the Registrar to approve transfer credits and course substitutions.

Communication Outside the College

1. The chair provides information directly or indirectly (through staff) for outside requests.
2. The chair responds to relevant surveys from other colleges/institutions and educational organizations.
3. The chair serves as liaison with state agencies and organizations as appropriate.
4. If the department has an advisory board, the chair sets the agenda and archives the minutes of the meetings.
5. The chair may serve as liaison with current and potential internship host sites (depending on the availability of other faculty/staff to do this work).

Reporting and Performance Review

1. The chair summarizes the activities of the department in an annual report to the Dean.
2. The chair meets annually with the Dean to discuss departmental matters and review the performance of the chair in light of the responsibilities enumerated in this document. This meeting is intended to identify areas where the chair needs further assistance and support and/or to identify areas of particular strength.