III. Division Chairs
A. Description:
The Chair of a Division serves as the chief representative of his/her Division.
Chairs do not have tenure in their office; their tenure as a Faculty member is a matter of separate right. Board, administration, and Faculty should all bear in mind that the Division Chair has a special obligation to build a Division strong in scholarship and teaching capacity. An appointment as Division Chair shall be for a term of three years. The prior six months before the commencement of the term of the Chair-elect should serve as a transition period between Chairs. A person shall be eligible to succeed him/herself as Division Chair. The other members of the Division shall likewise be eligible for consideration.
The Division Chair emerges from the Faculty to assume a leadership role in the Division. The Division Chair serves as mentor to Faculty colleagues and as collaborator with other College administrative officers, interprets College policy, advocates for their Division from the perspective of the best overall interests of the College, leads Faculty in important processes that shape the curriculum and have an impact on the learning of students, and effectively articulates Division and College missions to internal and external constituencies.
B. Eligibility:
Full-time faculty, Associate Professor rank or higher, is highly recommended. Division Chairs may also be sought from outside the College by means of an external Faculty search at the discretion of the Provost.
C. Selection of Division Chairs:
The Division Chair shall be appointed by, and serve at the pleasure of, the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs. When seeking a new Chair, the Provost shall first communicate with all full-time Faculty within the Division, inviting them to either submit their own or other names for consideration or to express a preference for an external search. The Provost shall then meet with Division Faculty to solicit additional verbal and written input. For external searches, the Provost shall appoint a search committee of Division Faculty and shall consider their recommendations. The Provost must seek and receive approval by the President in all appointments and removals of Division Chairs.
Under certain circumstances, an external search may be warranted. After the Division consults with the Provost on the desirability and feasibility of an external search, the Division may be authorized to conduct an external search for a tenure-eligible Faculty member at the rank of associate or full professor who will serve as Division Chair for a three-year term. The search committee will consist of members of the Division. The search committee chair may be appointed by the Provost. The Search Committee Chair shall make recommendations to the Provost who shall appoint the new Division Chair in consultation with the President.
In the event of an unexpected vacancy, the Provost may make an interim appointment. As soon as reasonably practicable after such interim appointment, the vacancy shall be filled through the regular process described above. “Interim” appointments are those with the full authority associated with the position.
D. Recall of a Division Chair
If, for serious and compelling reasons, a Division believes that continued service by a Chair is detrimental to the interest of the Division and/or College as a whole, the Division may request that the incumbent Chair be recalled through the following procedure:
1) A written request containing the compelling reasons for recall of the Incumbent Chair, signed by a simple majority of the divisional Faculty (defined as tenured, tenure track, and full time non-tenure track who have completed one year of service), must be presented to the Provost/VPAA.
2) The incumbent Chair will receive notification of the request together with a statement of reasons.
3) The Provost will convene a meeting of the signatories and the Chair to discuss the problems and attempt to resolve them within ten working days of notification of a concern.
4) Should concerns not be resolved, the Provost shall conduct a meeting of the Division Faculty, as defined above, with the exception of the Division Chair. A quorum of the Division Faculty must be present at the meeting whose purpose is ascertaining the will of the Division regarding the recall request. A vote of "confidence/no confidence" will be taken by written ballot at that meeting. A majority of the Division Faculty is required for a Division recommendation of "no confidence."
5) If the Provost agrees with the removal of the Chair, the Chair’s term of service will be terminated on a date determined by the Provost.
6) In the event of a "no confidence" recommendation, the Provost shall forward to the President:
- the Division’s vote and reasons for recall, expressed as a recommendation, and
- the Provost’s independent recommendation, including reasons, and
- the incumbent Chair's response to the recall request, if any.
7) Under normal circumstances, a vote of "confidence/no confidence" can be held only once during an academic year.
8) A Division Chair may also be removed at the Provost’s discretion, but only after consultation with the divisional Faculty.
E. Term of Appointment:
Appointments follow the academic year calendar:
1. Aug. 16 - Aug. 15 for a 12-month contract.
2. Aug. 16 - July 15 for an 11-month contract.
3. Aug. 16 - June 15, for a 10-month contract.
F. Release Time:
Chairs are given release time from regular classroom teaching to allow them time to manage their Division. Release time is normally one-half of a regular Faculty load, but can be adjusted if authorized by the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs.
G. Promotion and Tenure Considerations:
Because of the workload and focus required to manage a Division, promotion and tenure clocks may be “frozen” by mutual agreement with the Provost and in consultation with the PSC, while an individual serves as Chair (even though this may extend the probationary period beyond the listed Section II Part 2 maximums). An appointed Chair may apply for promotion and tenure at their discretion if they feel that their portfolio of evidence justifies consideration.
H. Responsibilities of the Division Chair:
1. Provide academic and administrative leadership for the Division.
2. Supervise the operation of the Division.
3. Serve as the Division’s liaison to the President's Cabinet, Academic Council, and the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs.
4. Implement College policies and rules within the Division.
5. Prepare and manage divisional budgets in a responsible manner.
6. Oversee student and Faculty recruitment efforts.
7. Assign Faculty teaching loads to meet the curricular needs of the Division and College and coordinate the scheduling of courses within the Division.
8. Oversee staffing of all divisional courses; hire and evaluate adjuncts and supplementary Faculty and staff as needed, to include all course modalities.
9. Ensure all syllabi in all modalities meet institutional, divisional, and program guidelines.
10. Oversee divisional curricula and development.
11. Evaluate and mentor Faculty and staff and make recommendations to the PSC concerning reappointment, promotion, rank, and non-reappointment.
12. Preside over divisional meetings and foster a policy of shared governance and joint effort in decision-making process of the division.
13. Represent the Division in College affairs.
14. Inform the Faculty of events affecting the Division or welfare of its Faculty.
15. Ensure the effective assessment of program outcomes and student learning and, if applicable, that the Division meets or exceeds all accreditation expectations.
16. Oversee Faculty searches. The Division Chair shall not serve on Division search committees.
17. Perform duties as assigned by the College or the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs.
18. Meet with students to address student concerns.
19. Work with the Registrar in the assigning of incoming transfer students to Faculty advisers.
20. Perform class observations of probationary Faculty.
21. Work with the PSC in the reappointment, promotion, and tenure of eligible Faculty, as needed.
I. Evaluation of Division Chairs:
1. Full-time, permanent Faculty within each Division will evaluate the performance of their Division Chair annually.
2. Evaluation forms are to be completed by May 1, and are to be distributed to each full- time divisional Faculty member by the Office of the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs.
3. The Office of the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs will compile and catalog the evaluation results, who will then submit them to the Division Chair for self- reflection.
4. The Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs will use the assessment information as part of the professional development of the Chair.