Department Chair Guidelines

Strategic Leadership & Planning

• Support the mission of the department, school, or college, and the University
• Develop and maintain departmental strategic plan in alignment with the college and the University’s strategic plans.
• Work with the dean and fellow chairs in developing the school or college’s vision and strategic plan
• Assist with department and school or college development activities
• Prepare the department for accreditation and other evaluations

Budget, Resources, Operations & Administration

• Annually develop and manage departmental budget aligned with the strategic plan
• Manage departmental financial and physical resources and equipment
• Meet regularly with leaders such as UPD, GPD, division directors, lab coordinators, etc.
• Delegate appropriate governance responsibilities to individuals and committees
• Call and lead regular department meetings
• Maintain good department morale and manage conflict

Governance, Communication & Advocacy

• Advocate for the department and communicate department needs to the administration
• Keep departmental faculty and staff informed of institutional initiatives, plans, and expectations
• Represent the department at university functions and to external agencies and other institutions

Faculty and Staff Affairs 

• Recruit and retain high-quality faculty and staff
• Recommend search committees for faculty searches
• Assign faculty responsibilities in alignment with workload
• Respond to faculty concerns and address faculty grievances
• Take a leadership role in the process of faculty review for rank continuation, promotion, renewal, tenure, etc.
• Meet with faculty and staff annually for the university performance review process and merit recommendations
• Address unsatisfactory faculty and staff performance or conduct

 Research & Scholarship Support

• Oversee research and teaching mentorship of junior faculty
• Encourage and facilitate faculty research and scholarship
• Identify and support faculty needs related to research and scholarship

Curriculum, Teaching & Academic Programs

• Manage the development, maintenance, and offering of departmental curricula, courses, and programs
• Oversee class scheduling and course enrollments
• Foster excellent teaching and learning in the department
• Identify and support departmental needs related to teaching

Student Success, Advising & Engagement

• Support student recruitment, retention, and graduation
• Ensure good student advisement
• Respond to student concerns and address student grievances
• Engage alumni, industry, government, and communities

• New chairs will be onboarded by their dean’s office and will participate in the year-long new chair training program sponsored by the Office of the Provost.
• The dean may replace the chair before the end of a term for performance, conduct, or circumstances that will prevent the chair from completing the term.
• At least once in each three-year term, the dean shall solicit evaluative feedback on the chair’s performance from the full-time, regular department faculty. This feedback and subsequent evaluation may occur more frequently, as deemed appropriate by the dean and provost.
• The collection of feedback will utilize collection tools that ensure confidentiality and encourage open communication.
• The evaluation should provide a quantitative and qualitative assessment of the major responsibilities of the chair role.
• The dean will communicate the results of the evaluation individually to the chair and may meet with the departmental faculty to discuss particular points of concern. 

• The role of a department chair is an at-will, internal administrative appointment made by the dean.
• When a new department chair is needed, the dean will consult with the faculty and the provost to determine whether the search will be open only to current Baylor faculty (“internal search”) or may include external candidates (“national search”).
• Faculty will have an important role in assessing the candidates. All faculty who participated in meetings with chair candidates shall assess the strengths and weaknesses of those candidates. Those findings shall be communicated to the dean.
• The dean, in consultation with the provost, will select the chair and communicate the decision to the faculty.
• Chair appointments are documented with the Office of the Provost by letters of appointment (internal administrative appointment) and are tracked in the faculty records system.
• The established term length for the chair is three years.
• Reappointment to additional three-year terms may follow successful evaluation by the faculty and the dean. Chairs should communicate closely with their dean their intentions to seek reappointment as early as possible.
• Reappointments are at the discretion of the dean with the approval of the provost.
• Chairs may serve one, two, or three terms. More is not typical.
• When necessary, the dean may appoint an interim chair between permanent postings. Interim chairs may serve as little as one semester or as long as three years. 

Internal Search

• The process must be initiated, documented, and managed in Interfolio Faculty Search as a private search.
• A search committee with a committee chair must be formed.
• The committee, in consultation with the dean’s office, will make the position announcement, set the requirements to apply, and plan for interviews as needed.
• All qualified current faculty should be made aware of the search and be permitted to apply.
• Selected finalists will have a meeting with the provost.
• The dean, in consultation with the provost, will select the chair and communicate the decision to the faculty. 

National Search

• The process must be initiated, documented, and managed in Interfolio Faculty Search.
• External candidates will apply through a competitive search process for a new faculty position and chair appointment.
• Finalists will be interviewed by the vice provost for faculty affairs and have a meeting with the provost.
• The dean, in consultation with the provost, will select the chair and communicate the decision to the faculty.