Associate/Full Professor

Expectations, Activities, and Benchmarks for Department Chairperson 

Department of Accounting & Finance

College of Business

Overview

The department chair, as academic component leader, facilitates the management of the department. To carry out this responsibility, the chair oversees, directly or indirectly, the daily progress toward achieving teaching, research, service, and strategic goals.

The department chair is charged with seeing the big picture: looking at the department as a whole and at the department's relationship to the College and University. Examples may include representing and advocating for your department and balancing that with the goals of the College/Dean’s Office, students, and market demands. The department chair is also charged with stewarding the day-to-day operation of the department, as well as maintaining reduced requirements as a faculty member (teaching half-time and continuing to publish per the Administrator requirements in the AACSB Faculty Qualifications policy). Preference will be given to candidates holding a terminal degree in finance.

Expectations of the Department Chair

• Maintain a collegial environment—one in which all members feel valued, that they have a stake in the endeavor, that they have a voice, that they are part of a team, and that they have ownership in the program/department. 

• Be a liaison between the department and the Dean:
  • The Department Chair is the person the Dean will turn to with regard to any issues facing the department. 
  • The Department Chair who will go to the Dean with concerns initiated by the department. 
  • The Department Chair is the representative of the department, a spokesperson, and an advocate for the department. 
  • The Department Chair is also the person who will relate and communicate to the department the perspective of and/or decisions of the Dean/College and University. 
  • The Department Chair represents and advocates for the department, but this must be balanced with the goals of the College/Dean’s Office, students, and market demands.

• Be a team player and a big-picture thinker. The Department Chair will lead the department in developing and implementing immediate and long-range departmental goals and strategies (in concert with faculty input) to meet University and College goals and objectives. 
  • This includes efforts focused on increasing enrollment and retention, adapting programs and curriculum as needed, and ensuring appropriate strategies are implemented.
  • The Department Chair will also be part of the College of Business Academic Leadership Team, which helps develop goals and strategies for the college.

• Be a role model - The Department Chair is the face of the department. This means s/he needs to be available and ready to work through issues. Colleagues will look to her/him as a model, and they will see how s/he is responding in all kinds of ways. 

• Be visible and in communication. The Department Chair is the gate keeper and first-in-line resource person and needs to be accessible and responsive, including time in the office on campus.

Specific Activities of the Department Chair include:

• Teach two courses in each term (fall, spring and summer).

• Maintain Scholarly Academic (SA) classification according to College of Business AACSB policy for administrators who also have some teaching responsibilities. 

• Be active in service on the Council of Chairs and other roles supporting the College and University.

• Lead the department in the enhancement of departmental curricula and initiatives for the improvement of instruction. This includes:
  • ensuring that course offerings for majors and non-majors are balanced in formats, times, and days offered, with consideration of student and faculty needs
  • supporting faculty members in their ability to teach effectively and improve curriculum
  • supporting faculty members’ innovation, engagement, and societal impact initiatives.

• Work with the Dean on any financial/budgetary needs or challenges.

• Establish Advisory Boards for the disciplines in the department

• Ensure effective implementation of University, College, and Department policies.

• Coordinate activities within the Department, including assessment, accreditation, and other College and University initiatives.

• Exercise leadership in recruiting and retaining capable faculty.

• Forward Departmental recommendations to the Dean for hiring full-time and part-time faculty.

• Monitor the performance evaluation of full-time and part-time faculty.

• Encourage continuous improvement of faculty performance by fostering and supporting good teaching, relevant research, and scholarly writing.

• Make recommendations relative to tenure, promotion, reappointment, salary adjustment, and leaves of absence.

• Review and forward requests for permission to travel for professional purposes per University policy.

• Review and forward all faculty proposals for awards and leaves.

• Arrange for representation for the department at official University and College functions such as commencement ceremonies, events, etc.

• Demonstrate sensitivity to the needs of faculty and students from diverse backgrounds.

• Monitor, with faculty, the academic progress of students.

• Oversee the maintenance of accurate and up-to-date faculty and student records.

• Supervise and evaluate direct report staff.

• Supervise the resolution of student grievances/grade appeals, following established procedures.

• Schedule and preside over department meetings.

• Serve as the primary Departmental contact for recruitment and retention efforts.

• Demonstrate interpersonal relations that foster a professional working atmosphere.

• Perform other duties and responsibilities as assigned by the Chancellor, Provost, or Dean.

Benchmarks for Performance

• Increase in enrollment and retention of students in the department.

• Faculty progress toward tenure, promotion, and performance goals.

• Contribute to progress of the College of Business toward College goals.

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