How to Chair a Department

Book excerpt: A practical, accessible handbook for chairing a department. Over the course of a typical academic career, most faculty will serve at least one term as chair of a department. It's a leadership and service role that's at the very heart of faculty satisfaction and student success, yet few receive any training on how to do the job. How to Chair a Department is a practical, accessible handbook for new and prospective chairs, providing both principles and practices for effective departmental leadership. Based on his dozen years of chairing departments, Kevin Dettmar provides invaluable advice on: • hiring tenure-track and visiting faculty • mentoring faculty colleagues at every stage of their careers • working with staff and other departmental administrators • managing department resources and budgets • meeting the needs of students • dealing with stress and conflict • connecting the department to the larger university or college as a whole • overseeing the department's curricula • maintaining a scholarly or creative profile • preparing for career moves after chairing a department How to Chair a Department demystifies this important faculty position and argues that the role of chair, though sometimes seen as a burden, can prove to be a genuine opportunity for personal and professional growth.