Toughest job in higher education: Chairs’ responsibilities

Abstract

ABSTRACTThe overwhelming breadth and depth of responsibilities that Department Chairs (Chairs) in higher education are expected to complete make their jobs challenging and often lead to stress, burnout, and turnover. A significant percentage of Chairs who accept this role are unprepared, without the skills, abilities, and training to manage operationally and, more importantly, lead an academic unit. Supported by a National Science Foundation ADVANCE award, the authors and their colleagues through a Chair Mentoring Program identified over 62 responsibilities in 7 categories Chairs are expected to complete. Topical sections with multiple subsections provide a wealth of information about personnel management, effective internal and external communications, budget and resource management, instructional leadership, department climate and culture, departmental change and advancement, and department chair as faculty. Within each section, the authors offer suggestions for effectively completing the myriad responsibilities explained while serving and leading their departments. This work provides helpful guidance to Chairs about how they can develop communication, mentoring, negotiation, delegation, financial, managerial, and leadership skills and abilities, while identifying the need for gaining upper administrative support for expanded training and resources to better prepare them to complete not only the toughest, but one of the most important, jobs on campus.