The Essential Department Chair: A Comprehensive Desk Reference(Jossey-Bass Resources for Department Chairs)

THE ESSENTIAL DEPARTMENT CHAIR This second edition of the informative and influential The Essential Department Chair offers academic chairs and department heads the information they need to excel in their roles. This book is about the "how" of academic administration: for instance, how do you cultivate a potential donor for much-needed departmental resources? How do you persuade your department members to work together more harmoniously? How do you keep the people who report to you motivated and capable of seeing the big picture? Thoroughly revised, updated, and expanded, this classic resource covers a broad spectrum of timely topics and is now truly more than a guide—it's a much-needed desk reference that tells you "everything you need to know to be a department chair." The Essential Department Chair contains information on topics such as essentials of creating a strategic plan, developing and overseeing a budget, key elements of fundraising, preparing for the role of chair, meeting the challenges of mentoring to increase productivity, and creating a more collegial atmosphere. The book also explores the chair's role in the search process, shows how to conduct a successful interview and what to do when it's time to let someone go. And the author includes suggestions for the best practices to adopt when doing an evaluation or assessment. The Essential Department Chair, Second Edition, contains a wealth of new, realistic case studies to equip leaders in this pivotal position to excel in departmental and institutional life.

Table of Contents:
The Author xi Introduction xiii PART ONE The Chair’s Role and Career Path 1. In the Trenches 3 2. Preparing for the Chair’s Role 14 3. Assessing What Kind of Department Chair You Are 23 4. Serving as an Untenured Department Chair 34 5. Coexisting with a Former Chair 41 6. Creating a Career Plan 49 7. Returning to the Faculty 58 8. Seeking Higher Administrative Positions 66 9. A Scenario Analysis on the Chair’s Role and Career Path 75 PART TWO Departmental Management and Politics 10. Understanding Departmental Ethics and Politics 85 11. Chairing Small Departments 92 12. Chairing Large Departments 99 13. Setting Course Rotations and Schedules 108 14. Making Decisions 114 15. Setting Annual Themes 124 16. Creating Departmental Centers for Excellence in Teaching and Learning 132 17. A Scenario Analysis on Departmental Management and Politics 142 PART THREE The Chair’s Role in Searches, Hiring, and Firing 18. Writing Job Descriptions and Position Announcements 157 19. Understanding the Chair’s Role in the Search Process 168 20. Interviewing Candidates 176 21. Letting Someone Go 188 22. A Scenario Analysis on Hiring and Firing 196 PART FOUR Mentoring Challenges and Opportunities for Department Chairs 23. Helping Faculty Members Sharpen Their Focus 205 24. Coaching Faculty Members to Increase Productivity 211 25. Promoting a More Collegial Department 217 26. Coping with Passive-Aggressive Behavior 224 27. Resolving Chronic Complaints 231 28. Addressing Staff Conflicts 240 29. Overcoming Conflicts 247 30. A Scenario Analysis on Mentoring Challenges 257 PART FIVE The Chair’s Role in Faculty Development 31. Facilitating a Positive First-Year Faculty Experience 267 32. Coaching Faculty in Writing Effective Résumés 274 33. Creating an Effective Professional Development Plan 279 34. Creating an Effective Teaching Portfolio 290 35. Creating an Effective Course Syllabus 302 36. Promoting Creativity in Teaching and Learning 309 37. A Scenario Analysis on Faculty Development 317 PART SIX Best Practices in Evaluation and Assessment 38. Creating Written Evaluations 327 39. Conducting Oral Evaluation Sessions 337 40. Writing Letters of Recommendation 343 41. Doing Assessment Effectively 352 42. Conducting Program Reviews 364 43. Conducting Posttenure Reviews 380 44. A Scenario Analysis on Evaluation and Assessment 389 PART SEVEN Essentials of Budgeting and Planning 45. Strategic Planning 401 46. Planning a Budget 411 47. Implementing a Budget 418 48. Fundraising 425 49. Accounting for Sponsored Research 440 50. A Scenario Analysis on Strategic Budgeting and Planning 449 Epilogue: A Checklist for the Essential Department Chair 457 Index 463

About the Author :
THE AUTHOR Jeffrey L. Buller is dean of the Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College at Florida Atlantic University and author of The Essential Academic Dean, The Essential College Professor, and Academic Leadership Day by Day. He is widely known as a consultant, speaker, and writer about nearly every aspect of life as an academic leader.