Master Description of Department Chair Responsibilities During the Summer Months

Below is a (non-exhaustive) array of responsibilities commonly completed by department chairs (as reported by department chairs) during summer months. Chairs are encouraged to prioritize the importance of the various responsibilities in consultation with their dean.

Maintain Departmental Presence

• Meet with prospective students and parents as necessary.
• Respond to information requests from students, faculty, administrative units (including requests forwarded by Admissions from prospective students asking about my Department's majors), and external constituencies.
• Represent the department at various summer university or college activities (e.g., college summer meetings) as necessary.

Advising & Student Issues

• Complete student advising, including transcript evaluation, making decisions on personalizations, transfer agreements, course waivers, licensing and certification (as relevant).
• Attend and advise at Warhawks SOAR (Student Orientation, Advising, and Registration) Days and transfer advising days as necessary.
• Work with summer session office to adjust course caps, add new sections, and issue overrides for summer session courses as necessary.
• Review and rule upon grade appeals, complaints, and other student/faculty issues as necessary.
• Review and approve as necessary late add forms, grade change forms, independents studies, etc.
• Provide support for graduate programming as necessary.
• Provide support for student internships, student teaching, and placements as necessary.
• Monitor and adjust class caps for fall courses. Additional sections of certain courses may be necessary and may require additional staffing. (Approval is needed.)

Reporting & Reviewing

• Complete the department annual report (and staffing reports) as necessary.
• Work on necessary reporting activities relevant to academic assessment, LEAP, Audit and Review, accreditation, etc.
• Review and approve, as appropriate, university documentation—i.e., pro card logs, time sheets, and leave reports.
• Review and correct draft copy of graduate and undergraduate catalogs as necessary.
• Review classroom modernization needs for fall submissions.

Planning

• Plan for the upcoming academic year, including submission of department staffing plan, accomplishing departmental goals, planning department meetings, setting personnel review dates, tenured faculty retreats, etc.
• Create schedule/timetable for the following spring, including the scheduling of all classroom spaces as possible.
• Update department policy/procedure documents/handbooks—i.e., degree check sheets, 4-year plans, etc.

Personnel

• Send out the notices for personnel actions, i.e. various faculty and staff reviews for fall term.
• Lead or participate in search and screen activities as needed both for fall adjuncts and activities associated with early recruitment windows for faculty.
• Acclimate and support newly arriving faculty and instructional staff in preparation of fall term.

Fiscal

• Wrap up fiscal year-end issues as necessary.

Other

• Distribute student evaluations.