The Chair’s Handbook covers primarily those responsibilities of a chair that are linked to the Office of the Dean of the Faculty. Requests may come to chairs from other offices, including the Office of the Provost, Dean of the College, Office of Admission, Registrar, Human Resources, and so on – many, but not all, of these requests are included in this handbook.
The handbook is organized chronologically by month, and each month is divided into five sections, where applicable: Evaluation, Staffing/Hiring, Curriculum, Budget, and Other. Within each section are general reminders for the month as well as specific deadlines. Some of these deadlines are fixed absolutely, whereas others may vary each year by a few days, depending upon when they fall during the week.
If you need legal advice on any subject, please consult first with College Counsel, rather than hiring an external consultant.
Please note that it’s always worth looking a month or two ahead in the calendar, just to see what’s on the horizon.
Also note that references are made herein to memos sent to chairs throughout the course of the year from a variety of offices on campus. These memos are not included with this handbook, but can be produced should you wish to see them. References are also made to specific sections of the Faculty Handbook.
Thanks to all past and current chairs and administrators who voiced opinions on what should be included in this handbook, with special thanks to those chairs who shared sections of their own calendars. Please feel free to send additional suggestions. Program chairs in particular may wish to contribute new advice.