Abstract
The role of the department chair as legal authority in higher education is examined through three major areas of potential liability: academic planning, student-related issues, and employment matters. Academic planning discussions address admissions policies for disabled and disadvantaged students, legal constraints on program elimination during periods of retrenchment, and the contractual force of catalogs and changing degree requirements. Student-focused sections consider the standards for academic and disciplinary dismissal, appropriate responses to disruptive or mentally ill students, and the protection and disclosure of educational records under federal legislation. Employment issues include affirmative action and Title VII obligations in hiring, the contractual conditions of academic appointments, termination procedures, the handling of sexual harassment complaints, and promotion and tenure processes. Particular attention is given to confidentiality and defamation risks in peer review. Throughout, emphasis falls on documentation, adherence to institutional policy, and safeguarding due process in departmental administration.
Recommended Citation
Van Tol, Joan
(1985)
"The Chief Administrator as Legal Authority,"
Association for Communication Administration Bulletin: Vol. 51, Article 5.
Available at:
https://stars.library.ucf.edu/aca/vol51/iss1/5
