Abstract
This article offers a dean’s perspective on the essential functions and powers of an effective department chair. Drawing on administrative experience, it characterizes the chair as the central operational force within an academic unit, responsible for managing departmental affairs, meeting institutional deadlines, and providing accurate information to higher administration. The discussion identifies five core attributes of an ideal chair: efficient management of departmental business, the ability to resolve problems without routinely escalating them, the provision of concise and relevant data in support of requests, the development of a forward looking vision aligned with institutional goals, and the cultivation of an environment that supports teaching and scholarship. The article emphasizes the importance of position power, formal authority, and personal credibility, noting that chairs must understand institutional rules and demonstrate fairness, accessibility, and tolerance. Effective use of power is presented as essential to sustaining faculty productivity and departmental advancement, while failure to recognize or exercise that power is portrayed as a threat to administrative success.
Recommended Citation
Jeffrey, Robert C.
(1985)
"A Dean Interprets the Role and Powers of an Ideal Chair,"
Association for Communication Administration Bulletin: Vol. 52, Article 4.
Available at:
https://stars.library.ucf.edu/aca/vol52/iss1/4
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