Guidelines for Merit Review of Chairs and Directors of Academic Departments and Schools

Definition: The term “chair” refers to a chair or director of a department, school, or institute in which there are budgeted tenured or tenure-track faculty.

This document recognizes the special responsibilities of chairs and articulates guidelines that are supplemental to “The Principles for Recommending Faculty for Merit Increases.”

This cyclical evaluation process is designed to foster a collaborative workplace, one that supports the various and distinct needs of both P/A employees and the departments and divisions of the college. The intrinsic motivation of the P/A employee is supported through encouragement to learn through performance review.

I. Allocation of Merit Evaluation between Chair and Faculty Responsibilities

Chairs have a dual responsibility. As members of the faculty, chairs shoulder teaching, scholarly/creative, and service responsibilities to their discipline, college, University and community. Chairs are also leaders and the chief administrative officers of their unit.

At the time of appointment as chair, the proportion of the chair’s merit increase that will be based on “chair responsibilities” and the proportion that will be based on “faculty responsibilities” will be determined in discussion with the Dean. That proportion will normally remain in effect for the duration of the chair’s term of appointment. The proportion of the merit increase that will be based on the performance of chair responsibilities will not be less than 50% or more than 75%.

Under extraordinary circumstances (e.g., unexpected, and substantial faculty turnover; major restructuring of the unit; or other extraordinary fiscal, personnel, curricular, or facility issues), the chair and the Dean may renegotiate the proportion of the merit assessment that will be based on the performance of chair responsibilities.

At the time of appointment, the Dean shall share with the new chair copies of the “College of Liberal Arts Guidelines for Merit Review of Chairs and Directors of Academic Departments and Schools.”

II. Merit Review Process

The Dean shall annually evaluate each chair for consideration of a merit increase in salary. In the assignment of merit salary increases to a chair, the Dean shall consider the chair’s faculty activity report, the chair’s self-evaluation, the unit’s evaluation of the chair, and the exchange of information that occurs at the chair’s annual review meeting with the Dean.

Faculty Activity Report

Each chair shall submit to the Dean and to their departmental merit review committee a faculty activity report. The faculty activity report should follow the format normally employed within the chair’s home unit.

Self Evaluation

During spring semester each year, each chair shall provide the Dean with a written self-evaluation. This brief (1-2 page) report should be treated as a private communication to the Dean. However, chairs may choose to share their self-evaluation with their unit’s merit review committee. The report should focus on the following:

• What have been your major accomplishments this past year as a leader and administrator of your unit?
• What staff, organizational or operational challenges have you faced as chair?
• Are there places where you have fallen short of your goals?
• Have there been any obstacles that might have limited your success?
• Please identify your goals and priorities for the next year.

Unit’s Evaluation of the Chair

During spring semester each year, the Dean shall ask the committee in each department and school charged with reviewing the chair’s performance to provide the Dean a written evaluation of the chair. That committee shall provide the chair with a copy of their evaluation. This evaluation should focus on the following:

Leadership

Assess the effectiveness of the chair at charting a course for the department and helping the department accomplish its goals.

• How well does the chair represent the department to the college, University and community?
• How well does the chair maintain relationships with other units, constituents, alumni, and patrons inside and outside the University?
• Assess the chair’s effectiveness in raising external support for the unit.

Administration

Assess how well the chair:

• administers the day-to-day functions of the unit
• provides responsible leadership and administration of human, physical, and financial resources
• supervises office staff
• makes himself or herself accessible to faculty, students, and P/A, civil service, and bargaining unit staff
• encourages professional development of P/A, civil service, and bargaining unit staff
• encourages development of faculty research and teaching
• works effectively to mentor faculty and to foster growth in research and teaching
• allocates service obligations among faculty fairly
• handles personnel matters in a fair and equitable manner
• promotes the needs of a diverse University community.

Teaching

Assess the effectiveness of the chair as a teacher both in and out of the classroom and as an academic advisor.

Research/Creative Activity

Assess the quality and importance of the chair’s research and/or creative activities.

Service

Assess the importance of the service the chair performed to the discipline, the college, the University, and the community.

Annual Review Meeting with the Dean

The Dean shall meet annually with each chair to discuss the chair’s performance as well as the chair’s goals and priorities for the upcoming year. This conversation should also provide an opportunity for constructive suggestions and feedback and should allow chairs an occasion to provide information that would contribute to the Dean’s determination of their merit increase.

III. Merit Salary Pools for Chairs and Special Merit

The merit salary pools for chairs shall be constructed in such a manner as to ensure that salary increases for chairs at least keep pace with the merit increases received by the rest of the faculty.

Chairs, like other members of the faculty, are also eligible for special merit increases. The Dean shall make a sufficient number of special merit awards to chairs to ensure that the proportion of chairs receiving a special merit increase is not less than the chairs’ proportion of the total faculty. (For example, if the college budgets special merits for approximately one out of every ten continuing regular faculty, then no fewer than one in ten special merits will be awarded to chairs.)

In considering a chair for special merit, the Dean shall consider the chair’s performance as a leader and administrator in addition to the general principles used to evaluate a faculty member for special merit.

Last updated January 2006