ADVICE FOR CHAIRS (BASED ON ENGLISH DEPT. PRACTICE) ALAN LIU

(Late Summer) Budget

ANNUAL CYCLE OF PLANNING ACTIVITIES

(Late Summer) Budget

ANNUAL CYCLE OF PLANNING ACTIVITIES

(Spring/Fall) Personnel Cases Spring: Interviews with candidates, External referee solicitations

Summer: Set up fall calendar of personnel meetings

Fall: Routine cases, non-routine cases

(Late Summer) Budget

ANNUAL CYCLE OF PLANNING ACTIVITIES

(Spring/Fall) Personnel Cases

(Winter/Spring) FTE Plan English Dept. Two-year FTE Planning Cycle: Short proposalLong proposalDept. discussion and vote to put forward 2-3 FTE requests (with others left unprioritized for future requests)

(Late Summer) Budget

ANNUAL CYCLE OF PLANNING ACTIVITIES

(Spring/Fall) Personnel Cases

(Winter/Spring) FTE Plan

January: Curriculum Planning Meeting (Chair, Undergrad chair, MSO or cluster director, and relevant staff)

Winter- MSO works on Curriculum Plan spreadsheetSpring: Chair works on rationale memo & difficult loose strands

Spring- Adjustments to the curriculum planSummer:

(Winter/Spring) Curriculum Plan

THREE PRINCIPLES OF GOOD CHAIRING

Balance between consultation, shared governance, and “Chair’s prerogative.”

Design good processes for department decision-making: • Processes should be transparent• Processes should allow for but regulate debate• Processes should have an understood exit stage (a decision-making mechanism at end)

Have a strategic vision.