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<p>The Author xi</p> <p>Introduction xiii</p> <p><b>PART ONE The Chair’s Role and Career Path</b></p> <p>1. In the Trenches 3</p> <p>2. Preparing for the Chair’s Role 14</p> <p>3. Assessing What Kind of Department Chair You Are 23</p> <p>4. Serving as an Untenured Department Chair 34</p> <p>5. Coexisting with a Former Chair 41</p> <p>6. Creating a Career Plan 49</p> <p>7. Returning to the Faculty 58</p> <p>8. Seeking Higher Administrative Positions 66</p> <p>9. A Scenario Analysis on the Chair’s Role and Career Path 75</p> <p><b>PART TWO Departmental Management and Politics</b></p> <p>10. Understanding Departmental Ethics and Politics 85</p> <p>11. Chairing Small Departments 92</p> <p>12. Chairing Large Departments 99</p> <p>13. Setting Course Rotations and Schedules 108</p> <p>14. Making Decisions 114</p> <p>15. Setting Annual Themes 124</p> <p>16. Creating Departmental Centers for Excellence in Teaching and Learning 132</p> <p>17. A Scenario Analysis on Departmental Management and Politics 142</p> <p><b>PART THREE The Chair’s Role in Searches, Hiring, and Firing</b></p> <p>18. Writing Job Descriptions and Position Announcements 157</p> <p>19. Understanding the Chair’s Role in the Search Process 168</p> <p>20. Interviewing Candidates 176</p> <p>21. Letting Someone Go 188</p> <p>22. A Scenario Analysis on Hiring and Firing 196</p> <p><b>PART FOUR Mentoring Challenges and Opportunities for Department Chairs</b></p> <p>23. Helping Faculty Members Sharpen Their Focus 205</p> <p>24. Coaching Faculty Members to Increase Productivity 211</p> <p>25. Promoting a More Collegial Department 217</p> <p>26. Coping with Passive-Aggressive Behavior 224</p> <p>27. Resolving Chronic Complaints 231</p> <p>28. Addressing Staff Conflicts 240</p> <p>29. Overcoming Conflicts 247</p> <p>30. A Scenario Analysis on Mentoring Challenges 257</p> <p><b>PART FIVE The Chair’s Role in Faculty Development</b></p> <p>31. Facilitating a Positive First-Year Faculty Experience 267</p> <p>32. Coaching Faculty in Writing Effective Résumés 274</p> <p>33. Creating an Effective Professional Development Plan 279</p> <p>34. Creating an Effective Teaching Portfolio 290</p> <p>35. Creating an Effective Course Syllabus 302</p> <p>36. Promoting Creativity in Teaching and Learning 309</p> <p>37. A Scenario Analysis on Faculty Development 317</p> <p><b>PART SIX Best Practices in Evaluation and Assessment</b></p> <p>38. Creating Written Evaluations 327</p> <p>39. Conducting Oral Evaluation Sessions 337</p> <p>40. Writing Letters of Recommendation 343</p> <p>41. Doing Assessment Effectively 352</p> <p>42. Conducting Program Reviews 364</p> <p>43. Conducting Posttenure Reviews 380</p> <p>44. A Scenario Analysis on Evaluation and Assessment 389</p> <p><b>PART SEVEN Essentials of Budgeting and Planning</b></p> <p>45. Strategic Planning 401</p> <p>46. Planning a Budget 411</p> <p>47. Implementing a Budget 418</p> <p>48. Fundraising 425</p> <p>49. Accounting for Sponsored Research 440</p> <p>50. A Scenario Analysis on Strategic Budgeting and Planning 449</p> <p>Epilogue: A Checklist for the Essential Department Chair 457</p> <p>Index 463</p>

<p><b>THE AUTHOR</b> <p><b>Jeffrey L. Buller</b> is dean of the Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College at Florida Atlantic University and author of <i>The Essential Academic Dean, The Essential College Professor,</i> and<i> Academic Leadership Day by Day</i>. He is widely known as a consultant, speaker, and writer about nearly every aspect of life as an academic leader.

<p><b>THE ESSENTIAL DEPARTMENT CHAIR</b> <p>This second edition of the informative and influential<i> The Essential Department Chair</i> offers academic chairs and department heads the information they need to excel in their roles. This book is about the "how" of academic administration: for instance, how do you cultivate a potential donor for much-needed departmental resources? How do you persuade your department members to work together more harmoniously? How do you keep the people who report to you motivated and capable of seeing the big picture? <p>Thoroughly revised, updated, and expanded, this classic resource covers a broad spectrum of timely topics and is now truly more than a guide—it's a much-needed desk reference that tells you "everything you need to know to be a department chair." <i>The Essential Department Chair</i> contains information on topics such as essentials of creating a strategic plan, developing and overseeing a budget, key elements of fundraising, preparing for the role of chair, meeting the challenges of mentoring to increase productivity, and creating a more collegial atmosphere. The book also explores the chair's role in the search process, shows how to conduct a successful interview and what to do when it's time to let someone go. And the author includes suggestions for the best practices to adopt when doing an evaluation or assessment. <p><i>The Essential Department Chair, Second Edition</i>, contains a wealth of new, realistic case studies to equip leaders in this pivotal position to excel in departmental and institutional life.

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