Faculty Policies Handbook:

4. Policies and Procedures

4.3 Procedure for the Selection or Removal of a Departmental Chairperson

4.3.1 Selection
Not later than February 1 of the third year of any three-year term or at any other time that the position of Chairperson becomes vacant, the Dean will notify the appropriate department that it is time to reconsider the department chair position. Each department will follow democratic procedures in order to ensure participation of all full-time (excluding temporary and terminal*) departmental faculty in making a written departmental recommendation to the Dean. The incumbent Chairperson will convene the department to select a member of its own faculty or someone outside the department to serve as Selection Coordinator. The Selection Coordinator will solicit confidential nominations for Chairperson from full-time members of the department. Those nominated will be notified by the Selection Coordinator.

Those nominees accepting nomination will consult individually with the Dean to discuss the nature and responsibilities of the position and their personal interest and goals. Following these consultations, the Dean will notify the Selection Coordinator of the acceptability of the candidates; the Selection Coordinator, in turn, will meet with the individual nominees to determine their willingness to have their names placed on the departmental ballot. Should either the Dean or the department elect to consider the possibility of an outside candidate for Chairperson, the full-time department members and the Dean will meet to discuss this alternative.

The selection among nominees is to be conducted by the Selection Coordinator by March 15. Departmental selection will be by secret ballot. A majority of the full-time faculty members eligible to cast ballots will be necessary to complete the selection; runoff ballots will be used if necessary. In case of tie votes which are not broken through additional balloting, the names of all tied candidates will be reported to the Dean for resolution.

The Selection Coordinator will report the name of the person selected to the department and send a written recommendation for Department Chairperson to the Dean on behalf of the Department. Because the candidates will have been approved earlier by the Dean, appointment of the person recommended will ordinarily follow. Should circumstances arise between the giving of initial approval and receipt of the recommendation that make the nominee unacceptable, however, the Dean will meet with the full-time members of the Department to discuss and resolve the situation.

4.3.2 Removal
Initiation of an earlier review of the performance of the Departmental Chairperson may be brought forth by either a majority of the members of the Department or the Dean.

A Departmental Chairperson's appointment as Chair may be revoked before the three-year term has expired when there is a concurrence of the majority of the full-time members of the Department and the Dean that such action is justified. In such action, due process procedures shall be followed.

*In all cases, the terminal year is the last year before full retirement. In the case of transitional leave, the terminal year is the sabbatical year.