Introduction from the Provost

AsDepartment chairs occupy one of the academicmost leadersimportant ofleadership yourroles departments, you occupy a pivotal role in shaping the intellectual and operational life ofat Arkansas State University. TheYou responsibilitiesare entrustedfaculty tomembers and academic leaders, but you are wide-rangingalso mentors, advocates, problem-solvers, managers, and, on some days, the person everyone calls when they do not know who else to call. The work is broad, consequential, and consequential.not always easily captured in a job description. 

I know that work firsthand. Having served as a department chair, I understand both the opportunities and the challenges that come with the position. Chairs are often where university policy meets the daily reality of academic life. You servehelp recruit and develop faculty, manage programs and resources, address difficult personnel and student issues, support teaching and scholarship, build departmental culture, and make countless decisions that affect the people you lead and the students we serve. 

The Department Chair Resource Guide exists to help you do that work well. 

The guide brings together information, resources, and guidance that chairs need throughout the academic year. It will continue to evolve as stewardsthe work of yourchairs disciplines,evolves, advocatesand I hope it becomes a resource you return to when questions arise, when circumstances change, or when you simply need to know where to start. 

Leadership requires judgment, relationships, knowledge of one’s discipline and faculty, an understanding of institutional context, a broad knowledge of standard academic practices, and sometimes the willingness to make a difficult decision when no policy can make it for you. The intention of this guide is to give you ready access to information, processes, and resources so that your judgment is informed and your time is spent leading rather than searching for answers. 

More importantly, I hope this guide reflects how Academic Affairs and Research views the relationship between the Provost’s Office and our department chairs. We are partners in the academic work of this university. Chairs are closer than most administrators to the daily work of our faculty and students, and partnersthat inperspective advancingmatters. I want you to ask questions and identify processes that are not working. I also expect us to move beyond identifying problems. We should bring forward ideas, help develop solutions, and be willing to reconsider familiar ways of doing things when there is a better way. That responsibility belongs to all of us, including the missionProvost’s and vision of our institution.Office.  

ToOur supportexpectations youfor inour this important work, we have compiled this Department Chair Resource Guide. Within these pages you will find policies, procedures,departments and guidanceprograms toshould assistbe youhigh inbecause navigatingour theexpectations complexitiesfor ofArkansas departmentalState leadership.should Thisbe printedhigh. editionExcellent reflectsteaching, theconsequential mostscholarship, currentstrong informationacademic availableprograms, asmeaningful offaculty Augustdevelopment, 21,and 2025exceptional student outcomes are not ambitions reserved for institutions somewhere else. Achieving them requires talented faculty and staff, good leadership, sound judgment, appropriate resources, and it is intended as a readywillingness reference,to acontinually toolimprove youhow canwe keepdo withinour reach as you make decisions, manage resources, and address the daily demands of your role.work.  

ThisThank guideyou drawsfor fromaccepting the Facultyresponsibility Handbook,of Studentdepartmental Handbook,leadership and otherfor institutionalthe resources,service callingyou provide to your attentionfaculty, tostaff, thestudents, sections most relevant to the work of a department chair. However, you are encouraged to familiarize yourself with these documents in their entirety. A comprehensive understanding of university policy strengthens your ability to lead effectively, ensures consistent application of standards,college, and safeguardsuniversity. the integrity of our academic mission. 

The mostwork currentis and authoritative versions of these policies and procedures willnot always reside in their official source documents. The electronic version of this resource guide, located at Department Chair Resource Guide on the A-State Knowledge Base | A-State Knowledge Base, provides direct links to those sources, ensuring that you can access up-to-date information quickly. The print version is provided for your convenience,easy, but it shouldmatters alwaysenormously. beMy cross-referencedoffice withand theI officiallook online policiesforward to confirmdoing accuracyit andalongside currency.you. 

 

By combining a tangible reference you can hold in your hands with a living digital document that remains connected to the authoritative sources, we aim to provide you with both stability and adaptability, the very qualities that effective leadership demands. 

I thank you for your service, your commitment to excellence, and your dedication to the faculty, staff, and students who depend upon your leadership. Together, we will ensure that Arkansas State continues to educate, inspire, and lead. 

CalvinWilliam White,P. Jr.McLean  
Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor 
Professor of Government, Law, & Policy  
Arkansas State University