DEPARTMENT CHAIR AND PROGRAM DIRECTOR GUIDE
A practical guide for department chairs and program directors: what to do first, who can help, which deadlines matter, and where to find the detailed policies that govern academic leadership at Skidmore.
Start here
This web guide is organized around the questions C/PDs most often need to answer. Detailed policy language, legal tables, reimbursement rules, and forms remain available in the reference library.
I am New to the Role |
I Need to HIre |
I Have a Personnel Question |
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Use the quick-start checklist and meet your key partners in the DOF/VPAA Office. Start checklist |
Find the steps for allocation requests, search plans, requisitions, finalists, offers, and contracts. Hiring guidance |
Consult the Faculty Handbook, CBA, evaluation schedule, and contact map before acting. Find contact |
Introduction
Welcome to the Chair and Program Director website. This site is designed as a practical guide for the work of leading an academic department or program at Skidmore.
Chairs and program directors play a central role in sustaining the College’s academic mission. You help shape curriculum, support faculty colleagues, guide students, manage resources, communicate with offices across campus, and plan for the future of your department or program. Much of this work is rewarding; some of it is complicated; and no one is expected to know every policy, deadline, or process from memory.
This site is meant to be a user-friendly companion for that work. It brings together key responsibilities, timelines, contacts, forms, policies, and practical guidance in one place. The goal is to help you find what you need quickly, understand what action is required, and know whom to contact when questions arise.
Use this page as a starting point. The sections below are organized around the questions chairs and program directors most often face: What do I need to do first? Whom should I contact? What are the major annual deadlines? How do I handle hiring, scheduling, evaluation, budgets, assessment, and faculty support? Where a topic requires formal policy language or a more detailed reference document, this site links to the relevant policy, form, or printable resource.
Along with Corey, David, and Oscar, I am grateful for your leadership and partnership. Please reach out whenever a situation is unclear, time-sensitive, or simply new to you. This site is here to support your work, but it is not a substitute for conversation, judgment, or collaboration.
Natalie Taylor
Interim Dean of the Faculty/Vice President for Academic Affairs
What this website is for
Chairing is complex work: part academic leadership, part stewardship, part mentoring, and part daily problem-solving. This webpage is meant to help you navigate that work with confidence, not to make you memorize every policy. You can always consult the full Faculty Handbook and CPD Handbook.| Use the main pages for action | Use the reference library for policy |
| Each topic begins with what C/PDs need to do, who can help, typical timelines, decision points, and common pitfalls. | Long tables, reimbursement details, legal guidance, sample forms, and appendices are all linked below. |
| Chair tip: Bookmark this page and the annual calendar. Most questions can be answered by starting with the calendar, the contact map, or the FAQ. |
Your first month as Chair or Program Director
New C/PDs should review the handbook, but do not need to master the entire handbook immediately. Begin with the people, deadlines, records, and recurring responsibilities that will help the year run smoothly.
Meet and orient
- Meet with the outgoing C/PD to discuss ongoing matters, the next academic year, responsibilities of the associate chair, and the responsibilities of the administrative assistant.
- Review the Administrative Assistant position description (posted in the shared C/PD folder on Skidmore Box) to see the scope of work that can be expected from your AA.
- Meet with your department/program administrative assistant to review calendars, budgets, records, and routine workflows.
- Meet with the Associate Dean for Recruitment and Academic Personnel to discuss staffing, evaluation schedules, and any live personnel issues.
- Clarify whether an Associate Chair/Program Director is needed and what duties may be delegated.
- Schedule regular department/program meetings and establish a transparent process for agendas.
Review the essentials
- Confirm required courses, projected course rotations, and any immediate scheduling pressure.
- Review workload records, course releases, overloads, and faculty leave plans.
- Identify any upcoming reappointment, tenure, promotion, or NTT review cases.
- Review operating, restricted, and capital/start-up funds with the budget manager.
- Confirm assessment, mid-point report, self-study, or external review obligations for the year.
C/PD Responsibilities
Across our departments and programs, many duties fall to the C/PD. Some of these can be delegated to your Academic Administrative Assistant, an Associate Chair, to a senior colleagues, or to a department or program committee, but others must be done by the C/PD.Here is a list of C/PD responsibilities, with comments.
| Responsibility | Can this be delegated? | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| Respond to queries and concerns presented by students, faculty, staff, and administrators | In part, to your AA or Associate Chair | If the inquiry involves personnel or policy-making, the C/PD should deal with it personally |
| Set the agenda for department or program meetings and retreats | This is a core C/PD responsibility. | The C/PD, literally and figuratively, sets the agenda for the department or program. Once you have an agenda, enforce it. |
| Establish course offerings and schedules | Scheduling class times and days can be delegated to your AA/Associate Chair. Determining courses to offer can be delegated to a department or program curriculum committee. | Assigning faculty to teach particular courses is a core C/PD responsibility. |
| Supervise your AA and any other staff, and conduct yearly performance reviews for these individuals as required by HR | No. | These are core C/PD responsibilities |
| Balance and track faculty workload credits; request necessary overloads; ensure timely taking of authorized course releases | Your AA and Associate Chair can assist. | The C/PD is ultimately responsible for monitoring the 18 credit faculty workload, but tracking faculty workload can be shared. |
| Monitor minimum contact hours | Your AA and Associate Chair can assist. | If the faculty member assigned to teach a class cannot meet the minimum contact hours, the C/PD is responsible for finding alternatives. |
| Collect all course syllabi every semester | Delegate to your AA. | If a faculty member fails to respond to the AA, you can step in. |
| Periodically review syllabi to ensure that they reflect and fulfill the appropriate goals for that course | You can delegate to your Associate Chair or a department curriculum committee. | A good time to do this is when you write evaluative letters for faculty. |
| Shepherd faculty through reappointment, tenure, and promotion, writing necessary letters associated with these procedures | Some parts of this can be delegated to a department/program mentor or personnel committee. | If for some reason the C/PD cannot write the department/program letter, please contact (for TT faculty) ATC or PC, and Oscar Perez Hernandez, or (for NTT faculty) David Cohen. |
| Manage faculty recruitment and/or hiring processes | You can delegate the search to a search committee and some scheduling/administrative tasks to your AA. | The C/PD makes the offer to a new hire and negotiates the terms of the position, working with the DOF/VPAA's office. |
| Maintain a three-year plan that includes specific course offerings with faculty names and anticipated workload credits | Your AA and Associate Chair can assist. | Consult with your faculty each year on their availability and preferences over the next two academic years. |
| Managing the department/program budget | Your AA can assist. | Approving use of funds for faculty and department/program initiatives using the Services and Supplies and B Fund budgets is a core C/PD responsibility. |
| Requesting additional monies as needed via New Initiative or Capital Requests | Your AA can assist. | New Initiative requests (currently frozen) are for permanent increases to your Services and Supplies budgets. Capital requests are project based funds that must be spent in the next three years (primarily, faculty start-up funds). |
| Submit information for BOT reports and text for retirement citations | A senior department colleague can assist. | When relevant, you will receive more information from Debbie Peterson. |
| Writing Letters of Evaluation for faculty who require them (due 6/30 each year) | This cannot be delegated. | Each year, you will receive a reminder of which faculty members are due for evaluation from the DOF/VPAA's Office. |
| Write the Mid-point Report when scheduled | Should be delegated to faculty sub-committees. | You can receive guidance and help from the Faculty Director of Assessment. |
| Lead the Self Study and write the Self Study Report in advance of a scheduled External Review | Writing the self-study should be delegated. | Department or program faculty should be fully involved in writing the self-study. You can receive guidance and help from the Faculty Director of Assessment. |
| Overseeing assessment efforts and submitting the Annual Assessment Report | Can be delgated to an assessment committee. | You can receive guidance and help from the Faculty Director of Assessment. |
| Maintain orderly department/program records and pass them to the next C/PD | Delegate to your AA while monitoring. | Move from paper records to digital records and have a retention policy. |
Annual Calendar at a Glance
Dates vary slightly each year. Treat this as a planning framework and confirm exact deadlines through the DOF/VPAA Office, Registrar, ATC/PC calendars, and the annual CPD calendar.
| When | C/PD focus | Common actions | Primary partners |
|---|---|---|---|
| Summer | Prepare for launch | Monitor enrollment after first-year registration; resolve urgent hiring or coverage needs; onboard new faculty; respond to transfer-credit questions. | Registrar, Associate Dean for Recruitment and Academic Personnel, administrative assistant |
| August–September | Set expectations | Confirm meeting schedule, course coverage, syllabi collection, assessment plan, workload records, and any search or staffing priorities. | DOF/VPAA Office, Faculty Director of Assessment, Registrar |
| October–November | Plan staffing and curriculum | Develop faculty allocation ideas, review course rotations, identify leave replacements, and prepare early budget or capital needs. | DOF/VPAA Office, Financial Planning & Budgeting |
| December–January | Submit and refine requests | Prepare supplementary NTT staffing requests when called; confirm spring obligations; update three-year course/staffing plan. | Associate Dean for Recruitment and Academic Personnel |
| February–March | Course schedules and budgets | Finalize next-year course plans, monitor low enrollment, submit capital/minor project requests when called, and check evaluation/review timelines. | Registrar, Senior Budget Coordinator, Academic Affairs Coordinator |
| April–May | Close the academic year | Confirm graduation-related tasks, honors/awards, assessment materials, returning and departing faculty needs, and next-year advising coverage. | Registrar, Faculty Director of Assessment, DOF/VPAA Office |
| June | Submit annual work | Annual faculty evaluation letters and Watermark activity summaries are due June 30; mid-point reports may also be due June 30. | DOF/VPAA Office, Faculty Director of Assessment |
Who can help?
Start with the office most closely connected to the issue. When a matter involves personnel, the CBA, discipline, grievance risk, or unusual circumstances, consult before acting.
Dean of the Faculty / VPAAacademic leadershipchair appointmentsRTP
Broad academic affairs leadership, appointments across Academic Affairs, tenure-track hiring, endowed chairs, appointment of chairs/directors, reappointment, tenure, promotion, and the handbook.
Associate Dean for Recruitment and Academic PersonnelhiringNTT facultyevaluation lettersCBA
Faculty candidate interviews, NTT hiring and management, enrollment monitoring, staff hiring/PQ, annual summaries and letters, external reviews, C/PD appointments, and union-related personnel issues.
Associate Dean for Development, Research, and Infrastructurefaculty developmentresearchspacesafety
Faculty development, Title IX and bias/harassment support, space and safety, capital/start-up funds, tenure and promotion support, fellowships, research compliance, academic safety, and IT liaison work.
Associate Dean for Academic Operations and Student Academic Affairsstudentscurriculumbudgets
Student academic standing, conduct, grade appeals, disruptive students, academic opportunities, academic policies and procedures, curricular matters, enrollment management, operating budgets, B-funds, and salary/equity issues.
Academic Affairs Coordinatorhiringannual evaluationstenure and promotion materials
Supports many of the annual academic processes that Chairs and Program Directors rely on, including faculty data, job requisitions, contract and appointment letters, evaluation-letter tracking, faculty activity reporting, tenure and promotion records, chair directories, and annual updates to the Faculty Handbook. She is a key contact for position codes, faculty appointment paperwork, personnel-process timelines, and questions about academic data or records.
Senior Budget Administrative CoordinatorbudgetsexpensesB Funds
Supports the financial side of Academic Affairs, including DOF/VPAA operating budgets, Oracle and P.A.S.S. budget activity, expense and check requests, start-up funds, relocation expenditures, recruiting costs, grant expenditures, and presidential discretionary funds. Chairs and Program Directors should contact Gina with questions about budget accounts, expense processing, start-up spending, recruiting costs, B funds, and payments related to external reviews.
Senior Administrative Coordinatorschedulingfaculty meeting agenda
Provides executive support for the Dean of the Faculty/VPAA and Associate Deans and helps coordinate the daily work of the DOF/VPAA Office. She supports scheduling, correspondence, faculty meetings, events, retreats, Chair and Program Director meetings, academic staff meetings, and candidate interview logistics. Chairs and Program Directors will often work with Nora to schedule meetings with the Dean or Associate Deans, coordinate search-related visits, and navigate DOF/VPAA office logistics.
Student Academic Affairs Coordinatorschedulinginternshipshonors convocation
Coordinates internships for credit, travel to present awards, and student opportuity funds. Terri also organizes Honors Convocation and coordinates Dean’s List Honors and status outcomes following Academic Review (academic probation and waiver). Chairs and Program Directors often contact Terri with questions about financial support for special student project and travel, and timelines and responsibilities associated with sponsoring and approving internships.
Faculty Director of Assessmentannual assessment of learningmid-point reportsself-studiesexternal reviews
Kelly works collaboratively with the Office of Institutional Research and the Institutional Effectiveness Specialist. His responsibilities include: Academic Assessment; Institutional Effectiveness; and Accreditation.
Guidance by topic
Hiring and searches
Allocation requests, inclusive search plans, terminal appointments, requisitions, interviews, offers, and contracts.
NTT faculty and the CBA
Your role as management, reappointment, workload, evaluation, grievance, union representation, and when to consult.
Curriculum and scheduling
Course rotations, minimum enrollment, catalog management, contact hours, workload credits, and team teaching.
Faculty evaluation
Annual letters, Watermark summaries, review cycles, and evaluation as developmental feedback.
Budgets and funds
Operating funds, B-funds, capital requests, start-up spending, and who answers budget questions.
Assessment and reviews
Annual assessment, mid-point reports, self-studies, external reviews, and the ten-year cycle.
Hiring and searches
Faculty hiring is both a strategic planning process and a compliance-sensitive process. The C/PD’s job is to help the department/program make a strong academic case to the Office of the DOF/VPAA for authorization to hire, run a fair and inclusive hiring process, negotiate with the successful candidate, and closely coordinated with the DOF/VPAA Office.Faculty allocation requests
When requesting a tenure-track or renewable non-tenure-track line, explain the curricular need, future demand, strategic alignment, student enrollment patterns, contribution to interdisciplinary programs or all-College requirements, and why the requested line type is appropriate.
C/PDs will be asked to notify the DOF/VPAA by mid-December that their department/program will be submitting a faculty allocation request. No justification is required at this time; the notices will be used to select a group of C/PDs who are not requesting approval to search to advise the DOF/VPAA on the relative strength of the requests received. The request itself will be due in late January or early February.
Please see the CPD Handbook for a complete description of the faculty allocation request. Among other things, a successful proposal will:
- Describe the efforts of the department/program to review its curriculum and release lines in light of the college’s strategic priorities and budgetary realities.
- Explain how the position serves the curricular needs of the department or program.
- Provide specific evidence of enrollment patterns and trends in courses (e.g., general education requirements) and numbers of majors and minors to demonstrate student demand.
- Strengthen Skidmore’s competitive advantage in comparison to our peers.
- Justify the type of line requested (tenure-track or renewable).
Approved searches
| Step | What C/PDs prepare | Before moving on |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Clarify the approved position | Position description, minimum qualifications, curricular coverage, search timeline, committee charge, and evaluation rubric. | Consult with the Associate Dean for Recruitment and Academic Personnel. |
| 2. Develop the inclusive search plan | Committee membership, advertising plan, candidate qualifications, outreach strategy, decision-making values, confidentiality practices, and anticipated costs. | Search plan approval is required before search activity proceeds. |
| 3. Submit the job requisition | Correct position code, approved job description, position justification, and any search-waiver request. | Coordinate with the DOF/VPAA Office and HR before the posting goes live. |
| 4. Review candidates and identify finalists | Consistent review process, first-round interviews, reference-check plan, and finalist materials. Submit your list of finalists for campus visits to the ADOF for Recruitment. | Do not schedule campus visits until finalists are approved. |
| 5. Campus visits | Candidate itinerary, meetings with DOF/VPAA (TT only) and Associate Dean, teaching/research events, breaks, escorts, and reimbursement instructions. | Keep visits welcoming, accessible, and no longer than necessary. |
| 6. Offer and contract | Candidate recommendation, reference checks, salary/relocation/start-up terms, and Contract Request Form. | The contract letter, electronic signature, and background check follow through College systems. |
Non-tenure-track faculty and the CBA
The CBA provides greater clarity and consistency for both C/PDs and non-tenure-track faculty. While some procedures are more formalized, the day-to-day goals remain the same: supporting faculty success, maintaining fairness, and fostering strong working relationships.What changed
- Many renewable NTT appointments now roll over absent just cause for non-renewal.
- Evaluation, reappointment, promotion, discipline, and grievance procedures are more formalized.
- Union representation may be required in meetings that could lead to discipline.
- Course assignments, workload, and extra assignments must follow the CBA.
What did not change
- NTT faculty are Skidmore faculty and important members of the academic community.
- C/PDs should maintain respectful, honest, professional working relationships.
- Regular feedback and clear documentation remain essential leadership practices.
- When unsure, consult before acting.
Curriculum delivery and course scheduling
Thoughtful scheduling supports student progress, reduces advising challenges, and helps departments maintain curricular coherence.- Maintain a tentative two- to three-year course plan.
- Offer required courses at regular intervals and avoid conflicts among courses that students in the same cohort need.
- Use the full range of time slots, including Mondays, Fridays, early mornings, and late afternoons.
- Coordinate cross-listed and interdisciplinary courses with partner departments or programs.
- Review low-enrolled courses proactively; under-enrollment triggers scrutiny but not automatic cancellation.
- Ensure courses meet minimum contact-hour requirements and develop coverage plans when needed.
- Run a new course as a topics class at least twice to fine-tune the course and ensure student interest before submitting it to Curriculum Committee and listing it in the catalog.
Faculty evaluation and annual activity reporting
Faculty evaluation letters are a central C/PD responsibility. They are due to Debbie Peterson by June 30 and should be shared with the faculty member, who has the right to comment and meet with the C/PD before the letter is sent forward.
Faculty evaluation letters are primarily developmental. They should be aimed at mentoring the faculty member and helping them improve over time. They are also a primary tool for helping faculty understand their progress towards their next critical evaluative moment, whether that will be reappointment, tenure, or promotion. While the tone should always be supportive, we owe our colleagues an honest assessment of their progress towards that evaluative moment.
| Faculty category | General evaluation-letter timing | C/PD action |
|---|---|---|
| Assistant professors and associate professors without tenure | Annually | Write and share annual letter. |
| Associate professors with tenure | Every three years | Confirm cycle with DOF/VPAA Office. |
| Full professors | Every six years | Confirm cycle with DOF/VPAA Office. |
| NTT faculty, years 1–6 | Annually | Follow CBA procedures. |
| NTT faculty, year 7 and beyond | Every three years | Follow CBA procedures. |
Individual faculty summaries of activities are also due annually by June 30 through Watermark. C/PDs may set an earlier internal deadline, such as May 31, to support preparation of evaluation letters.
Budgets and funds
C/PDs are responsible for managing department/program funds in partnership with the administrative assistant or budget manager. The main goal is to use available funds responsibly and stay within the bottom-line Services & Supplies budget.
Operating budget
A1-account funds support ongoing department/program activities. C/PDs are primarily responsible for approving expenditures for services and supplies. Funds may be shifted across natural account numbers at the C/PD’s discretion so long as the department/program does not exceed its total services and supplies budget. Unused funds do not roll over.
B-funds and restricted funds
Gift and endowed funds may be governed by restrictions. Some roll over and some are swept and redistributed, depending on source and structure.
Capital and start-up funds
Capital funds are managed separately and must be used for the approved request. Start-up funds generally must be spent within three years unless the DOF/VPAA approves an extension.
Questions
Operating budget or Oracle: Gina Hoefer, Senior Budget Coordinator. Budget worksheets, new initiatives, and capital requests: Debbie Peterson, Academic Affairs Coordinator.
Assessment, mid-point reports, self-studies, and external reviews
Assessment is not a separate compliance exercise; it is evidence-based reflection on student learning that helps departments and programs make informed decisions.Ten-year cycle
| Cycle year | Primary work | What to prepare |
|---|---|---|
| Years 1–4 | Annual academic assessment | Assess learning goals, discuss evidence, and submit assessment reports. |
| Year 5 | Mid-point report | Summarize opportunities/challenges, enrollment patterns, curricular innovation, personnel changes, assessment work, and plan for years 6–9. |
| Years 6–9 | Annual academic assessment | Continue rotating assessment projects and use results for improvement. |
| Year 10 | Self-study and external review | Prepare self-study, host reviewers, respond to recommendations, and set the next assessment plan. |
Frequently asked questions
Where should I start if I am a new C/PD?
Do I automatically get to replace a retiring or departing faculty member?
What should a faculty allocation request include?
Why do I need to check with the DOF/VPAA Office before inviting job candidates to campus?
How many job candidates can we bring to campus as part of our search?
What should I do if a candidate asks about visa sponsorship?
What should I do before taking action involving a unionized NTT faculty member?
Are evaluation letters disciplinary?
When are annual evaluation letters and Watermark summaries due?
Who handles student crises or student academic conduct?
Reference library
These links should be maintained as a web-based reference library. Items that require authentication should be labeled clearly.
People and calendars
- Department Chair and Program Director Directory
- Department and Program Administrative Assistant Directory
- Academic Calendar
- ATC Calendar
- PC Calendar
- General Calendar for Chairs and Program Directors
Policies and handbooks
Academic operations
Drafting note: update all document links to the final 2026–27 URLs before final publication.ffice oility review process.