Part 1. The Chair's Role and Career Path
2. Preparing for the Chair's Role
3. Assessing What Kind of Department Chair You Are
4. Serving as an Untenured Department Chair
5. Coexisting with a Former Chair
6. Creating a Career Plan
7. Returning to the Faculty
8. Seeking Higher Administrative Positions
9. A Scenario Analysis on the Chair's Role and Career Path
Part 2. Departmental Management and Politics
10. Understanding Departmental Ethics and Politics
11. Chairing Small Departments
12. Chairing Large Departments
13. Setting Course Rotations and Schedules
15. Setting Annual Themes
16. Creating Departmental Centers for Excellence in Teaching and Learning
17. A Scenario Analysis on Departmental Management and Politics
Part 3. The Chair's Role in Searches, Hiring, and Firing
18. Writing Job Descriptions and Position Announcements
19. Understanding the Chair's Role in the Search Process
20. Interviewing Candidates
22. A Scenario Analysis on Hiring and Firing
Part 4. Mentoring Challenges and Opportunities for Department Chairs
23. Helping Faculty Members Sharpen Their Focus
24. Coaching Faculty Members to Increase Productivity
25. Promoting a More Collegial Department
26. Coping with Passive-Aggressive Behavior
27. Resolving Chronic Complaints
28. Addressing Staff Conflicts
30. A Scenario Analysis on Mentoring Challenges
Part 5. The Chair's Role in Faculty Development
31. Facilitating a Positive First-Year Faculty Experience
32. Coaching Faculty in Writing Effective Resumes
33. Creating an Effective Professional Development Plan
34. Creating an Effective Teaching Portfolio
35. Creating an Effective Course Syllabus
36. Promoting Creativity in Teaching and Learning
37. A Scenario Analysis on Faculty Development
Part 6. Best Practices in Evaluation and Assessment
38. Creating Written Evaluations
39. Conducting Oral Evaluation Sessions
40. Writing Letters of Recommendation
41. Doing Assessment Effectively
42. Conducting Program Reviews
43. Conducting Posttenure Reviews
44. A Scenario Analysis on Evaluation and Assessment
Part 7. Essentials of Budgeting and Planning
47. Implementing a Budget
49. Accounting for Sponsored Research
50. A Scenario Analysis on Strategic Budgeting and Planning
Epilogue: A Checklist for the Essential Department Chair