Policy & Procedure Manual
SECTION: ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURES AND RELATIONSHIP SECTION II
DATE: 5/85, 03/01, 09/02
SUBJECT: Division Chairs

QUALIFICATIONS
The Division Chair should be a tenured faculty member of approved excellence in teaching and in other areas central to the institution. The Chair should have demonstrated competence in managing and administration through leadership in campus governance.
PROCEDURE FOR APPOINTING THE DIVISION CHAIR
On the recommendation of Division faculty and VPAA and in accordance with procedures outlined in the current AFUM Agreement, the President of the University of Maine at Machias appoints the Division Chair (Art. 13, A, D, E). The Chair serves at the mutual pleasures of the President, VPAA, and the Division faculty.
RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE CHAIR
The Chair has responsibilities to both the Division and to the Vice President of Academic Affairs. The Chair represents the needs and vision of the Division to the administration and the needs and vision of the administration to the Division.
Division Chairs serve as a cohesive force, supporting a positive environment, the smooth operation of the institution, and overall excellence of the academic enterprise.
Areas of responsibility include the following:

• Leading strategic advancement of the Division’s programs;
• Recruiting, selecting, hiring, and orienting new full-time and part-time faculty;
• Assigning faculty responsibilities and scheduling classes;
• Fostering good teaching, stimulating faculty research and publication, encouraging the professional growth of each faculty member;
• Evaluating faculty performance and making recommendations to the Vice-President for reappointment, promotion and tenure;
• Facilitating program development and improvement, overseeing program reviews and strategic planning at the Divisional level, encouraging curriculum and course update;
• Preparing budgets, setting budgetary priorities, allocating dollars, monitoring budgets managing facilities and equipment;
• Communicating with upper administration, advising the Vice President of Academic Affairs, and representing the Division to other University offices and to the community;
• Conducting Division meetings, creating unit committees, serving on PREC and other appropriate committees;
• Taking care of correspondence and preparing reports;
• Serving as a special consultant to students about program content, exceptions to University policies, faculty performance, and other concerns.

In general, the Chair carries a special responsibility to manage effectively and to bring vision to Divisional and University planning.
EVALUATION OF THE CHAIR
It is within the purview of the Division and in the interests of the University for the Division and the Vice President of Academic Affairs to undertake a regular evaluation of the Chair’s performance.