Base salary adjustments may be made to bring the new chair into some general alignment
with the salaries of chairs in other comparable areas. These salaries should also
not be inconsistent with the salaries of accomplished scholars at the same rank in
their departments if and when they no longer are serving as chairs.
The candidate for department chair should agree to serve a five-year term to help
justify any base salary increase, to provide stability, and to be able to serve for
several years at a high level after the initial period of learning and adjustment.
In addition to adjustments to base salary the chair will receive a 7% salary increase
during the term of the appointment.
The chair position involves responsibilities throughout the calendar year. As such
the chair will also receive 5/32 of their 9 month salary during the summer months.
Near the end of that five-year term, the Dean and the chair will meet to discuss the
possibility of an extension. The term should be extended if and only if the dean and
the chair are both in favor of the extension and the general sentiment in the department
is favorable as well. Either side should be able to express the desire for a change
at that time as well, in which case there will be a search for a new chair.
The extension should normally be for a term of three years. After a total of eight
years, there should normally be a search for a new chair. If the chair has successfully
concluded an eight- year term in a satisfactory manner, the chair would be allowed
to keep the 7% increase that normally accrues to a chair, but not the additional summer
compensation.
Only if there is no satisfactory alternative candidate for a successor in the department
and both sides agree to extend, would there be one additional extension of the chair
by mutual agreement. However, if there are no viable internal candidates at the end
of that term, there should be a search for an external chair.
Only under very unusual circumstances should one faculty member serve for more than
eleven years as department chair.
