Department chairs play a critical role in the success of their academic departments, their students and faculty, and the broader institution. They serve as the primary leaders of their departments, overseeing day-to-day operations, managing budgets, mentoring faculty, guiding curriculum development, and ensuring student success. Chairs also act as key communicators between their departments and higher administration, offering faculty insights to administration and helping to align departmental goals with institutional priorities. Their leadership and decision-making shape the department’s culture, foster excellence in teaching and research, and maintain a supportive environment that benefits faculty and students and the university overall.
In schools that do not have departments, the associate director for faculty serves a role similar to that of the chair in many respects
Opportunities for Chairs: Review the upcoming schedule of Lunch & Learns and virtual information sessions designed for chairs and Associate Faculty Directors (ADF).
Chairs Council Meetings
- Friday, Oct. 10, 8:30-11am
- Friday, Nov. 21, 1:30-4pm
- Friday, Feb. 20, 1:30-4pm
- Friday, Apr. 17, 8:30-11am
Lunch & Learns for Chairs & ADFs
- Tuesday, 9/30/25 @ noon: Protecting your time through effective team mobilization and task delegation, with Yeon Bai (Nutrition and Food Studies) and Zaman Zamanian (Economics).
- Wednesday, 10/29 @ noon: Academic program development and assessment (Michelle Zhu, School of Computing; Susana Juniu, Kinesiology)
- Monday, 12/8, @ noon: Interdisciplinary program development (Jefferson Gatrall (Director, Medical Humanities Program), Laura Nicosia (Interim Director, Interdisciplinary School for Social Transformation), and Lora Billings (Dean, SCAM) and Jessica Restaino (Writing Studies)
- Monday, 2/9: Navigating Challenging People and Situations (Lisa Wise, Teaching and Learning; TBD)
- Tuesday, 3/34: Providing PD for departments (Jessica Restaino, Writing Studies)
- Tuesday, 4/14: Alumni relations (Lyndal Khal, Family Studies; Sangeeta Parashar, Sociology)
Virtual Information Sessions: Chairs & ADFs, Admins & Deans, and Staff Welcome
- Nov 6 @ 10am: Transactioning
- Nov 17 @ 10am: Scheduling
- Dec 17 @ 10am: Enrollment Growth and Program Development Insights from Montclair UnBound: Marc Austin and Cristina Raecke.
- Jan: Teaching observations
- Feb: Teaching Faculty reappointment
- April: Accessing–and using–course evals
In these pages are resources designed for chairs and also other faculty leaders — and associate and assistant deans.
Department Chair Responsibilities: This document outlines the responsibilities of the department chair and is distributed to chairs upon their appointment to the role.
Chairs’ Grade Dashboard gives faculty leaders the ability to query grade data to uncover trends, challenges, and opportunities relevant to their work as leaders.
Tickler File for Chairs is a month-to-month summary of responsibilities and activities that chairs are asked to lead and execute.
Chairs’ Guide to Supporting Adjunct Faculty provides chairs with practical information and resources to help them onboard and support adjunct faculty.
Peer Observation Templates and Tips equips chairs and other faculty leaders with resources to make the important work of observing teaching and providing useful, actionable feedback easier and more successful.
Last Modified: Wednesday, December 3, 2025 9:09 pm
eji