Division Chair in Family and Community Health 

UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA
SCHOOL OF NURSING
Division Chair Role

The Division Chair reports to the Dean and is responsible for:

·         Providing Division perspective in the development of the School’s strategic plan and benchmarks and executes the strategic plan as it pertains to the Division.

·         Establishing, implementing, and evaluating annual Division goals.

·         Recruiting and hiring qualified faculty to meet the strategic initiatives of the School through the Search Committee.

·         Hiring academic staff to meet instructional needs and assuring that all staff are under contract in conjunction with the Office of Faculty Affairs. 

·         Counseling all members of the Division on faculty pathways available in the School and within the Division, including the lecturer advancement process.  Periodically reviews options, requirements, and the time frame for appointment decisions with each member of the Division. 

·         Facilitating application of relevant University policies, e.g., work-life balance, retirement, and sabbatical leave.

·         Facilitating appointments, promotions, and related activities such as faculty mentoring.  This includes working with junior faculty and academic staff to ensure they have access to mentors and the resources they need to promote their growth as teachers and scholars.

·         Facilitating and/or conducting annual performance appraisals for all Division members.

·         Assuring a balanced, equitable faculty workload in conjunction with the Associate Deans for Academic Programs and Research.

·         Ensuring adequate staffing for all courses and fairness in teaching assignments for all faculty in conjunction with the Office for Academic Programs. 

·         Assuring quality of instruction and development of faculty as educators in conjunction with the Associate Dean for Academic Programs.

·         Facilitating grantsmanship of faculty and their development as successful scholars in conjunction with the Associate Dean for Research.

·         Facilitating  the academic practice of the faculty in conjunction with the Associate Dean for Practice and Community Affairs.

·         Ensuring that all faculty and staff in the Division have adequate space and resources, including administrative support, to achieve professional development and productivity in collaboration with the Executive Director for Finance and Administration.

·         Refining and overseeing the budget for the Division.

·         Assuring the overall developmental needs of the Division.

·         Facilitating open communications between faculty and administration.  This includes communicating faculty concerns and requests to administration and administration decisions to the faculty.

·         Overseeing the smooth operation of the Division, facilitating Division communication, and conveying the accomplishments of the Division to the School of Nursing community and externally, when appropriate.

·         Representing the Division at School and University meetings.

·         Facilitating a supportive collegial working relationship among faculty and staff in the division.  This includes holding division meetings at least once per semester.

·         Assuring quality of work and operation of the division support staff.

·         Demonstrating competence and commitment to ethnic/racial/cultural diversity.

·         Act as an alternate for the Dean when needed.

Reviewed by Dean’s Advisory Group (DAG) and Revised Spring 2008