REG 05.50.03 – Review of Academic Department Heads
Authority: Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost
History: First Issued: October 20, 1986. Last Revised: April 28, 2020.
Related Policies:
NCSU REG05.20.03 – Annual Reviews of Faculty Members
Additional References:
Template letters for notification of review results to Provost and to Department Head
Contact Info: Senior Vice Provost for Faculty and Academic Affairs (919-513-7741)
1. Introduction
1.1. College deans are responsible for reviewing the administrative performance of academic department heads annually, and comprehensively on a periodic schedule.
1.2. Annual Review. Academic Department Heads are subject to annual review. The Department Head provides the Dean with a description of annual goals and objectives, and a report of outcomes, professional activities, and achievements during the previous year. The Dean shall provide a written summary of the Department Head’s observed performance during the review period, including outcomes related to any department and/or college goals and objectives. Annual review materials and the Dean’s summary reports shall be included in the Department Head’s personnel file.
1.3. Comprehensive (Five Year) Review. Comprehensive reviews are conducted pursuant to this regulation and include an assessment of the departmental programs and the leadership of the Department Head. They are held at intervals of not more than five years from the date of the initial appointment of the Department Head or the date of the last review. In the cases of departments jointly administered by two colleges, the two Deans shall function jointly to conduct the review and evaluation. Reviews may be waived or delayed at the discretion of the Dean for sufficient cause. Normally, reviews will not be conducted for incumbents who have informed the Dean in writing that they plan to retire, resign, or return to a faculty position within one year of the scheduled review.
2. Procedures for Comprehensive Reviews
2.1. Notification of the Department Head and development of an evaluation instrument.
2.1.1. The Dean initiates the review by notifying the Department Head and appointing a faculty ad hoc Department Head Review Committee (“Committee”). The majority of the Committee shall be composed of faculty with permanent tenure. The membership from departments that appoint only professional faculty may vary from this requirement and be composed primarily of professorially ranked faculty from the department.
2.1.2. The Committee develops and forwards to the Dean a recommended evaluation instrument designed to elicit views, concerns, and recommendations pertinent to departmental leadership and programs. The Committee recommends the groups, e.g. faculty, staff, students, and external clientele, to be surveyed.
2.1.3. Prior to finalizing and forwarding the evaluation instrument to the Committee to administer, the Dean shall provide the Department Head an opportunity to review the proposed evaluation instrument and to suggest changes.
2.2. Administration and Tabulation of Evaluation Instrument. Upon receipt of the final evaluation instrument from the Dean, the Committee shall administer with anonymity the instrument to all members of the departmental faculty, staff, students, and external clientele as appropriate. The Committee shall then analyze the results and prepare and forward a tabulation and summary of the responses to the Dean. All comments shall be forwarded to the Dean verbatim.
2.3. Open Meeting/Presentation. The Dean, in consultation with the Department Head, shall schedule an open meeting and/or provide for the Department Head to conduct a presentation of departmental programs and accomplishments during the review period.
2.4. Meeting with the Faculty. After reviewing the results of the evaluation instrument, the Dean shall hold a meeting with the departmental faculty, in the absence of the Department Head and any associate and assistant department heads, to discuss departmental leadership and programs.
2.5. Additional Input from Staff, Students and Others. The Dean shall invite all members of the departmental faculty, and is encouraged to invite appropriate staff, selected undergraduate and graduate majors, NC State faculty from other departments with closely related programs, and off-campus persons having a direct interest in and knowledge of the department, to share in writing or in person their perceptions of the strengths and weaknesses of the departmental leadership and programs.
2.6. Dean’s evaluation and consultation with the Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor. The Dean shall review the information obtained through the process outlined above and may use other relevant information in reviewing and evaluating the administrative performance of the Department Head. The Dean shall discuss the results of the review and evaluation with the Department Head prior to preparing the final written report to the Provost on the status of the leadership of the Department Head. The report shall include a summary of the responses to the evaluation instrument and proposed actions that will be taken to address departmental goals and identified deficiencies, if applicable. If the Dean determines that a change in the leadership of the department should take place, the report shall include such a recommendation to the Provost. The Provost must approve a Dean’s recommendation to continue or to discontinue a Department Head appointment.
2.7. Report to the Department. After the Dean has discussed the results of the evaluation with the Department Head and the Provost, the Dean shall report to the department faculty, staff, students and others as appropriate that the evaluation has concluded and indicate that the Department Head will either continue or not continue as head of the department. This report to the department should occur prior to the end of the semester in which the review has taken place.
3. These procedures do not preclude a faculty or staff member from individually expressing views with regard to departmental leadership or programs to the Dean, the Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost, or the Chancellor at any mutually agreeable time.
4. These procedures do not preclude the dean from consulting with the Provost regarding the departmental leadership at any mutually agreeable time.
5. The documents generated through this process shall be maintained as confidential at all times.