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title: "Department Head Search, Appointment, and Reappointment Guidelines"
canonical: "https://facultystaff.clas.uconn.edu/space/CFSKB/28971073563/Department%20Head%20Search%2C%20Appointment%2C%20and%20Reappointment%20Guidelines"
format: markdown
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**Last updated:** September 24, 2025 

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The Department Head has a significant leadership position within the College and the University. Department Heads serve as a critical link between the faculty and upper administration, facilitating communication, advancing strategic priorities, and shaping the academic and operational direction of the department.

This guideline outlines the expectations for Department Head appointments, reviews, and reappointments to ensure consistency, transparency, and clarity for all parties involved.

## Department Head Searches

Department Heads are appointed by the Dean following a formal search process conducted in the unit in consultation with the Dean’s Office.

### Search Initiation

At least one year prior to the end of the Department Head's term, the Dean will meet with the department head to discuss the timeline, expectations, and process for an internal or external search.

Internal searches are expected to be completed in approximately 4 months while external searches are typically conducted over the academic year and may take as long as 6-8 months.

The divisional Associate Dean and Dean will attend a faculty meeting to discuss the overall search framework and expectations and answer any questions. Following this meeting, the Dean’s Office will send a formal announcement to the department outlining the overall process and immediate next steps, including the formation of the search committee. An Associate Dean will serve as the primary liaison between the department and the Dean’s Office throughout the search.

### Search Committee Composition

The department will elect a search committee numbering at least three members but no more than seven who are broadly representative of the department to the extent possible. The department-elected members will form a majority of the search committee. Once constituted, the committee will select its own chair. Current department heads, whether permanent or interim, may not serve on the search committee.

As part of the formation of the committee, eligible department faculty vote on whether to approve the participation of an Associate Dean as a member of the search committee.

The Dean will appoint at least one member outside of the department, typically a current Department Head from another unit, to serve on the committee. If the department does not approve the inclusion of an Associate Dean, the Dean may appoint an additional external bargaining unit member, who may also be from outside the department. External members will constitute a minority of the committee.

An email is sent either by the department head or the associate dean to inform all members of the department of the search committee’s composition, including the chair.

## Establishing Criteria for the Candidates and Search

### Internal Searches

The search committee is responsible for proposing criteria for the Department Head position. At a minimum, candidates must:

- Be a tenured and eligible, as defined by the unit’s governance document, faculty member of the department.
- Demonstrate excellence in teaching, research, and service/outreach.
- Possess strong leadership, organizational, and communication skills.

The committee may also establish preferred qualifications relevant to the department’s goals and mission. The proposed criteria will be shared with the department and must be approved through a vote of the eligible faculty.

### Soliciting Nominations

The committee chair will issue a call for nominations. The call will include:

- A description of the qualifications for the Department Head role, including both minimum and any preferred criteria.
- Procedures and a timeline for nominations.

Faculty may self-nominate or nominate colleagues. After the deadline, nominees will be asked to confirm their interest and submit the following to the search committee:

- A CV
- A leadership vision statement

### External Searches

The search committee will draft and submit to the Dean’s Office two versions of the job ad: long and short. The long version must include the job description, minimum and preferred qualifications, and required applicant materials (CV, vision statement). The short version may be used for external advertising and must include a link to the full job ad (long version). The search committee will also include a plan for the recruitment of diverse candidates. The department must send both versions of the ad and the recruitment plan to <u>[clas@uconn.edu](mailto:clas@uconn.edu)</u> for approval prior to submission to PageUp.

#### HR Approval of Advertisement and Recruitment Plan  

Following approval by the Dean’s Office, the job ads and the recruitment plan are submitted into PageUp for formal approval by the unit and Dean’s Office, as well as Budget, Provost’s Office, and HR.

#### Interview Group

All candidates will apply and be reviewed through UConn’s recruitment platform, PageUp. Please refer to the College’s <u>[Guidelines on Faculty Searches for Tenure-Track Positions](https://s.uconn.edu/clas-tenure-track-searches)</u> for a detailed description of candidate review through the system.

Depending on the number of candidates, the committee should interview the long list virtually to help narrow the top three candidates to bring to campus for interviews (short list). The candidates selected for on-campus interviews should be sent to the Dean’s Office for informational purposes.

## Candidate Engagement and Campus Visits

For both internal and external searches, each short-listed candidate will be invited to meet with key departmental constituencies, including faculty, staff, graduate students, and the search committee. These meetings may occur individually or in group settings or a combination.

If the candidates are asked to deliver a leadership presentation to the department, the committee will provide clear guidance on the content of the presentation, such as departmental vision, goals, and leadership philosophy. Presentations will be advertised broadly within the unit to ensure wide participation by eligible faculty and other stakeholders.

For external searches, candidates will meet with the Dean during their campus visit prior to the solicitation of any feedback.

## Feedback

The search committee shall solicit anonymous feedback on candidates from faculty, staff, and students. The Dean’s office will provide a template for the survey, allowing for some modification to address specific criteria mentioned in the qualifications or identified during the presentations.

The search committee compiles the feedback and considers it in the formulation of their report. Feedback will not be shared with the department. Its sole purpose is to inform the committee’s recommendation.

## Committee Report to the Dean

The committee is charged with providing the Dean with a confidential report that describes the strengths and weaknesses of each acceptable candidate (unranked).

## Selection

The Dean reviews the committee’s report, candidate materials, and feedback before making a final decision. The Dean may choose to meet with the candidates. The Dean will take the committee recommendation into consideration when making the final determination, however selection of the Department Head is at the sole discretion of the Dean. The Dean will inform the committee of the selection prior to verbal negotiations.

The Dean will meet again with the top candidate to determine if the appointment is agreeable to the candidate, prior to any official communication or appointment letter issued. The Dean will inform the committee of the verbal acceptance. The committee will keep this information confidential until the appointment is officially accepted.

### Internal Searches

The Dean’s Office will draft the appointment letter and issue it to the candidate. Upon acceptance, the Dean’s Office first informs the committee and then announces the appointment to the unit.

### External Searches

The Dean’s Office is responsible for entering the post-interview dispositions, according to procedures outlined on HR’s website and using material provided by the committee and drafting the offer letter and hire transaction. The candidate will be sent the official offer letter through PageUp and will electronically accept.

Upon official acceptance in PageUP, the Dean’s Office first informs the committee and then announces the appointment to the unit.

## Appointment of Interim Department Heads

When a vacancy requires the appointment of an Interim Department Head, the Dean and Associate Dean will consult with the outgoing head, if available, to identify and assess potential candidates. Broader consultation with the department may occur at the Dean’s discretion.

The interim appointment is typically made for an initial period of one semester to allow the department sufficient time to initiate an internal or external search, as appropriate. If a search cannot be completed within that timeframe, the interim appointment may be extended at the Dean’s discretion.

## Review and Reappointment Procedures

Department Heads may be reappointed at the sole discretion of the Dean. Discussions about potential reappointment typically occur no later than the semester preceding the final semester of the Department Head’s term. If the Department Head expresses interest in continuing, the Dean will initiate a review during the final year of the term.

The Dean will conduct a review of the Department Head as part of the process of considering reappointing the Head. In accordance with Article 15.2 of the AAUP Contract:

> *A review of the appointment of each Department Head shall be held at intervals not to exceed five (5) years, or at other times as decided by the Dean. When conducting a review, the Dean shall attempt to obtain input from all [of] the faculty. The Dean shall also initiate a review upon the request of a majority of the voting members of the department. Any review requested by a majority of the voting members of the department may not take place more than once in five (5) years. *

To begin the review process, the Dean will assign an Associate Dean to lead the evaluation. The Associate Dean will notify the department of the review process and timeline. The Department Head will be asked to submit the following materials:

- A statement of accomplishments during their tenure as Department Head .
- A self-assessment of their performance .
- Current CV.
- Their vision of the future of the department .

These materials will be shared with eligible department faculty, staff, and graduate students.

The Dean’s Office will then distribute a survey to collect confidential feedback about the Head’s performance from full-time faculty (per unit bylaw definitions), staff, and graduate students.  In addition to the survey, any member of the department may request a meeting with the Associate Dean or the Dean to discuss the Head’s performance.

The Associate Dean will compile the feedback into a confidential summary report for the Dean. This report will include an executive summary as well as the raw data collected through the review process. The report is internal and will not be shared with the department.

Based on the review, the Dean will determine whether to reappoint the Department Head and, if so, for what term length (three or five years).

In rare cases, the Dean may appoint a Department Head to a third term. Per UConn Bylaws, reappointment for a third or subsequent term requires recommendation from a majority of the department.

The University of Connecticut Bylaws, Article XIII C: Each department shall have an executive officer (head/chair) who shall represent his/her department and who shall report to the Dean of the school/college within which the department is organized. Except at the Health Center, the executive officer shall not serve more than two consecutive terms unless the majority of his/her department recommends otherwise.