( image from http://www.hackcollege.com/blog/2012/08/19/5-ways-to-do-better-at-work.html)
At my institution, department chairs are still faculty members and thus on 10 month contracts. This just means that in addition to faculty-related research, prep, etc, there is also chair-related stuff to do during the summer.
To compensate, the College gives chairs a little stipend worth the equivalent of a week's pay. In addition, some Chairs do summer advising for funds (since we're around anyway), or, and this is new, some chairs take on the responsibility as "Summer School Chair" for a week or two. It's a rotating position during the 10 week summer term, with a different Department Chair, along with a different department administrative assistant, acting as "Summer School Chair" for the week. The job is basically being the Department Chair for EVERY department for that week, thus dealing with student complaints, faculty issues, purchase orders, missing keys, etc. The Administrative Assistant becomes the "assistant" for all departments, also, for the week.
This is my week.
It's not particularly onerous, luckily. There have been some situations, but I still usually have a few hours each day to work on course prep, research, and actual Department Chair duties. It's an unusal system, one that was supposed to be temporary while the College figured out whether or not to hire a full time permanent Summer School Chair and a Summer School Administrative Assistant: this is the second summer of temporary.
Some interesting observations about working 9-5pm during the summer:
- Not so many choices for lunch on campus.
- Students and faculty seem particularly mellow (the heat may contribute to that).
- I can park everywhere.
- I get a LOT of work done when there are fewer faculty and students around (and I can play music)
- The daily enrollment watch from the administrative side, formerly a death watch, is a bit unnerving: new student advising has finally started, and I can almost hear the collective sigh of relief from all over campus after day one.
I'm also going stir crazy. Where IS everybody? I need distractions!
Oh, that's a lot of work for little pay. Yes, I'm on campus anyway, but unless I have an appointment I don't meet with new students (or existing, for that matter). So I come and go as I like, wear whatever feels good and certainly nobody on our campus has what you're calling Summer School Chair - we have a Student Success Coordinator on a 12 month salary for that.
ReplyDeleteHi Belle, So the Student Success Coordinator is around to deal with any student or faculty "issues" during summer school, or do you have a dean who does that? There was a period when a dean acted as summer school chair all summer, but that was shortlived. Basically, there is still a dean who is usually on duty, but the Summer School Chair deals with most of the issues that a dept. chair would during the academic year.
ReplyDeleteI'd do it again. But no, wouldn't want to do it all summer. Now that my week is over, tho, thrilled to not have to go in at 9am on Monday;-)