The Department Chair Primer

If higher education is to fulfill its vital social mission, new department leaders must be prepared for their positions and get up to speed on the basics quickly, educating themselves about the role and continuing to learn on the job.

In this second edition of his classic resource, Don Chu outlines the proven ideas and strategies new department chairs need in order to do their jobs well. Thoroughly revised and updated, The Department Chair Primer contains information that addresses the current pressures and challenges in higher education and offers practical suggestions for responding to them.

Filled with illustrative examples, the book gets straight to the heart of challenges and issues. Each chapter details a particular problem, includes a brief introduction to the topic, and provides tips on how to deal with the situation. Covering a wealth of topics, The Department Chair Primer



Explores the chair's role as department leader


Offers suggestions for handling stress and conflict


Includes information on budgeting, resource management, and development


Contains strategies for professional development, people management, and working with challenging personnel


Presents ideas for handling department communications, student development, and strategic positioning



Written in a concise and accessible manner, The Department Chair Primer is an ideal resource for the busy new department chair.