CHHS Unit Chair Director
CHHS Position List
Unit Chair/Director
General
CHHS Unit Chairs/Directors are directly responsible to the Dean of the College of Health and
Human Services and serve as the primary Academic Unit liaison to other Units within the College,
to the Dean’s Office, and to other University entities. Chairs/Directors will also be responsible for
managing effective communications and relationships with community based or health care agencies
and organizations who support the mission of their Unit or the College. Chairs/Directors in the
College may elect to directly participate in teaching and research activities. Community engagement
is considered to be in the scope of Chair/Director responsibilities. The Chair/Director is a member
of the College’s Administrative Leadership Team (ALT) and the Dean’s Academic Affairs Council,
convened by the Senior Associate Dean.
Each Chair/Director is responsible for the overall management of their respective Units. This
includes academic leadership, management of unit budgets and allocations, personnel management
and development, and strategic planning.
Academic Leadership
The Unit Chair/Director, in collaboration with the Dean and Senior Associate Dean is responsible
for leading work with faculty in academic program planning, monitoring course content, setting and
evaluating student learning outcomes and the successful coordination of all assessment and
accreditation activities. The Chair/Director establishes goals for the Unit in cooperation with the
faculty to direct continuing development of the educational programs, including the creation and
updating of student and curricular policies. The Chair/Director is responsible for coordinating the
ongoing instructional development, implementation, and evaluation of the courses delivered through
the Unit, and in determining the workload of each faculty member. The Chair/Director ensures the
use of appropriate tools to attract, select and retain a diverse student body. The Chair/Director will
facilitate the effective handling of student grievances and special requests. The Chair/Director is
ultimately responsible for the production of all Unit reports required by the Office of the Dean and
the Division of Academic Affairs. The Chair/Director represents their Unit through participation in
University-wide Chair/Director meetings.
Fiscal Management
The Chair/Director is responsible for the establishment of Unit financial and planning priorities,
including the expansion of human resources within the Unit. Chairs/Directors will work
collaboratively with the Director of Business and Finance and her staff to monitor expenditures and
to plan annual budgets. Chair/Directors will propose new faculty or staff positions to the Dean in
the early spring of each academic year, and will work to supply financial support to faculty initiatives
in the classroom, in their research or in community engagement activities.
Personnel Management and Development
The Chair/Director provides essential and primary leadership to faculty and direct supervision to
the staff employed in their Units. For faculty, Chair/Directors facilitate improved teaching
effectiveness, research and scholarly activities, and service to professional organizations, the
community (public engagement) and within the University. The Chair/Director advises, guides, and
evaluates the performance of Unit faculty. The Chair/Director, in keeping with the mission of the
College, encourages professional community contributions to provide for the educational,
economic, social, and cultural advancement of the people of North Carolina. Additionally, the
Chair/Director will support professional contributions of faculty members to their discipline or
profession through service to professional societies and associations. The Unit Chair/Director
facilitates faculty and graduate student research in her/his Unit in cooperation with the Associate
Dean for Research and Graduate Studies. The Chair/Director will work with each member of
her/his faculty to set appropriate research goals and will evaluate progress toward goal fulfillment.
Unit Chairs/Directors are responsible for conducting faculty evaluations as required by the College
and the University, and make recommendations to the Dean on matters of reappointment,
promotion and tenure, as well as salary adjustments for all Unit employees. The Unit Chair/Director
is responsible for the recruitment, hiring, direct supervision, training, and retention of administrative
support staff assigned to the Unit, and for conducting their annual assessment of performance.
Each Unit has its own unique configuration of academic program leadership, including program
directors and coordinators. Chairs/Directors of Units are also responsible for assessing the
performance of duties for these faculty who spend a portion of their assignment contributing to the
administration of academic programs. In the case of the School of Nursing, the SON Director
supervises two Associate Directors.
The Chair/Director will work to recruit, hire and retain a diverse and talented faculty. The
Chair/Director will be responsible for the orientation of new faculty, and will be a leader, resource
and advocate for all faculty. The Chair/Director will facilitate the faculty review process and advise
faculty on promotion, tenure, reappointment, and salary review in accord with the Reappointment,
Promotion & Tenure policies of the College and University. The Chair/Director will encourage the
professional development of the faculty (e.g., conferences, workshops, higher education pursuits).
The Chair/Director will establish faculty teaching assignments and class schedules. The
Chair/Director will promote free expression of ideas among faculty. The Chair/Director will work
toward building consensus and collegiality as a way to maintain morale within the Unit.
Strategic Planning
The Chair/Director is responsible for the coordination of strategic planning activities within the
Unit, and to ensure that strategic goals are aligned with those of the College and University. Each
year, the Chair/Director is responsible for assessing progress in their respective Units on both Unit
and College strategic goals, and to compile an annual report of accomplishments as well as
contribute to the College’s evaluation plan. In addition, each Chair/Director is expected to enhance
alumni relations and to engage in development activities on behalf of their Units and the College.
Appointment Criteria
The Unit Chair/Director must meet the criteria for faculty appointment at Associate Professor or
Professor rank, have a successful record of scholarship and teaching, substantial experience as a
faculty in higher education, proven leadership in the discipline, demonstrated administrative
experience or potential, and substantial evidence of contributions to community service or industry
engagement.
For the Director of Nursing and in compliance with the North Carolina Board of Nursing, s/he
must also have at least two years of teaching in a baccalaureate and graduate nursing program and
hold a current and unrestricted license as a Registered Nurse in North Carolina.