• providing academic leadership for the department in accordance with the strategic goals of the Institute; holding regularly scheduled faculty meetings that allow for faculty input in departmental decisions; this includes adequate communication of issues and forums for the discussion of issues;
  
• supervising the administrative functions and educational programs of the department;
  
• assigning faculty teaching loads and schedules in accordance with Institute policies and agreements; these assignments are verified by memoranda issued at the start of each semester;
  
• recruiting, employing, and supervising part-time faculty who are active practitioners in their fields and who are, or have the potential to become, outstanding teachers; reviewing and recommending all full-time faculty appointments;
  
• reviewing and submitting recommendations on all faculty personnel actions;
  
• supervising and managing all departmental budgets;
  
• recruiting and advising students and maintaining their departmental advisement records;
  
• teaching a minimum of one course per semester within the departmental curriculum.
  Appropriate exceptions may be made at the discretion of the dean;
  
• participating as appropriate in the outreach efforts of the Institute to alumni, professional organizations, businesses, and community groups;
  
• participating in the planning and governance of the Institute;
  
• carrying out special projects as requested by the dean.

Chair Search Process
The search process for a chair will include the participation of the departmental faculty, the dean and the provost. All members of the departmental faculty should play a central role in identifying and defining both the leadership needs of the department and the eligibility requirements for the chair. These needs will be communicated to the dean and provost for their consideration in developing the position description and search guidelines. The search committee will include no fewer than five faculty members, with a majority of the members chosen by and from the department in consultation with the dean.

The remaining committee members, and chair, will be appointed by the dean in consultation with the departmental faculty. The search committee recommends the chair candidates to the dean, the dean to the provost, and the provost to the president. Final appointment will be made by the dean following a review of comments received from the members of the Pratt community, and in consultation with the search committee and provost.

Chair Appointment, Renewal and Non-Renewal
Chair appointments will be for a three-year term unless otherwise agreed upon. Chair appointments are renewable. There are no formal limits on the number of terms a chair may serve. Typically, new chairs will serve for two or three terms. All chairs will receive letters of appointment specifying the terms and conditions of their appointment. For those chairs currently without letters of appointment, letters of appointment to three-year terms will be provided.

Except in cases of gross misconduct, no chair will be asked to step down prior to the conclusion of a term without undergoing a process of evaluation as outlined below. In every circumstance the chair will have the right to appeal to the provost.

Acting Chair Appointments
Acting chairs will be appointed for up to one year and may be reappointed for no more than one additional year.

Chair Review and Evaluation
All chairs will be evaluated by their dean one semester prior to the expiration of the chair’s current administrative appointment, or whenever evaluation is deemed necessary by the dean.

Evaluation procedures will include faculty and provost consultation and will be conducted via a method agreed to by both the dean and the chair. The criteria for evaluation will be based upon the chair’s responsibilities as enumerated in this document. The results of the review and evaluation will be determined by the dean, who will notify the chair. If it is recommended by the dean that a chair appointment not be renewed, the chair may appeal the decision to the provost and may request a meeting to discuss the evaluation results. The dean would normally be present at such a meeting.

Faculty Status of Chairs
Subject to provisions stated in the CBA, all current chairs who are part-time faculty will become full-time faculty upon their return to the faculty, and all new chairs appointed 99/00 or beyond who are part-time faculty members and have served a minimum of six years as chair will become full-time faculty upon their return to the faculty.

All chairs who are part-time faculty may apply for any full-time faculty position that may become available within their area of expertise regardless of their years of service as chair.

Chair Participation in Policy Discussions and Decision Making
The deans council includes one representative chair from the School of Architecture, one from the School of Liberal Arts and Sciences, and two from the School of Art and Design. Each chair will be selected by her/his dean and will serve one semester. It is expected that the dean will rotate chair representatives throughout the school. The provost retains the right to convene the deans council in executive session (that is, with deans only) when necessary.

In addition, the provost will convene a meeting with all chairs and deans each semester. The purpose of this meeting is to discuss departmental, school and Institute progress, issues, policies, opportunities and priorities.

The senior staff and deans council will strive conscientiously to include chair representation and/or involvement on all appropriate committees, task forces and special studies.

Incapacity of Chairs
In the event of the incapacity of a chair, the dean will take necessary action to ensure the continued functioning of the department, including the appointment of an interim chair, following appropriate consultation with the department’s faculty.