Caltech Rules for Department Chairs

Caltech Rules for Chairs

My notes on being department chair follow. They reflect my experience as being chair of the Stanford Department of Political Science (from 1996-2001, though with continual updating).

Some words of caution. The notes reflect a limited experience; and undoubtedly much of this advice could be improved (send me your thoughts and experiences!). Little should be taken as gospel. I first wrote these notes for my successor as chair years ago. Some of the specifics apply to Stanford or to political science, not other universities or fields. Finally, some of this will probably be obvious to you, and I hope you’ll bear with me in discussing the pedantic along with the more provocative. These notes are longer than I intended, but I enjoyed thinking about these issues.

I hope you find them of some use. I look forward to hearing how it goes. I’d also be happy if you’d pass on lessons from your experience.

Best of luck,

Barry