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[newnamehere]

Some time ago I posted regarding a nasty Head of my department. From some of the responses to that post, it appeared that many were suprised that anyone would become a HoD in the first place, and that it was a thankless job for which it is a relief to find someone. I was sort of confused by this, because there are several other people in my department who have expressed interest in becoming a future HoD (certainly I am not one of them). I couldn't figure out why there was this discrepancy.

I think I know now. Apparantly at my university, the HoD role is a huge boon to a future high-paying admin career. But only provided that the HoD fulfill the wishes of the university center, pleasing the higher-ups, often at the expense of the local department. Thus, we have been told blatant lies, been bullied into certain tasks and changes, and generally most of us feel like crap in our jobs as the HoD goes about fulfilling what it is the center wants at any cost. We have also had huge turnover and lost some of our best and most committed colleagues as they just couldn't take it any more (others of us are looking). This is all worsened by the personality of this particular HoD, but I think even with a nicer person in place the temptation to advance one's own career at the expense of one's colleagues is simply too great. There is no voting in the department, not even selection of the chair (which I guess will also happen at the center), and there are no departmental evaluations of HoD work to serve as a check on any of this.

Given the more sanguine views on HoDs on this forum, I'm wondering if your universities have any rules in place that serve as a counter to what I have described above? Maybe your university doesn't use HoDs in this way. Or maybe are your colleagues simply less ambitious?

[genevoise]

Have you discussed the situation with a union rep?

[science_expat]

I suspect that the post of HoD is the stepping stone to an admin career just about anywhere. The usual progression is HoD, Dean, PVC. Of course, not all HoD want to become Dean (or are able) and the attrition rate is even higher at PVC level.

I'm think that HoD have interesting balancing problems - they should be trying to protect their people from idiocies from the center, yet they report - usually through the Dean - to that same center. Hence, they must carefully choose which battles can be fought successfully and which shouldn't be attempted as well as when the effort must be made in a lost cause.

I'm in a research role that is similar to HoD and don't in any way think that I could enhance my career at the expense of my department. Rather, I think my success or failure will depend directly on the achievements of the research unit I lead and thus my role is to provide the required support and leadership.

[newnamehere]

Oh, yeah, I can't give much info away without revealing identity, but suffice to say that people have been contacted regarding this problem and there have been meetings etc. But absolutely no action. Things haven't gotten better, but in fact worse... because there has been no action, the HoD has become more emboldened. Basically, nobody at the top wants to get involved as far as I can tell, so we're sorta screwed.