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[scotia]

I recently emailed my dean to say that I'm spending February in New Zealand; he wished me a good trip. (And yes, I'll still have my job when I get back....)

I am very envious. I am eager to go back to NZ - I am already thinking about a sabbatical in the southern hemisphere.......

[janewales]

Interesting. My chair is going to New Zealand too in February. Is there some kind of secret convention?

[science_expat]

Interesting. My chair is going to New Zealand too in February. Is there some kind of secret convention?

Shhhh....

[losemygrip]

And if you're available by email and phone, what's the big deal about being on campus?

I'll tell you what's the big deal. 

There's a gas leak in your building.
The president calls about a donor who's asked to see the department while they're visiting that afternoon.
Students drop by needing chair assistance.
Some faculty member doesn't show up for class.
You get a announcement that by the end of the day you need to submit a list of needed equipment.
Etc.

There are all kinds of emergencies in which the chair needs to be on campus.  But it really depends on the size of the institution.  I'm in a complex department with 650 majors and lots of complicated facilities, in a pretty big university.  There are just so many things that are almost impossible to manage if you're not physically present.

I was recently trying to contact my counterpart at a nearby institution (with somewhat greater name recognition).  Her staff told me, "S/he works from home on Thursday and Friday--just email him/him."  This person did call back within a couple of hours, but still . . . .  I think that's kind of inefficient.

[someone]

And if you're available by email and phone, what's the big deal about being on campus?

I'll tell you what's the big deal. 

There's a gas leak in your building.
The president calls about a donor who's asked to see the department while they're visiting that afternoon.
Students drop by needing chair assistance.
Some faculty member doesn't show up for class.
You get a announcement that by the end of the day you need to submit a list of needed equipment.
Etc.

(have the lead administrative assistant evacuate the building and call the gas company)

(the lead administrative assistant needs to let them know that you are presently with an alumnus talking about estate planning, but she will try your emergency #)

(have the lead administrative assistant sign it)

(have the Jr. administrative assistant go tell the students class is canceled that day)

(you have already informed the lead administrative assistant that there are not going to be any new equipment purchases this year)

I would hate to see what would happen in a real emergency!

[mathspice]

I can't believe some of the chairs have to be on campus 7! days per week. That's 7*6*5*4*3*2*1 = 5040 days per week! That's impossible.


Sorry. Someone had to do it.

[anthroid]

And if you're available by email and phone, what's the big deal about being on campus?

I'll tell you what's the big deal. 

There's a gas leak in your building.
The president calls about a donor who's asked to see the department while they're visiting that afternoon.
Students drop by needing chair assistance.
Some faculty member doesn't show up for class.
You get a announcement that by the end of the day you need to submit a list of needed equipment.
Etc.

(have the lead administrative assistant evacuate the building and call the gas company)

(the lead administrative assistant needs to let them know that you are presently with an alumnus talking about estate planning, but she will try your emergency #)

(have the lead administrative assistant sign it)

(have the Jr. administrative assistant go tell the students class is canceled that day)

(you have already informed the lead administrative assistant that there are not going to be any new equipment purchases this year)

I would hate to see what would happen in a real emergency!

The administrative assistant is paid $25K a year.  You are suggesting stuff so far beyond her job description and renumeration that I have to think you're joking.

When I was a chair, I was there 5 days a week from 7:30 until at least 3 and often later, most days, no lunch.  There were students who needed advising or counseling or encouragement and the faculty were not around.  There were questions that needed answering from ancillary departments or the dean's office.  There were travel requisitions that had to be signed, by me, and grade changes, and independent study forms, and curriculum change forms, and petty cash vouchers, and approvals for consulting contracts, and internship MOAs, and... I'd be there for recruiting activities on the weekend, and orientations, and special advising sessions, and various board meetings, and...

I was paid 2 extra months to do these things.  It was my job to do them.

[science_expat]

I think it depends on responsibilities and level of cover.

Note that I'm a research director so don't have responsibilites for undergraduates - just staff and postgrads.

I've just returned from 4 weeks in the Southern Hemisphere. During that time, I handled 3 crises (including 1 that would have led to redundancies) as well as all the day-to-day stuff. I also ran up an enormous mobile phone bill that included 3 talks with the Dean, 1 with the Pro-Vice Chancellor for research, and others with the Head of Department, various secretaries, and other members of staff.

I'm back in on Monday but am confident that there won't be any surprises waiting for me. However, I did make a very big effort to keep everything under control - the phone calls, for example, were made from the other side of a +13 time difference. What this meant in practice were chats at 10-11 PM my time as well as one at 7 AM on a Saturday morning.

I also had the Head of Department as a fall-back for urgent issues but only needed him for a signature or two.

[neutralname]

Yes, it all depends on the institution and the department.  At my school, there's no expectation that chairs be around in their offices.  They just need to be at the right committee meetings. 

I would expect or at least hope that chairs who have to around much of the time would get paid extra and get significant released time for their work.  I get a small pay increase for being chair and no released time.

[scotia]

Yes, it all depends on the institution and the department.  At my school, there's no expectation that chairs be around in their offices.  They just need to be at the right committee meetings. 

I would expect or at least hope that chairs who have to around much of the time would get paid extra and get significant released time for their work.  I get a small pay increase for being chair and no released time.

When I agreed to take on the role it was on the understanding that it would not be at the expense of my long-term career, for which research is essential (I am the equivalent of an associate prof). I will gladly come to campus every day when they make me a full professor and/or offer me some additional benefits for taking on the role: I get no extra pay, and this year because we are so short of staff the only concession on teaching is that I am not teaching more than the maximum recommended hours. In the meantime, if there is an emergency I can be contacted at home or someone else can deal with it. Having had a couple of my friends die recently in their forties, the last thing I want to be is indispensable - it does no-one any favors if anything does go wrong.

[jon_margerumleys]

Reading between the lines, I think part of the disparity has to do with the _huge_ variety in what constitutes a "department".  Our department (teacher education) has 48 TT faculty, three full time staff (should be more) and assorted lecturers, graduate assistants, etc.  Chairing that size department requires that our chair be on campus at least five and usually six days per week.  It's really more like a dean job at a smaller shop.

Jon

[scotia]

Reading between the lines, I think part of the disparity has to do with the _huge_ variety in what constitutes a "department".  Our department (teacher education) has 48 TT faculty, three full time staff (should be more) and assorted lecturers, graduate assistants, etc.  Chairing that size department requires that our chair be on campus at least five and usually six days per week.  It's really more like a dean job at a smaller shop.

Jon

That is a fair point. Our department has fewer than 20 full-time faculty at the moment (and a lot of part-timers because we are short-staffed).