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[seekingadvice10]

I was wondering if I can get a word of advice.

I am currently a full time faculty at a university. Our chair is stepping down this term and they are looking for a replacement. I am strongly considering applying and from what I understand I have a good chance. This will be quite a change, since it is a 9-5 job with administrative responsibilities. I am ready for this, however I have one major concern:

Eventually my family and I plan to relocate and I would like to start developing my own business. Since I would need more time, I would like to go back to full or part time teaching. My concern is whether my department chair experience would work against me when I apply for a teaching job at another college or university. I have heard the opinion that it's not easy to go back to teaching from a higher position, as one might be considered "overqualified".

Any thoughts? Are chairs really more hesitant to hire former chairs?

Thanks to everybody in advance!

[jon_margerumleys]

Department chairs usually come from and often return to being faculty members.  I wouldn't worry about not being hired because you're overqualified. Besides, the old maxim "If you can't be replaced you can't be promoted" might apply.  The prospective chair might be looking to become dean and someone with administrative experience might be _exactly_ the ticket.  Either way, these are theoretical cases.

I would, however, think carefully about whether you might end up underqualified.  Can you maintain your scholarship at a high level while doing an administrative job?  You mention this being "a 9-5 job".  For some chairs, it's an 8-6 job with some evenings and weekends thrown in.  It seems to me that a bigger problem to worry about is the danger of not being competitive for future faculty positions.

Jon

[der_gadfly]

From my perspective, if one has served as a chair for a period of time, one would be a more valuable addition to a new faculty. This is because you now have a deeper view of the inner cosmic workings, plus you could be tapped to head up committees, or fill in while a chair is out doing their own research with less of a learning curve.

As for losiing time to spend on research, yes, this will probably work against you.

My Magic 8-Ball says... <drumroll>... The future is unclear.

[bud04]

Another view......

Sometimes they won't hire you if there are ambitious people in the department already that want to become Chair or Dean some day. They will see you as a potential threat to them.

[aandsdean]

The other issue--and I know this is true, because I've seen it a couple of times--is that some potential colleagues will think you won't be able to take direction or won't "join the team" if you've already been captain somewhere else.

Much of that can be handled by how you present yourself.  However, we've just recently done some interviewing in which one of the candidates was a former program director, and it was clear as day that this person wanted and intended to take over our program from our current, very capable, director.  It was a red flag that absolutely covered every good aspect of this person's candidacy.

[der_gadfly]

Thanks for reminding me of that aandsdean..... I think I have to be careful because I was pretty high up on the food chain in a VERY small place, and am now not-quite-that-high, and am seeking mid-level work.

Sage and sound advice and a stern reminder to me as to WHY I spend time reading the fora!