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[neutralname]

Looking back over this year, I wonder how typical my interaction pattern is with the higher administration. 

I have had a few one-on-one meetings with my Dean, a few phone conversations, and I've been on a committee with him.

I've had a phone conversation with the Provost, but no meetings or committees.

I've laid eyes on the President a couple of times, but apart from that, no meetings at all.  He probably does not remember who I am.

[digger]

Generally, I meet with my Dean biweekly – sometimes formally, sometimes very informally. It’s my choice, I could avoid him almost entirely but it would not be in the programs best interest. I don’t want him to forget who I am and need to be sure my department is always on his front burner.

Interactions with the Provost & VP’s are rare, normally I am either pitching for financial support or have to discuss a personnel issue.

My President definitely knows who I am since he shows up for happy hour on a regular basis but formal meetings are almost non-existent.

If you are a new chair -- really, it will be up to you. I find circulating through the administration regularly (especially AA’s) makes life a lot easier on those, uh, rare occasions where I screw up and need  a "favor" or want to seek out a few extra dollars for a special project.

[neutralname]

Actually by this stage I'm an old chair.  I've seen about 5 Provosts, 4 Deans and 3 Presidents.  But we have a very small department and there's very little money to be moved around, so there's no point in trying to get their attention in that regard. 

I'm hoping to see some new faces in the higher administration soon, and I'm thinking that if/when that happens, it would be a good idea to make more effort to meet with them.

[derosa]

A few informal and short conversations with the President.

Several meetings with the Provost or on committees chaired by the Provost...maybe see him in this capacity once or twice a month.

In addition to monthly chair's meetings hosted by the dean, about monthly meetings, one-one, with the dean on a variety of topics.

[terpsichore]

This probably depends a bit on how big your institution is. As department chair at a large university, I had a standing appointment with my dean monthly (but saw him quite a bit more often at other meetings, events, and just around campus).  I would see the Provost & other higher ups at events or if I had a specific topic to discuss.  If my Provost met with department chairs regularly one-on-one, he'd spend all his time doing nothing else. 

The culture of some institutions is also hierarchical: I would not meet with the Provost on a matter if I hadn't first discussed it with the Dean. The Dean didn't need to endorse my point of view, but he did need to be aware of it.

[systeme_d_]

I am not a chair, but I can tell you that my chair visits our dean almost every week.  This is a conscious strategy on her part, since our small department is under seige pressure.

My chair rarely sees the Provost, except at university-wide chair meetings, and during the annual visit he makes to our department.

No one ever sees the President.  He is mythic in nature.

[sibyl]

This probably depends a bit on how big your institution is.

Chime.  At a research university of my acquaintance, the chairs met with each dean (grad and undergrad) twice a semester, and the provost and president never.  At a SLAC of my acquaintance, the chairs as a group met with the dean (the chief academic officer) once a month, in addition to one-on-one meetings as needed, and the president made a point to visit with a few chairs annually with an eye toward rotating through every department every few years.

[systeme_d_]

Good point about size of institution.  Just so the OP will have some data, my institution has around 15,000 undergrads and about 2500 grads.

[rugger101]

At our institution, department heads meet with the dean once a month in a group meeting.  I can also request to get on his/her calendar if needed, but most day to day business, including financial requests, are handled through one of the associate deans who essentially acts as a COO for the college.

At my old institution, my chair told me he got to see the dean once/year at his/her annual review.  Terrible

I see the Provost maybe once a year formally and the President never.  However, I see them both a lot socially.

[hongkyongnae]

Generally, I meet with my Dean biweekly – sometimes formally, sometimes very informally. It’s my choice, I could avoid him almost entirely but it would not be in the programs best interest. I don’t want him to forget who I am and need to be sure my department is always on his front burner.

Interactions with the Provost & VP’s are rare, normally I am either pitching for financial support or have to discuss a personnel issue.

My President definitely knows who I am since he shows up for happy hour on a regular basis but formal meetings are almost non-existent.

If you are a new chair -- really, it will be up to you. I find circulating through the administration regularly (especially AA’s) makes life a lot easier on those, uh, rare occasions where I screw up and need  a "favor" or want to seek out a few extra dollars for a special project.

good for you digger. deans are normally obscenely busy and so you are correct to seek out the dean and let him or her know you exist and you matter. (doing admin is a lot more work than when i was faculty.)

so it is all too easy for deans et al to simply stay in their offices and not meet with faculty, chairs, students, etc. some deans such behavior is doing their job.

however, i appreciate and encourage people to come and see me, talk to me, discuss issues with me. by the same token, i could not imagine trying to do my job without consulting people throughout the University on every issue.

one of the very first realizations i had was that i should decide nothing, absolutely nothing, without talking to as many people as i can first. collaboration and communications should not simply be buzz words. they should be the mantra of any good admin person.

of course, the downside is that 50 to 60 hour work weeks are the norm.

[oldadjunct]

good for you digger. deans are normally obscenely busy and so you are correct to seek out the dean and let him or her know you exist and you matter. (doing admin is a lot more work than when i was faculty.)

so it is all too easy for deans et al to simply stay in their offices and not meet with faculty, chairs, students, etc. some deans such behavior is doing their job.

however, i appreciate and encourage people to come and see me, talk to me, discuss issues with me. by the same token, i could not imagine trying to do my job without consulting people throughout the University on every issue.

one of the very first realizations i had was that i should decide nothing, absolutely nothing, without talking to as many people as i can first. collaboration and communications should not simply be buzz words. they should be the mantra of any good admin person.

of course, the downside is that 50 to 60 hour work weeks are the norm.

Dean, with all respect, please use standard punctuation and capitalization else you undercut your self identification.

[hongkyongnae]

good for you digger. deans are normally obscenely busy and so you are correct to seek out the dean and let him or her know you exist and you matter. (doing admin is a lot more work than when i was faculty.)

so it is all too easy for deans et al to simply stay in their offices and not meet with faculty, chairs, students, etc. some deans such behavior is doing their job.

however, i appreciate and encourage people to come and see me, talk to me, discuss issues with me. by the same token, i could not imagine trying to do my job without consulting people throughout the University on every issue.

one of the very first realizations i had was that i should decide nothing, absolutely nothing, without talking to as many people as i can first. collaboration and communications should not simply be buzz words. they should be the mantra of any good admin person.

of course, the downside is that 50 to 60 hour work weeks are the norm.

Dean, with all respect, please use standard punctuation and capitalization else you undercut your self identification.

ha, ha. no thank you. i dont have to here. i type enough emails each day with correct punctuation and capitalization. but i appreciate you caring enough to mention it.

[notaprof]

good for you digger. deans are normally obscenely busy and so you are correct to seek out the dean and let him or her know you exist and you matter. (doing admin is a lot more work than when i was faculty.)

so it is all too easy for deans et al to simply stay in their offices and not meet with faculty, chairs, students, etc. some deans such behavior is doing their job.

however, i appreciate and encourage people to come and see me, talk to me, discuss issues with me. by the same token, i could not imagine trying to do my job without consulting people throughout the University on every issue.

one of the very first realizations i had was that i should decide nothing, absolutely nothing, without talking to as many people as i can first. collaboration and communications should not simply be buzz words. they should be the mantra of any good admin person.

of course, the downside is that 50 to 60 hour work weeks are the norm.

Dean, with all respect, please use standard punctuation and capitalization else you undercut your self identification.

ha, ha. no thank you. i dont have to here. i type enough emails each day with correct punctuation and capitalization. but i appreciate you caring enough to mention it.

No, really.  It is a requirement of this forum.