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[tenured_cat]

I was just given the deadline - on July 1st, the easy life will end and I will be department chair.

After being plain stunned for a while (it should have been either a couple of years away or at least a couple of months), I am now hatching escape plans. So far, I have dismissed moving to Mars (we have people here who know that place), eloping with the milkman (we're not THAT much like the 1950s around here), or just playing dead (the cats would probably give me away) - so, what do I do?

If you have no viable escape suggestions, maybe somebody has some good advice to run a multi-disciplinary department that's overloaded with service courses, has to beg for university money without bringing in grants, with a faculty that only cares about the department for about five minutes during faculty meetings but otherwise doesn't want to be bothered, in a building that is not at all suitable to the needs of an academic department, in a university where we are the odd department, in a state that keeps cutting higher education funding. And that's just for starters.

Oh - did I mention that I will be going up for tenure this summer?

So - escape routes? Coping strategies? Last rites and wreaths?

[oatmeal]

OP--Can I ask: Why are you becoming the department chair if you are going up for tenure? Do you feel that you have to do this? Will the program destruct if you are not the chair? Becoming chair in a tenure year is not normally a good idea at all, for obvious reasons. It sounds like there is no escape for you now that you have agreed to do it (did you agree?). Good luck with your tenure application.

[tenured_cat]

Because it's mostly a case of throwing myself on the fire to rescue the others :) When I was elected, the evil event was to happen in two years; recent changes have shortened that to now. I don't foresee tenure problems (knocking on wood and all that), just authority issues in and outside of the department (well, mostly outside).

[msparticularity]

Because it's mostly a case of throwing myself on the fire to rescue the others :) When I was elected, the evil event was to happen in two years; recent changes have shortened that to now. I don't foresee tenure problems (knocking on wood and all that), just authority issues in and outside of the department (well, mostly outside).

Yes, but the timing on this is singularly bad since you're now chairing people who must vote on your tenure this fall! At the very least, your taking over the chairpersonship should be postponed until after the vote.

[hegemony]

I second that.  It could even be seen as a conflict of interest.  This gives you a watertight excuse to get out of chairing until your tenure decision is in.  Do not fail to take that excuse.  I'm surprised no one at your uni prevented you.  You need to be professional on their behalf and stand down until the tenure vote is in.

[tenured_cat]

Actually, we do things a bit differently - those three department people who are on my committee (of five) already voted back in January when they all decided unanimously to recommend to the vice president academic affairs. He (plus some other admin critters) will now agree that I can go forward. I then submit the package (luckily, mostly done already) to the former chair of the department (whose transformation into an admin critter triggered this), as will another assistant prof going up now. The department as a whole doesn't vote. I agree - if they did, it would have been "interesting."

[anthroid]

Your department sort of sounds like the one I used to chair, though I had degrees in two of the three disciplines in the department, and I had taught the third one quite a bit as well (so I had some street cred with all three of the disciplines).  PM me if you want some specific advice...

[normative_]

First, you're going up for tenure this summer. Focus on that first. The unspoken deal is that you will get your tenure first, and then serve as HoD in return. It sucks, but it happens. Do not try to act as a HoD in any decisive way before you have your tenure. You can leave things undone if you can't undo or delay the appointment. The tenure file is the perfect cover. Right now, you just want to avoid p!ssing anyone off. And the easiest way to do that is actually decide something before tenure is on paper.

As for the multidisciplinary department, you'll need to cultivate in/official section chairs who will work with you to get the job done. Especially in your position, you will reflect the balance of power in the department rather than really affect it. As long as you stick with this, and the others do as well, this will actually keep your workload contained. It will constrain your ability to make certain decisions, but that's not really a bad thing.

[tenured_cat]

Thanks, Anthroid and Normative!

I am, unfortunately, not related to any other discipline in my department, but am good friends with two fields. We are sort of an afterthought to the university and I don't think they ever knew quite what to make of us. In many ways, I am closer related to the rest of the university, but don't tell them that - they are quite convinced that they are neither human nor in any way cultural beings :)

Also, unfortunately, the different programs/sections do not have functioning directors; there's been a centralization of power that needs to be undone, but very carefully and in such a limited fashion that I won't create the opposite problem.

And this "Right now, you just want to avoid p!ssing anyone off" is going to be hardest part; somewhere, somehow, somebody will be annoyed (and I know exactly who) and I don't want the fear of that to paralyze me. But, on the plus side, I have our secretary's full support - that's got to be worth something!

[normative_]

But, on the plus side, I have our secretary's full support - that's got to be worth something!

That's worth more than something! If the secretary is supporting you, you have the Power of the Force on your side.

One way of dealing with a demanding individual in a multidisciplinary department is to insist as HoD that any key decisions be run past the people in charge of the main disciplines--an inofficial management board in your case, since power is officially centralized. Those people need to be seniors or those who the department recognizes will speak for them. I don't mean official, but there will be people who are strong and important in the various disciplines, who will be elevated by the simple fact of recognizing them. Hopefully that inofficial route will work.  That is not only wise in your position generally, but means that your bundle of joy has to gain the support of the people who are sitting in that group. That won't please him or her, but if you stick with a 'fairness and openness doctrine' on strategic matters, as is your right, you will make yourself fairly bulletproof. And the seniors in the disciplines will normally appreciate the respect you show for their interests in the department. Calling a meeting with coffee and cake or lunch usually does the trick.

The best part is that once you've chosen this route, the secretary will need to be the one who contacts everyone to ensure that there is a time you can meet.

Those things take time. Probably longer than it takes to get tenure.

Good luck.

[anthroid]

One way of dealing with a demanding individual in a multidisciplinary department is to insist as HoD that any key decisions be run past the people in charge of the main disciplines--an inofficial management board in your case, since power is officially centralized.

This is an excellent idea--you could call it the Executive Committee or something like that, and you should "market" the idea as a way to promote shared governance. 

Based on what I know of you on these boards, Cat, I think you're going to do just fine!

[tenured_cat]

That's a really good idea - I do want to stress shared governance (I am also involved in something similar campus wide) and calling the program directors into a joint meeting will a) do that, b) may increase their taking responsibility for their areas, and c) at the very least signal a positive change. But "executive committee" sounds a bit strong; there are "directors" and "minor advisers" (I get a red line under advisors - really?) - I'll have to go play with my thesaurus a bit ...

Oh, and I like the "Power of the Force" - very astute!

[emanaged]

First, you're going up for tenure this summer. Focus on that first. The unspoken deal is that you will get your tenure first, and then serve as HoD in return. It sucks, but it happens. Do not try to act as a HoD in any decisive way before you have your tenure. You can leave things undone if you can't undo or delay the appointment. The tenure file is the perfect cover. Right now, you just want to avoid p!ssing anyone off. And the easiest way to do that is actually decide something before tenure is on paper.

As for the multidisciplinary department, you'll need to cultivate in/official section chairs who will work with you to get the job done. Especially in your position, you will reflect the balance of power in the department rather than really affect it. As long as you stick with this, and the others do as well, this will actually keep your workload contained. It will constrain your ability to make certain decisions, but that's not really a bad thing.

I agree with this sentiment. Don't be afraid to empower your coworkers. Just past HoDs haven't doesn't mean you can't. After all, you're the HoD.

At the same time, always remember, "The fear of death is worse than death itself." I highly doubt your summer tenure is as bad as you thought it would be when you originally wrote this post. Keep an open mind and stay positive. Good karma can't hurt.