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[scotia]

In September next year I will have been department chair for three years. After a lot of thought and discussions with various people I have decided I should step aside then. There has been nothing particularly bad that has led to this decision, just a weariness with bureaucracy, form filling and wrangling faculty and students. I miss the time to think and do research, and for the first time in several years I have no articles under review. I also think that it is easy to think the job is  yours and stay too long - I would rather step down when people are asking me to consider staying than have people wonder if I will ever go.

The dean - who steps down before me - agrees that I have done my bit, and that it is someone else's turn to step up. For various reasons, we cannot afford a lame duck chair, and the department has a number of problem characters who would love the opportunity to seize power and force through their (very unpopular) agendas given half a chance. I will continue working in the department and have a vested interest in avoiding this, and I know that some of our good young faculty are anxious about it too, though they are not aware I am thinking of stepping aside so soon. My questions are:
 
How would you go about stepping aside and working with your successor in this situation?
How long before stepping aside should I announce my intention?
Are there any particular things I should do/avoid doing as I announce my intention and as I go through the process of handover? I was catapulted into the job with no real handover, and I would like to help my (not yet identified) successor avoid many of the pitfalls I encountered in the first few months.

[oatmeal]

OP--There is a lot to consider here. Stepping aside when colleagues want you to stay is the best time to go really. I am thinking of stepping aside myself but I probably have two more years to go...

The timing of your announcement on stepping down is really up to you. I would suggest at least a three month window for a new chair, so that the department has time to select a new chair. Perhaps at the end of the spring semester, or after spring break, so there is time to elect or select a new chair before the summer begins. In terms of handing over, I think it is important that there is as smooth a transition as possible. You could use the summer to meet with the newly elected chair to go over transition issues and ready the person for the responsibilities. I suspect the new chair will appreciate all the guidance and insights you can give before their term begins (I know that I did). All this assumes that you will have an internal hire?

In terms of things to avoid, I would suggest avoid the appearance of favoritism, especially if there are factions in the department. For example, try not to leak your decision until the formal announcement, otherwise you might offend people. I would just let the dean know and then move from there. I would also avoid advocating for a candidate to replace you. In fact, keeping out of those decisions is the best idea because it could cause tensions. Staying above the fray is often the best approach. Of course, you will have your own preferences but no one in the department needs to know them. I could write a lot more on this but I would say that it is good to see a chair thinking about such issues and planning ahead. My previous chair did not do this and I was left to play catch up. Things have worked out well, at least I think so, but it could have been smoother. Finally, try to remain an involved senior colleague who also gives the new chair a chance to do their own thing but remain ready if the new chair seeks counsel or advice. Good luck.

[brixton]

Oatmeal's suggestions are extremely wise.  The only thing that I'd add is to resist the desire to help the new candidate unless you're asked.  It's a think line between supporting the new chair and looking like you're trying to make them into you can appear thin.  The best thing  is to offer support, as you do here, but then move to the background.  If you're due for a research leave, this is a good time to think about taking it.  There are decent books on being department chair out there.  Maybe  buy him/her one with a note on the front saying, "Good luck in the new chapter of life at Uni X.  Although there have been high and low moments, I've learned a lot. If you have any questions or just want a sounding board, let me know...."  The main thing you want to avoid is to look like you're wanting to run things once you've stepped down.  No one does! But at the same time, the culture of departments can interpret kind gestures in odd ways.

[helpful]

OP. presumably you have a department administrator who needs to be kept in the loop as well. What are the past practices in stepping down as a chair with regards to involving them?

Secondly, is a normal term for your department chairs three years? If so, people will know and will be asking you whether you are going for a new term or not. If three years is not a normal term, that would be a different matter, of course.

[scotia]

Thank you everyone for your ideas and wise words.

There is no 'normal term' here, or any recognized practices when stepping down: it all seems very ad hoc. Andecdotally (I haven't been around long enough to have experienced them), one of my predecessors lasted only months and his predecessor was at the stage of people wondering if he would ever go when he stepped down. My immediate predecessor (who was in post when I arrived) spends part of the year thousands of miles away and only took on the role temporarily but was in post - part-time with the dean having to intervene regularly when he was away - for four years. The fact that I was asked to take over - as someone junior to him - only months after I arrived is an indication of how well that was working  out.

The dean is the only person who knows of my plans - unless he has told someone - and his successor will doubtless be told. There are no senior administrators, so letting them know is not an issue.

I hope to take a sabbatical 6 months - 1 year after I step down. I have spoken with the former chair of a sibling department who stepped down last year and his advice was not to take a sabbatical immediately or I will spend a lot of time catching up on sleep and reading to try to get some research momentum back, and very little time doing the research. I recognize that it will be hard not to interfere, and I will have to work on that: my inclination is always to step in to solve problems, and I am going to have to overcome those instincts.