What is a Chair?
Academic chairs and directors are an integral part of Bowdoin’s shared governance, providing critical leadership for their department or program, serving as an important liaison between the administration and faculty, and supporting the advancement of inclusive excellence at the College. The work of department chairs and program directors involves a range of areas and activities including curriculum and department/program development – course offerings, scheduling, assessment, preparation of annual reports, and department/program reviews; faculty – recruitment and searches, mentoring, reappointment, promotion, tenure, and mediation; students – recruiting, retention, advising, learning outcomes; administration – support staff, budget preparation and oversight, space and equipment needs; and communication – serving as a contact for other offices on campus and parties beyond Bowdoin. In this leadership role, chairs and directors can also positively influence the culture of their department or program and shape the vision of its future in meaningful ways. To recognize and reward this valuable service to the College, Bowdoin provides enhanced compensation to all department chairs and program directors, the details of which may be found here.