This study looks closely at how academic department chair are compensated giving detailed data on how much, and how they are paid, according to what rules or formulas, if any, and including non-monetary compensation such as relaxation of teaching and research loads. The study enables its reader to pinpoint exactly how much chair earn for their efforts, and to break down this data by general subject field, type of college or university and other variables. It also includes detailed data on how many hours chair work, and on whether or not they have the help of one or more vice chair.
Data in the report is broken out by many variables including the size, type and tuition level of the department chair’s college or university, its public or private status, world college/university ranking as well as the subject field of the academic department, length of tenure of the department chair, and other variables. Data is also broken out separately for US and Canadian institutions.
This report presents data from a survey of 198 department chairs from 112 colleges and universities in the United States and Canada.
Just a few of the 63-page reports many findings are that:
- 10% of departments sampled had more than one vice chair
- Mean chair compensation was twice as high in public than in private colleges.
- 23.23% of US departments sampled base chair compensation on a percentage of base salary.
- Nearly 91% of Canadian chairs received some degree of teaching load reassignment as part of their compensation for being chair.
- Chair who did not receive any form of reduced teaching or scholarship load reassignment earned a mean of $12.82 per hour as department chair,
- Load reassignment was negatively correlated with institutional tuition level, the lower the tuition, the greater the likelihood of load reassignment for chairs.
- Chairs from private colleges were much more likely than those from public ones to receive their chair stipend during sabbaticals - nearly 23% of them did so.
Table of Contents
THE QUESTIONNAIRE
INSTITUTIONAL AFFILIATIONS OF THE SURVEY PARTICIPANTS
- Characteristics of the Sample
- Time Frame of the Surveying
SUMMARY OF MAIN FINDINGS
- Percentage of the Departments with One or More Vice Chairs
- Annual Compensation for the Department Chair in the Past Year
- Is Compensation Based on a Percentage of Base Salary?
- Teaching Load Reassignment as an Attribute of Compensation
- Sabbatical stipends
- Description of Formulas for Compensating Department Chairs
- Summer month stipends
- Number of Hours Per Week Spent on Departmental Matters by Department Chair
- Estimated Hourly Earnings of Department Chairs
List of Tables
Table 1.1 Does your department have one or more vice chairs?
Table 1.2 Does your department have one or more vice chairs? Broken out by country
Table 1.3 Does your department have one or more vice chairs? Broken out by U.S. News school ranking
Table 1.4 Does your department have one or more vice chairs? Broken out by public or private status
Table 1.5 Does your department have one or more vice chairs? Broken out by Carnegie class or type
Table 1.6 Does your department have one or more vice chairs? Broken out by enrollment
Table 1.7 Does your department have one or more vice chairs? Broken out by tuition, $
Table 1.8 Does your department have one or more vice chairs? Broken out by academic field
Table 1.9 Does your department have one or more vice chairs? Broken out by FTE department size
Table 1.10 Does your department have one or more vice chairs? Broken out by number of years as chair
Table 2.1 What was the annual compensation for the department chair in the past year? (as a total increment above compensation in the absence of being chair)
Table 2.2 What was the annual compensation for the department chair in the past year? (as a total increment above compensation in the absence of being chair) Broken out by country
Table 2.3 What was the annual compensation for the department chair in the past year? (as a total increment above compensation in the absence of being chair) Broken out by U.S. News school ranking
Table 2.4 What was the annual compensation for the department chair in the past year? (as a total increment above compensation in the absence of being chair) Broken out by public or private status
Table 2.5 What was the annual compensation for the department chair in the past year? (as a total increment above compensation in the absence of being chair) Broken out by Carnegie class or type
Table 2.6 What was the annual compensation for the department chair in the past year? (as a total increment above compensation in the absence of being chair) Broken out by enrollment
Table 2.7 What was the annual compensation for the department chair in the past year? (as a total increment above compensation in the absence of being chair) Broken out by tuition, $
Table 2.8 What was the annual compensation for the department chair in the past year? (as a total increment above compensation in the absence of being chair) Broken out by academic field
Table 2.9 What was the annual compensation for the department chair in the past year? (as a total increment above compensation in the absence of being chair) Broken out by FTE department size
Table 2.10 What was the annual compensation for the department chair in the past year? (as a total increment above compensation in the absence of being chair) Broken out by number of years as chair
Table 3.1 Is your chair or vice chair stipend based on a percentage of your base salary?
Table 3.2 Is your chair or vice chair stipend based on a percentage of your base salary? Broken out by country
Table 3.3 Is your chair or vice chair stipend based on a percentage of your base salary? Broken out by U.S. News school ranking
Table 3.4 Is your chair or vice chair stipend based on a percentage of your base salary? Broken out by public or private status
Table 3.5 Is your chair or vice chair stipend based on a percentage of your base salary? Broken out by Carnegie class or type
Table 3.6 Is your chair or vice chair stipend based on a percentage of your base salary? Broken out by enrollment
Table 3.7 Is your chair or vice chair stipend based on a percentage of your base salary? Broken out by tuition, $
Table 3.8 Is your chair or vice chair stipend based on a percentage of your base salary? Broken out by academic field
Table 3.9 Is your chair or vice chair stipend based on a percentage of your base salary? Broken out by FTE department size
Table 3.10 Is your chair or vice chair stipend based on a percentage of your base salary? Broken out by number of years as chair
Table 4.1 Do you benefit from teaching load reassignment for your duties as chair or vice chair?
Table 4.2 Do you benefit from teaching load reassignment for your duties as chair or vice chair? Broken out by country
Table 4.3 Do you benefit from teaching load reassignment for your duties as chair or vice chair? Broken out by U.S. News school ranking
Table 4.4 Do you benefit from teaching load reassignment for your duties as chair or vice chair? Broken out by public or private status
Table 4.5 Do you benefit from teaching load reassignment for your duties as chair or vice chair? Broken out by Carnegie class or type
Table 4.6 Do you benefit from teaching load reassignment for your duties as chair or vice chair? Broken out by enrollment
Table 4.7 Do you benefit from teaching load reassignment for your duties as chair or vice chair? Broken out by tuition, $
Table 4.8 Do you benefit from teaching load reassignment for your duties as chair or vice chair? Broken out by academic field
Table 4.9 Do you benefit from teaching load reassignment for your duties as chair or vice chair? Broken out by FTE department size
Table 4.10 Do you benefit from teaching load reassignment for your duties as chair or vice chair? Broken out by number of years as chair
Table 5.1 Do you receive your chair stipend during sabbaticals?
Table 5.2 Do you receive your chair stipend during sabbaticals? Broken out by country
Table 5.3 Do you receive your chair stipend during sabbaticals? Broken out by U.S. News school ranking
Table 5.4 Do you receive your chair stipend during sabbaticals? Broken out by public or private status
Table 5.5 Do you receive your chair stipend during sabbaticals? Broken out by Carnegie class or type
Table 5.6 Do you receive your chair stipend during sabbaticals? Broken out by enrollment
Table 5.7 Do you receive your chair stipend during sabbaticals? Broken out by tuition, $
Table 5.8 Do you receive your chair stipend during sabbaticals? Broken out by academic field
Table 5.9 Do you receive your chair stipend during sabbaticals? Broken out by FTE department size
Table 5.10 Do you receive your chair stipend during sabbaticals? Broken out by the number of years as chair
Describe your compensation formula fr your remuneration for being a chair. Is it based on number of students, number of faculty, research workload, admissions/retention/assessment workload, experience level, committee assignments? Broken out by academic field
Who has the power in your organization to approve stipend adjustments? Broken out by academic field
Table 6.1 Are you paid your stipend in the summer months?
Table 6.2 Are you paid your stipend in the summer months? Broken out by country
Table 6.3 Are you paid your stipend in the summer months? Broken out by U.S. News school ranking
Table 6.4 Are you paid your stipend in the summer months? Broken out by public or private status
Table 6.5 Are you paid your stipend in the summer months? Broken out by Carnegie class or type
Table 6.6 Are you paid your stipend in the summer months? Broken out by enrollment
Table 6.7 Are you paid your stipend in the summer months? Broken out by tuition, $
Table 6.8 Are you paid your stipend in the summer months? Broken out by academic field
Table 6.9 Are you paid your stipend in the summer months? Broken out by FTE department size
Table 6.10 Are you paid your stipend in the summer months? Broken out by number of years as chair
Table 7.1 About how many hours per week do you spend to fulfill tasks exclusively related to your role of department chair or vice chair?
Table 7.2 About how many hours per week do you spend to fulfill tasks exclusively related to your role of department chair or vice chair? Broken out by country
Table 7.3 About how many hours per week do you spend to fulfill tasks exclusively related to your role of department chair or vice chair? Broken out by U.S. News school ranking
Table 7.4 About how many hours per week do you spend to fulfill tasks exclusively related to your role of department chair or vice chair? Broken out by public or private status
Table 7.5 About how many hours per week do you spend to fulfill tasks exclusively related to your role of department chair or vice chair? Broken out by Carnegie class or type
Table 7.6 About how many hours per week do you spend to fulfill tasks exclusively related to your role of department chair or vice chair? Broken out by enrollment
Table 7.7 About how many hours per week do you spend to fulfill tasks exclusively related to your role of department chair or vice chair? Broken out by tuition, $
Table 7.8 About how many hours per week do you spend to fulfill tasks exclusively related to your role of department chair or vice chair? Broken out by academic field
Table 7.9 About how many hours per week do you spend to fulfill tasks exclusively related to your role of department chair or vice chair? Broken out by FTE department size
Table 7.10 About how many hours per week do you spend to fulfill tasks exclusively related to your role of department chair or vice chair? Broken out by number of years as chair
Samples
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Sources / Contributors
- Acadia University
- Adrian College
- Albertus Magnus College
- Assumption University
- Azusa Pacific University
- Bates College
- Boise State University
- Boston University
- Bronx Community College
- Brown University
- CA State University Fullerton
- Clemson University
- College for Creative Studies
- Columbia Gorge Community college
- Concord University
- Converse University
- Creighton University
- Dalhousie University
- Dona Ana Community College -NMSU
- Drake University
- East Carolina University
- Eastern Michigan University
- Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
- Fort Lewis College
- Georgia Institute of Technology
- Harding University
- Iowa State University
- Jackson College
- Jackson State University
- James Cook University
- Kapi'olani Community College
- Kennesaw State University
- Kent State University
- Landmark College
- Langara College
- Loyola University Chicago
- MacEwan University
- McGill University
- Memorial University of Newfoundland
- Montana State University
- Montclair State University
- Mount Allison University
- North Country Community College
- Northern Kentucky University
- Nova Southeastern University
- NSCAD University
- Princeton University
- Purdue University
- Quinnipiac University
- Saint Mary's University
- San Diego State University
- Siena College
- South Dakota State University
- Southern University and A&M College
- Southwestern University
- SUNY New Paltz
- The College of New Jersey
- The Ohio State University
- The University of Winnipeg
- Thompson Rivers University
- Towson University
- Truman State University
- UC Santa Barbara
- UNC-Chapel Hill
- University of Saskatchewan
- University of Washington
- University of Rhode Island
- University of Alabama at Birmingham
- University of Alaska Anchorage
- University of Alberta
- University of Arkansas at Little Rock
- University of Calgary
- University of California, Davis
- University of California, Riverside
- University of Florida
- University of Georgia
- University of Hawaii at Manoa
- University of Idaho
- University of Louisville
- University of Manitoba
- University of Minnesota
- University of Missouri
- University of Nevada, Reno
- University of New Mexico
- University of North Dakota
- University of Oklahoma
- University of Oregon
- University of Pittsburgh
- University of Prince Edward Island
- University of Rochester
- University of Saskatchewan
- University of South Carolina
- University of Toronto
- University of Victoria
- University of Washington
- University of Winnipeg
- University of Wisconsin-Madison
- Utah State University
- Vincennes University
- Virginia Commonwealth University
- Washington and Lee University
- Weber State University
- White Mountains Community College
Methodology
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