"Department Chair - Social and Behavioral Sciences"

Job Description

Compensation

$82,337.00 Annual

Job Description Summary

The application deadline for this position is 11:59pm EST on January 8, 2026.

The Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences provides high quality instruction to promote student learning in six disciplines. Faculty in Anthropology, Geography, History, Political Science, Psychology, and Sociology contribute to the College's General Education Curriculum by teaching students about our historical/political world, the interaction of people and culture, and the human experience. Courses fulfill requirements for the Associate in Arts degree, complete necessary prerequisites for upper division transfer into different majors and pre-professional programs, as well as afford opportunities for personal enrichment and self-enhancement.

The department chair provides leadership, direction, and support to the academic department by facilitating the operational functions; providing a vision for the department and articulating college goals; coordinating the review of curriculum and assessment of student learning and engagement; providing management and allocation of financial resources; recruitment, development, retention and scheduling of faculty and staff; accepting responsibility for reporting, compliance, and other accountabilities while creating an effective working environment that encourages scholarly and creative activities in the pursuit of excellence in teaching leading to outstanding educational programs. The chair must be an advocate of faculty and a representative of the administration, serving as a consensus builder while providing an open forum for faculty, staff and students.

Additionally, the chair is responsible for leading a complex and multidisciplinary department, contributing to college-wide accreditation efforts, creating and managing course schedules, optimizing enrollment, resolving student concerns, acting as a liaison to industry partners and affiliates, promoting programs in the community, completing performance reviews and complying with college initiatives. The chair must also be an advocate of faculty and a representative of the administration and serves as a consensus-builder who provides an open forum for faculty, staff, and students.

The starting salary is $82,337. Any salary amount above this is commensurate upon an individual's qualifications.

Job Description

Responsibilities and Duties:

• Under the guidance of the Associate Vice President and Provost, develops and articulates the vision and goals of the department in the context of the colleges mission, values and goals congruent to the strategic plan.
• Provides leadership for the development, implementation and evaluation of institutional learning outcomes and issues, curriculum improvement and assessment of student learning.
• Promotes best practices in instruction and student engagement and maintains awareness of industry best practices while identifying emerging issues and trends.
• Moves the department forward to make sure the departments evolution reflects external changes in the discipline.
• Maintains positive relationships with local, state and national colleagues as well as clinical affiliate administrators, advisory board members, employers and industry representatives.
• Ensures that programs are aligned with regional workforce needs in collaboration with advisory boards, local employers and other stakeholders.
• Promotes a positive and professional culture of open communication and participation that unifies faculty and staff within the department and throughout the college.
• Demonstrates the colleges commitment to openness through its recruitment and hiring practices and creates an inviting and inclusive sense of community for faculty, staff and students.
• Cultivates and maintains a culture of service excellence.
• Leads department level planning and program review activities, including assessment of learning outcomes and use the results, in collaboration with the AVP and Provost, to improve departmental operations and student success relative to student access, retention, learning and success.
• Provides input as requested to the AVP and Provost in the development of college proposals to expand programs through partnerships, acquisition of additional resources and securing external funding sources.
• Develops departmental goals that support the college mission, strategic plan and enrollment management activities.
• Works collaboratively with the SF Center Directors for ensuring students are adequately being served and are able to meet their education goals.
• Analyses the departments needs both short and long term for space utilization, reserves for replacement and resources for supplies, equipment and capital expenditures and makes requests accordingly.
• Ensures adequate facilities are available, including locations for clinical experiences and internship placements acting as the college liaison with these entities following college protocols for contracts and agreements.
• Plans, manages and assesses department budgets and resource allocations to efficiently meet goals, demonstrating accountability and good stewardship.
• Manages operational activities and oversees daily activities.
• Develops and implements annual plans for course offerings, faculty scheduling, program recruitment and active enrollment management in accordance with Academic Affairs leadership directives.
• Maintains compliance with outside accreditation agencies.
• Conducts regular department meetings and is responsible for ensuring timely communication of college information with direct reports.
• Manages college facilities that include maintenance and scheduling of highly specialized facilities with unique purposes.
• Coordinates meeting and event planning that may include advisory committees, special performances and conferences for members of the community and other organizations.
• Oversees and manages department grants.
• Develops and maintains policies, procedures and handbooks for successful operations.
• Prepares internal and external reports.
• Initiates and manages various contracts and memorandums of understanding.
• Participates in and supports, as appropriate, student recruitment activities and student enrollment management.
• Addresses all student issues in a professional and timely manner, and in accordance with instructional policies and procedures.
• Assists with registration issues, including transcript evaluation with regards to prerequisites, equivalencies and pathway decisions.
• Participate in additional student support functions, as appropriate, within the department for activities like program level new student orientation and advisement.
• Recommends or selects full and part time faculty and staff in accordance with college guidelines, ensuring verification of references, submission of required application materials and completion of credentialing for faculty.
• Implements timely and informative performance appraisals for full- and part-time faculty and staff in accordance with established guidelines and provides oversight for the continuing contract process.
• Responsible for scheduling, loading and assignment of all faculty and staff and maintaining appropriate time and attendance records for approving leave and timesheets. Selects full- and part-time faculty and staff with established guidelines.
• Facilitates and encourages the development of faculty and staff by making professional development opportunities and resources available.
• Motivates and inspires team members, models professional behavior, provides guidance and coaching when performance does not meet expectation and initiates appropriate disciplinary actions when needed.
• Chairs are expected to maintain currency of subject matter knowledge, certifications, and instruction and therefore, typically teach at least one course every other year as part of their regular assigned duties unless specifically exempted by the Provost.
• Complies with all published College Rules, procedures, guidelines, and laws/regulations governing public employees, including but not limited to those related to document retention and destruction, FERPA, and confidentiality.
• Strictly honors the privacy, security, and confidentiality of records and other sensitive information according to appropriate state, federal, and college regulations, policies, and procedures.
• Provides service excellence through courteous, informed, accessible, and professional engagement.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Reports to: Associate Vice President, Academic Affairs (LAS)

QUALIFICATIONS

Required: The Chair must hold the credentials necessary to teach in at least one of the disciplines within the department. (See the Credentialing Manual for a complete description of the credentialing process and minimum requirements for the position.) A masters degree is required, as well as relevant work experience.

Additional Requirements: A criminal background check will be conducted.

Preferred: Managerial experience, as well as higher education teaching experience.

General Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Ability to work successfully in a multi-cultural environment.
• Adaptability to Change – able to be flexible and supportive, able to positively and proactively assimilate change in rapid growth environment.
• Analytical Aptitude & Problem Solving - able to analyze information, problems, situations, practices and/or procedures, collect and interpret data, reason logically, establish facts, identify and define existing and potential issues, recognize the interrelationships among elements, draw valid conclusions, develop recommendations, as well as alternative courses of action, select appropriate course, follow up, and evaluate.
• Communication – able to effectively communicate in a professional, diplomatic, empathetic, and tactful manner using preferred method and level as applicable to the job.
• Critical Thinking & Judgement - able to make well-reasoned, sensible, and timely decisions based on careful, objective review and informed analysis of available information, considerations, and other factors.
• Customer Service – ability to respond promptly and courteously to all questions from students and faculty, demonstrating patience and persistence when helping students with little or no computer skills.
• Ethics – able to demonstrate integrity, professionalism, civility, and a high degree of ethics in all job-related actions.
• Leadership – has demonstrated success as an entrepreneurial, high energy, driven, hands-on leader. Possess expertise in selecting, training, developing, coaching, mentoring, and retaining a highly motivated workforce.
• Organization & Time Management – able to plan, schedule, and organize tasks related to the job to achieve goals within or ahead of established time frames.
• Problem Solving – proven skills in identifying issues, determining their cause, developing creative solutions, and following through with implementing resolutions.
• Team Orientation & Interpersonal — highly motivated team-player with ability to develop and maintain collaborative relationships with all levels within and external to the organization.
• Relationship Management – able to personally provide high level of interactive service to others, building relationships and addressing identified needs.
• Results Orientation – proven ability to set and exceed established targets.
• Systems & Software - proficient level of knowledge of Microsoft Office and/or relevant position software programs.
• Detail Oriented - Proven accuracy and attention to detail.
• Multi-task - Ability to expeditiously organize, coordinate, manage, prioritize, and perform multiple tasks simultaneously to swiftly assess a situation, determine a logical course of action, and apply the appropriate response.

Application Process: All applicants must submit a completed online SF employment application, an up-to-date resume, letter of intent, and unofficial college transcripts to be considered for this position. Unofficial transcripts are only accepted for review purposes, official transcripts are required prior to any offer of employment being made.