The IDEA Center

This one-of-a-kind system is the only nationally normed tool for evaluating chairpersons and providing a formative basis for their development. Feedback for Department Chairs recognizes that different management styles and strategies come into play when addressing different responsibilities. The system measures effectiveness by soliciting faculty input on how well the chairperson has used different administrative methods to meet identified goals for the department. Faculty responses are collected online and analyzed using The IDEA Center’s national database. The resulting report provides direction on specific areas of strength and strategies for improvement.

This instrument is intended for use early in one's appointment (at the conclusion of the third or beginning of the fourth semester) to provide formative feedback, as well as later to develop an overall summary evaluation. The system combines ratings by both faculty members and the chairperson to yield reliable and relevant information. It is unique in higher education today and provides national comparative information. Both the Chair Information Form and the Faculty Survey are administered through the Internet by The IDEA Center for convenience, speed, efficiency, and respondent confidentiality.

Features of the System

• Allows the chairperson to identify the importance of 20 responsibilities in his or her role as chair
• Provides faculty ratings of five types of administrative responsibilities
• Provides details on 20 specific duties within these five types
• Assesses strengths and weaknesses associated with success for each duty
• Highlights specific recommendations for areas of improvement
• Includes detailed statistical information about how faculty responded to each question, permitting an in-depth analysis of specific concerns
• Summarizes faculty ratings of overall effectiveness
• Option to add up to 20 custom questions