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Job Perceptions of Community College and University Department Chairs

ABSTRACT Much has been written about the university department chair, but little is known about whether the community college chair position is different. The profile and job perceptions of community college department chairs, and how the job of the community college chair compare to the university chair profile illustrated in the literature remains unclear. Knowing what differences exist would have implications for the selection and training of community college chairs. To investigate this question, survey research was used to gather information about the community college department chair position. Replicating previous survey research on university chairs, the 39-question survey was administered to 178 randomly selected math, science, and social sciences department chairs from community colleges in each state in the United States. Nineteen percent of surveys were completed. Community college chairs differed from university chairs in perceptions of skills, challenges, and tasks. Communication was ranked the most necessary skill, stress was ranked the greatest challenge, faculty tasks were ranked the most pleasant, and the need to justify the viability of the department was ranked the least pleasant. Results indicate that the position of community college chair does differ from the university chair. While similar in demographic profile, satisfaction rates, and reasons for taking the job, findings demonstrate community college chairs face the challenge of higher stress levels and concerns about their department’s viability. These findings suggest the need for specialized training to prepare incoming and current community college chairs to be successful in this unique position.