Chair/Coordinator Guidelines
- Guidelines Regarding Chairs and Coordinators
- Appendix A – Article 4.05 Chairs and Program Coordinators
- Appendix B – Tasks of a Chair/Coordinator at Kwantlen Polytechnic University
- Appendix C – Chair/Coordinator List
- Appendix D – Election for Chair
GUIDELINES REGARDING CHAIRS AND COORDINATORS
June 23, 2006
Chairs and Coordinators are faculty for whom the primary responsibility and function is teaching and otherwise facilitating the learning process for students. At many colleges and universities, a faculty member in a department may be assigned to look after various administrative tasks for that faculty group. These tasks may include timetabling of courses, liaising with other departments, acting as a spokesperson for the department, liaising with external bodies such as professional or trade associations, etc. Faculty in the academic disciplines at Kwantlen have historically been called convenors. Faculty in the program areas, have historically been called coordinators.
NOTE: For the purposes of this document “the parties” refers to the Employer and the Union.
The following guidelines have been established for the time assignments for faculty doing Chair/Coordinator duties:
1. The title of “Chair” will replace that of “Convenor” (where faculty are elected to this role). The title of “Coordinator” will remain (where faculty are appointed to this role). Chairs/Coordinators are faculty for whom the primary responsibility and function is instruction and otherwise facilitating the learning process for students. They should be qualified to work in the department/area involved.
2. Article 4.05 of the Faculty Collective Agreement sets out provisions relating to Chairs and Coordinators. (See Appendix A.) Consequential amendments from these guidelines are in italics.
3. The attached list of Tasks of a Chair/Coordinator (Appendix B) replaces the list of Coordinator Functions and Convenor Functions now found in the faculty collective agreement. The list will be included in these Guidelines and maintained by Labour Management Relations Committee. Any disputes regarding the listed duties will be referred to the parties for final and binding resolution. If no resolution can be found, no change will take place.
NOTE: Deans need to meet with new Chairs/Coordinators to discuss which of the listed duties are applicable for the area and to discuss priorities.
4. Deans may request new Chair/Coordinator positions through the budget process. The KFA will be notified of any requests for new positions being put through the budget process.
5. Changes to chair/coordinator positions (creation, reduction, increase, deletion, change from chair to coordinator or vice versa), will be brought forward by the Dean with a rationale to LMRC. LMRC shall review the proposal, and make recommendations to the parties. If no resolution is reached at LMRC, there will be no change, except as noted in number 6 below.
6. The time assignment for any Chair/Coordinator position may not be reduced nor may any Chair/Coordinator position be eliminated except where a discipline/program is cancelled before the matter is referred to LMRC. There must be demonstrable reasons for reducing or discontinuing the position. Failing agreement at LMRC, the reduction or discontinuance may be grieved.
7. The preferred time assignment for any Chair/Coordinator position will be one-quarter time, budget permitting. Both parties recognize the usefulness of continuous time-release. The time assignment may be more or less than ¼ time. Individual departments or programs may apply for a different approach that is not vested in one position.
8. A basic principle that needs to be kept in mind when considering changes to the time assignment is that time releases need to be sufficient to allow Chairs/Coordinators to accomplish their role, given the size and composition of the department, its complexity, and the external relationships required.
Factors to be considered in the need for and/or amount of time assignment include:
- Number of campuses on which faculty teach/work
- Number of support staff and amount of management support
- Industry/Post Secondary liaison (if required)
- Weeks of instruction per year
- Assessment of incoming students (if required)
- Time spent helping grads find jobs (if required)
- Number of course sections taught in department
- Diversity of course offerings taught in department
- Number of levels of courses offered by the department
- Number of regular faculty in the department
- Number of non-regular faculty in the department
- Number of teaching modes used in the department
- Program events
9. In order to maintain the primacy of the instructional role in the workload of Chair/Coordinators, where the continuing workload of a Chair/Coordinator for a given Department or group of Departments has grown beyond what can be reasonably accomplished in the existing time assignment, the Dean, the Chair/Coordinator and the Department faculty may consider various options, such as:
a.) establishing priorities
b.) additional support in the form of increased staff support (on an occasional or permanent basis);
c.) splitting the Department or group of Departments; or
d.) supplying equipment/computers as needed
10. The list of time assignments for chairs and coordinators will be maintained by LMRC. (See Chair/Coordinator list attached in Appendix C.) This list will be updated as needed and will be available on the Human Resources Website and through a link with the Collective Agreement.
11. Elections for Chairs will be held by secret ballot. All faculty in the discipline/program (except those on inventory and not working) are eligible to vote. A vote must be held every 3 years. The election may occur sooner, if the Chair resigns or is removed by majority vote of the faculty present at a duly called meeting of the discipline/department, or if the Chair is removed for just and reasonable cause by the employer. It is the responsibility of the Dean’s office to notify faculty that an election is due. If there is only one candidate for Chair, that person may be acclaimed.
a.) It is the responsibility of the faculty to organize and conduct the election. That must include agreeing on someone to notify faculty about the vote, to receive nominations, to distribute the ballots, to supervise the vote, to count the ballots (ideally with a witness) and to announce the results. (See Appendix D for sample ballot.) The election supervisor must be a neutral party.
b.) All regular faculty are eligible to be elected as Chair. Non-regular Type 2 faculty may be eligible to be elected as Chair in exceptional circumstances.
c.) Faculty on leave shall be sent a ballot. Failure to return the ballot by the specified deadline will mean that their vote will not be considered.
NOTE: Chairs may temporarily be replaced on an approved leave of absence within the above timeframes. The program/discipline/department has the choice when an elected chair goes on extended leave, from the following options. It is understood that the program/discipline/department will convey their decision to the Dean and the KFA.
Options:
a.) The elected chair will step down and an election will take place for a new chair for a new three year term.
b.) The elected chair will be replaced by a substitute interim chair elected for the period of the leave only. On returning from the leave, the original chair will resume the chair's duties until the three year term that started with their election as chair is completed.
c.) The elected chair taking leave will be replaced by a substitute interim chair elected for the period of the leave only, On returning from the leave, the original chair will resume the chair's duties until they have worked a total of three years as chair.
12. If a faculty member has served as chair for a maximum of two consecutive three year terms (in accordance with Article 4.05(f)) and there is no other faculty member willing to stand for election, then the faculty members in the discipline/program/department can vote to extend the term, subject to the approval of the Dean.
13. Coordinators are appointed for 3 years (with a 3 year extension possible). The 6 year limit may be waived if there is only one faculty member in the discipline/program or if they were hired to be a coordinator and failure to be re-appointed will result in a layoff. Otherwise, the time assignment for coordinators will be posted every 3 years. The posting may occur sooner if the Coordinator is removed by majority vote of the faculty members present at a duly called meeting of the discipline/program, or if the Coordinator resigns or is removed for just and reasonable cause by the employer.
NOTE: Coordinators may temporarily be replaced on an approved leave of absence within the above timeframes.
14. It is the responsibility of the outgoing and incoming Coordinators and Chairs to agree on a appropriate transition date, in consultation with their Dean.
NOTE: In the initial implementation of these guidelines, to ensure that Deans do not have too many new coordinators or chairs at one time, the above time limits may be flexible. Any flexibility required would be reported to LMRC.
15. The parties will work on a joint orientation workshop and handbook for Chairs/Coordinators for May of each year.
16. A Chair or Coordinator can be removed from their position as outlined in Article 4.05(e)(i) of the collective agreement.
NOTE: If a contradiction exists between the language in the Chair/Coordinator Guidelines and the language in the Collective Agreement, the Collective Agreement language will supersede that language contained in this document.
Harry Gray, Kwantlen Polytechnic University
Maureen Shaw, Kwantlen Faculty Association
Appendix A – ARTICLE 4.05 CHAIRS AND PROGRAM COORDINATORS
4.05 CHAIRS AND PROGRAM COORDINATORS
(a) The Employer agrees to establish, maintain and continue the positions of chair and coordinator agreed to at LMRC unless there are demonstrable reasons for discontinuing the position(s).
(b) Whenever a vacancy arises for a chair it shall be filled by the following process:
(i) all faculty members of the discipline(s) or program(s) or closest related discipline(s) or program(s) shall be eligible to vote for chair;
(ii) all regular faculty members of the discipline(s) or program(s) or closest related discipline(s) or program(s) shall be eligible to be elected as chairs;
(iii) the chair shall be elected for a three-year term;
(iv) the administrator responsible shall offer an appointment to the faculty member(s) so chosen;
(c)
(i) vacancies for program coordinators will be filled in accordance with procedures described in Article 4.02;
(ii) a coordinator's term of appointment is for a maximum period of three (3) years.
(d) Duties and responsibilities of chairs and coordinators will include those agreed to at LMRC. Additional duties and responsibilities applying to a specific discipline/program will be mutually agreed upon by the Chair/Coordinator and their Dean after consultation with the discipline/program.
(e)
(i) the incumbent(s) can be removed at any time from the position of chair or coordinator:
- by majority vote of the faculty members present and voting at a duly called meeting of the discipline(s) or program(s);
- or by the Employer for just and reasonable cause.
(ii) upon completion of a term(s) as a chair or a coordinator or removal from a chair or coordinator position, the faculty member will resume his/her former regular position or an equivalent position without loss of seniority and benefits.
(f) A chair or coordinator may serve for a maximum of two consecutive three year terms.
(g) If a current faculty member was hired to be a coordinator and failure to be re-appointed would result in a layoff, or where there is only one faculty member in a discipline/program, or if agreed to by a majority vote of the faculty members in the discipline/program and approved by the Dean, the limit for coordinator contained in Article 4.05(f) will not apply.
(h) When a vacancy is unable to be filled by the above process, it is understood that the administration will assume the duties normally performed by the chair or program coordinator.
(i) Time assignments for chairs and coordinators are identified and maintained by LMRC.
Appendix B – TASKS OF A CHAIR/COORDINATOR at Kwantlen Polytechnic University
Tasks for a Chair/Coordinator may include some of the tasks listed. The Dean should meet with Chair/Coordinators to establish which of these tasks are expected, and what are priorities needed for the department. The Chair/Coordinator may delegate tasks or be assisted by support staff. It is recommended that the Dean and the Chair/Coordinator sign off on the tasks/priorities expected.
1. ED-PLANNING AND CURRICULUM DESIGN AND IMPLEMENTATION
Ed-Planning and Timetabling
- Consult with Deans and colleagues
- Monitor past enrolment and projected trends
- Provide input to Dean
- Review, develop or revise program and/or mix of course offerings
- After consultation with Dean, colleagues and administrative assistant, develop student-centred timetables which respect Ministry guidelines for space utilization.
- Monitor graduates
- Consult with employment agencies, advisory committees, and/or other programs, as applicable
- In consultation with colleagues, design individual timetables for instructors
Monitor Educational Plan
- Assess student demand
- Assess employer demand
- Monitor enrollments and make recommendations about student recruitment, if necessary
- Monitor applicant lists and make recommendations about student recruitment, if necessary
Curriculum Design and Implementation
- Monitor currency of course outlines and update where needed
- Ensure department's representation at divisional curriculum committee
- Design and proofread approved Calendar and Timetable copy
- Oversee/participate in the design of new courses/programs
- Participate in program review
- Monitor the implementation of new curriculum/courses
- Liaise with colleagues in different departments offering program courses
- Participate/develop program policy
- Prepare for or participate in preparation of submissions for approval by professional organizations at program onset and at regular intervals
- Liaise with appropriate administrative and support staff on curriculum and articulation is
- In consultation with colleagues, monitor current trends in courses and pedagogy
Program Evaluation
- Contact all program graduates to obtain employment information
- Survey graduates, employment agencies, faculty, work experience area and current students
- Analyze feedback from various sources
Fostering Student Success
- In consultation with colleagues, review and develop admission requirements for program and prerequisites for courses
- Co-ordinate any necessary PLA
- In consultation with colleagues, design assessment tests
- Act as resource person in unofficial appeals
- Interview students to determine acceptance into program
- Monitor student progress
- Meet routinely with students
- Support students at risk
- Maintain student records for program-wide activities
2. INTERNAL CO-ORDINATION
Within Department
- Schedule and chair regular department meetings and prepare agenda
- Co-ordinate the activities of any department/program sub-committees
- Provide ongoing support for new faculty (eg: orientation, mentoring)
- Ensure that faculty are informed/reminded of deadlines
- Circulate information from Dean as requested
- Participate on/ensure appropriate faculty representation on search committees
- Encourage departmental and program cohesion and morale
- Consult with Dean on departmental budget
- Oversee the budget for the assigned area of responsibility
- Order and oversee departmental/program equipment and supplies
- Assist faculty with students at risk of failing
- Assist faculty with issues occurring during work/practicum experience
- Facilitate smooth operation of the work group in a collegial manner
- Refer issues and problems to Dean if appropriate
- Identify need for students, design marketing strategies and recommend advertisements
Within Kwantlen Polytechnic University
- Encourage/ensure department/program representation on appropriate Kwantlen committees
- Ensure department/program representation in planning processes
- General on-going liaison with Dean and other administrators on current issues
- Liaison with book store personnel
- Liaise with admissions and student services personnel
- Attend and participate in student appeals
3. EXTERNAL CO-ORDINATION
- Attend/ensure attendance at provincial articulation meetings
- Maintain on-going connection with members of the articulation committee.
- Liaise and communicate with other colleges and universities about shared extra-curricular activities (eg: seminars, visiting speakers, PD activities)
- Ensure communication with local school teachers
- Liaise with publishers and their representatives
- Liaise with professional organizations
- Liaise with/ensure representation in appropriate local/business/trade groups/other institutions
- Attend/ensure attendance at functions for student recruitment (eg: career fairs, open house)
- Liaise with potential employers facilitating employment of graduates
- Obtain and maintain student work/practicum placements
4. GENERAL SUPPORT ACTIVITIES
- Respond to public and professional inquiries by appropriate means (eg: Telephone, email, letter)
- Mail distribution
- Photo-copying
Appendix C – CHAIR/COORDINATOR LIST
| Job Curr Title | Appt Pct | Dean |
| Coordinator - Landscape Horticulture & Turf Management | 25 | Davidson |
| Coordinator - Greenhouse & Nursery Production | 25 | Davidson |
| Coordinator - External Liaison | 25 | Davidson |
| 75 | Davidson Total | |
| Chair - Physics | 25 | Rankin |
| Chair - Chemistry | 25 | Rankin |
| Chair - Environmental Technology | 37.5 | Rankin |
| Chair - Mathematics | 50 | Rankin |
| Chair - Biology (BIOL) | 25 | Rankin |
| 162.5 | Rankin Total | |
| Coordinator - Interdisciplinary Design Studies (IDDS) | 25 | Verghese |
| Coordinator - Fashion Marketing (FMRK) Diploma | 25 | Verghese |
| Coordinator - Fashion and Technology (FASN) Degree | 25 | Verghese |
| Coordinator - Fashion and Technology (FASN) | 25 | Verghese |
| Coordinator - Graphic Design for Marketing (GDMA) Degree | 25 | Verghese |
| Coordinator - Graphic Design for Marketing (GDMA) | 25 | Verghese |
| Coordinator - Interior Design (IDSN) Degree | 25 | Verghese |
| Coordinator - Interior Design (IDSN) | 25 | Verghese |
| 200 | VergheseTotal | |
| Chair - Criminology | 50 | Dastur |
| Chair - Geography and Geologoy (GEOG) | 25 | Dastur |
| Coordinator - Journalism Degree | 25 | Dastur |
| Coordinator - Journalism | 25 | Dastur |
| Chair - History | 25 | Dastur |
| Chair - Political Science | 12.5 | Dastur |
| Chair - Psychology | 50 | Dastur |
| Chair - Sociology and Anthropology (SOCI/ANTH) | 37.5 | Dastur |
| 250 | DasturTotal | |
| Chair - Creative Writing | 25 | Guirguis |
| Chair - Fine Arts | 25 | Guirguis |
| Chair - English | 75 | Guirguis |
| Chair - Modern Languages | 25 | Guirguis |
| Chair - Music (MUSI) | 25 | Guirguis |
| Chair -Philosophy & Humanities | 25 | Guirguis |
| 200 | Guirguis Total | |
| Chair - Marketing | 25 | Coren |
| Chair - Economics | 25 | Coren |
| Chair - Accounting | 25 | Coren |
| Chair - Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting (BBA Accounting) | 25 | Coren |
| Chair - Bachelor of Business Administration in Human Resources Management (BBA HRMT) | 25 | Coren |
| Chair - Computer Information Systems / Computer Science (CISY/CPSC) | 25 | Coren |
| Chair - Bachelor of Technology in Information Technology (B. Tech) | 25 | Coren |
| Chair - Business Management | 25 | Coren |
| Chair - Bachelor of Business Administration in Entrepreneurial Leadership (BBA Entrepreneurship) | 25 | Coren |
| Chair - Legal Administrative Studies (LGLA) | 25 | Coren |
| Chair - Applied Communications | 25 | Coren |
| Chair - Computer Business Systems (CBSY) | 25 | Coren |
| Coordinator - Public Relations | 25 | Coren |
| 325 | Coren Total | |
| Coordinator - Automotive Services (ACMH) | 25 | Tebb |
| Coordinator - Appliance Servicing (APPL) | 12.5 | Tebb |
| Coordinator - Building Construction | 25 | Tebb |
| Coordinator - Drafting | 25 | Tebb |
| Coordinator - Millwright | 25 | Tebb |
| Coordinator - Public Safety Communication | 12.5 | Tebb |
| Coordinator - Welding | 25 | Tebb |
| 150 | Tebb Total | |
| Chair - Library | 20 | Mundie |
| 20 | Mundie Total | |
| Coordinator - Nursing Lab | 25 | Freeman |
| Coordinator - Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) | 50 | Freeman |
| Coordinator - Grad Nurse / English as an Additional Language (GNEAL - external) | 20 | Freeman |
| Coordinator - Grad Nurse / English as an Additional Language (GNEAL - internal) | 20 | Freeman |
| Coordinator - Health Care Assistant (HCAP) | 25 | Freeman |
| Coordinator - Graduate Nurse Re-Entry (GNUR) | 25 | Freeman |
| Coordinator - Special Education Teacher Assistant (SETA) | 25 | Freeman |
| Coordinator - Bachelor of Psychiatric Nursing (BPN) | 50 | Freeman |
| Coordinator - Bachelor of Psychiatric Nursing - Post-Baccalaureate (BSN PB) | 25 | Freeman |
| Coordinator - Health Unit Coordinator (HAUC) | 25 | Freeman |
| 290 | Freeman Total | |
| Chair - Counselling | 12.5 | Gordon |
| 12.5 | Gordon Total | |
| Coordinator - Access Programs for People with Disabilities (APPD) | 25 | Crowe |
| Chair - Academic and Career Preparation (ACP) English | 25 | Crowe |
| Chair - Academic and Career Preparation (ACP) Math & Science | 25 | Crowe |
| Coordinator, Career Choices and Life Success (CCLS) | 25 | Crowe |
| Chair - Enlish Language Studies (ELST) | 100 | Crowe |
| Coordinator - E-learning | 50 | Crowe |
| 250 | Crowe Total | |
| 1935 | Total |
Appendix D
ELECTION FOR CHAIR (pdf)
