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The Department Chair (hereafter the “Chair”) is the chief administrative officer of the Department and reports directly to and is accountable to the Dean of the College (hereafter the “Dean”).  The Chair shall provide professional and academic leadership in the department.  The Chair is also responsible for implementing the policies and procedures stated in this Handbook through regular and thorough consultation with the Department Faculty and the Department’s various committees.

The Chair is an ex officio, non-voting member of all Department committees, and may make appointments as necessary and permitted to Department committees and to the various administrative and service positions in the Department.

The selection, review, and reappointment of the Chair is the responsibility of the Dean, who consults with the Department Faculty on such matters. Procedures for the selection, review and reappointment of the Chair are included in the applicable CBA.

The Assistant to the Chair is appointed by the Chair after consultation with the Faculty Advisory Committee (hereafter “FAC”). The term of service is established by the Chair in consultation with the FAC, but may be terminated by the Chair, at his/her sole discretion.   The Assistant to the Chair schedules teaching activities of the Department, including Graduate Assistant (GA) assignments, in consultation with the Chair, serves as liaison officer with other instructional units, processes student requests for transfer or transient credit, and assumes a portion of the duties of the Chair when qualified and requested.  

The Graduate Coordinator is appointed by the Chair for a two-year term after consultation with the Graduate Faculty.  The Graduate Coordinator must be a full member of the Graduate Faculty holding the rank of Associate Professor or Professor.  The term of service may be terminated by the Chair, at his/her discretion. The Graduate Coordinator chairs the Graduate Program and Admissions Committee (GPAC), oversees the account of expenditures of funds allocated to graduate student support, and oversees the correspondence with prospective graduate students and the selection process for admission offers to new students.  

The Undergraduate Coordinator is appointed by the Chair for a two-year term after consultation with the Faculty.    The term of service may be terminated by the Chair, at his/her discretion.  The Undergraduate Coordinator chairs the Undergraduate Program Committee (UPC), oversees and coordinates the undergraduate program with the assistance of the UPC, oversees and coordinates the undergraduate advising of the Department, and sees to the advancement and currency of the Undergraduate Program through curriculum development, degree program structure, selection of textbooks, etc.  The Undergraduate Coordinator acts as the Department representative to the College Curriculum Committee.

The Planetarium Director is appointed by the Chair and oversees the operation, development and maintenance of the Department of Physics Planetarium. The Director provides planetarium shows to support the instructional programs of the Department and the University and promotes University and community relations by providing shows.  The Director oversees Graduate Assistants assigned to the Planetarium.

The Director of Introductory Laboratories is appointed by the Chair.  The Director schedules laboratory experiments, supervises set-up of experiments for the introductory laboratories, supervises GAs assigned to the introductory laboratories and monitors grade assignments and records.  The Director supervises maintenance and updating of equipment for the laboratories. 

The Director of the Center for Nuclear Research is elected by the members of the Center for Nuclear Research (CNR) Executive Committee according to the CNR Charter.  The Director oversees the CNR budget, staff, visiting scholars program and equipment.  The Director prepares CNR reports and/or proposals.  The Chair may also appoint an Assistant Director of the Center for Nuclear Research to help the Director perform the necessary duties. 

The Departmental Library Representative is appointed by the Chair.  The Library Representative acts as liaison with the Library staff for the Department and recommends purchase of books, journals and monographs from the Departmental Library allocation. 

The Undergraduate Coordinator appoints and trains selected Faculty members to do advising of undergraduate physics majors.  These advisors are selected as Faculty members with a strong interest in the undergraduate majors program.  The advising performed by these persons is monitored by the Undergraduate Coordinator.

The Departmental Web Manager(s) is/are appointed by the Chair and has/have the responsibility for maintaining the Department’s website.

Appointments to other Departmental administrative positions are made by the Chair after consultation with the FAC. Appointments will be dependent upon the specific requirements of the position and an individual’s qualifications for the position. Duties and terms of office are specified by the Chair and FAC in the Department Operational Manual.

The Department's non-academic staff includes all classified and unclassified staff positions within the Department including but not limited to the Administrative Assistant and secretarial staff.  Each position has specific duties as defined in the applicable position description.