Release Time for Department Chairs

Resolution on Released Time for Department Chairs

Whereas, The CSUC budget allocates to each campus a number of positions for released time for department chairs, based upon the two factors of FTE for the campus, which generates positions, and the number of departments with 20 FTEF or more, which allocation therefore changes annually; and

Whereas, It has been the practice at Sonoma State University that all released time positions for department chairs, generated according to the budget formulas, will be assigned to the departments for departmental level instructional administration; and

Whereas, The Resolution on Academic Reorganization Procedures passed by the Academic Senate of Sonoma State University on May 20, 1976, reaffirmed that "the minimum academic-administrative time allocated to a department shall be based on the following scale:

Less than 7 FTEF:    .33
7 to 19 FTEF:            .50
20 or more FTEF:     .75; and

Whereas, Prior to the academic year 1979-80, division chairs were budgeted at the campus level by disencumbering the requisite number of instructional deanships; and

Whereas, Both the chief administrative officer of the campus and the central administration of the University system have now defined division chairs as "Management"; but

Whereas, For the fiscal year 1979-80, all instructional deanship positions were filled and three positions were subtracted from the department chair allocation to staff the division chairs, and thus of the 12.3 FTEF positions generated for department chairs, only 8.86 were assigned to the departments, and the remainder used to cover deficits in another category (3.0 to division chairs) or was unassigned (.44 FETF); and

Whereas, Therefore, the generally accepted practice for staffing both division chairs and department chairs was not followed at Sonoma State University for Fiscal Year 1979-80; be it therefore

Resolved: That the campus administration and faculty return to the previous practice, allocating to department chairs all budgetary positions generated for department chair; and be it further

Resolved: That positions allocated for division chairs, under the present and/or future plan of academic organization, be allocated from the budget for instructional deanships; and be it further

Resolved: That no search for permanent instructional administrators be conducted until a return to previous practice has been agreed upon by the administration. 

Approved by the Senate
03/06/1980