Administrative Rules

Value Statement

The Austin Community College District will provide opportunities for faculty to provide input on the performance of Department Chairs, and will ensure a fair, democratic, and consistently applied process for the selection of those Department Chairs who are elected by the full-time faculty and designated adjunct faculty who have voting rights in the department(s). 

Administrative Rule

General Guidelines

Departments which may elect their Department Chair will be noted in the current Organizational Reference. 

Department Chairs will assume their appointment at the end of the Spring Semester in which the election is conducted.

Election will occur by written, sealed ballot by eligible voters at a pre-announced department meeting; absentee voting will be allowed for any eligible voters who wish to exercise this option (regardless of whether or not they choose to attend the designated meeting to count votes).

 Any faculty who believe the election process was not fair or that unprofessional election behavior occurred may notify the appropriate Dean who will review and make a determination.  Appeals terminate at the level of Vice President.

Eligibility to Serve as Department Chair

Eligibility to serve as Department Chair is limited to full-time faculty of the appropriate department(s) and who have received a satisfactory evaluation in the most recent evaluation cycle.

Current Department Chairs are eligible for election if they have received a satisfactory supervisory evaluation by the Dean.  The Dean is also to take into consideration the results of the most recent upward evaluation in determining eligibility.

Election Process 

The Department will identify a full-time instructor, who may not be a candidate for Department Chair, to serve as Election Coordinator.  This can be done by the current Department Chair or by vote of the full-time faculty in the department(s), whichever the full-time faculty prefer. Absent someone willing to serve in this capacity, the Dean will serve as the Election Coordinator. 

The Election Coordinator will, by dates noted below, do the following:

• March:  Announce the process and all related dates via email and print copy.  A minimum of ten working days, Monday-Friday, must be honored for securing nominations.

Absent eligible candidates, the Dean will appoint a Department Chair for a one-year term, subject to approval by the appropriate Vice President.

• March:  Confirm eligibility status with the appropriate Dean.

Compile the list of eligible voters as noted above.

• Early April:  Issue ballot of eligible candidates to eligible voters, with instructions which note the deadline for casting sealed ballot (which can occur by mail to the Election Coordinator or at a scheduled department meeting, if meeting is announced a minimum of ten days, Monday-Friday, in advance). 

Ballots are to be inserted in a plain envelope which voters will seal. The envelope with ballot is then to be inserted in another envelope, by the voter, and returned with signature across the sealed flap.  The Election Coordinator will ensure that no identifying information regarding name or ballot cast occurs.         

• Late April:  Tally votes and ensure that ballots cast do not exceed the number of eligible voters.  Review election process with the Dean to ensure compliance with Administrative Rule

If no candidate has 50% of the votes, conduct run-off election within five working days (Monday-Friday); absentee voting will be allowed.

• Late April:  Announce the elected Department Chair to all faculty (voting and non-voting) within the department(s), and to the appropriate Dean and Vice President.

The appropriate Vice President(s) will update the Organizational Reference and notify the President's Leadership Team of newly-elected Department Chairs so that appropriate organizational charts and budget authorizations can be updated.