If higher education is to fulfill its vital social mission, newdepartment leaders must be prepared for their positions and get upto speed on the basics quickly, educating themselves about the roleand continuing to learn on the job. In this second edition of his classic resource, Don Chu outlinesthe proven ideas and strategies new department chairs need in orderto do their jobs well. Thoroughly revised and updated, TheDepartment Chair Primer contains information that addresses thecurrent pressures and challenges in higher education and offerspractical suggestions for responding to them. Filled with illustrative examples, the book gets straight to theheart of challenges and issues. Each chapter details a particularproblem, includes a brief introduction to the topic, and providestips on how to deal with the situation. Covering a wealth oftopics, The Department Chair Primer Explores the chair's role as department leader Offers suggestions for handling stress and conflict Includes information on budgeting, resource management, anddevelopment Contains strategies for professional development, peoplemanagement, and working with challenging personnel Presents ideas for handling department communications, studentdevelopment, and strategic positioning Written in a concise and accessible manner, The Department ChairPrimer is an ideal resource for the busy new department chair.