Welcome

One of the greatest services a faculty member can perform for Rice University is to lead their department. The academic department comprises the heart of the University. This setting is where faculty members are most deeply engaged in the work of the University and where faculty governance is strongest and most apparent. Therefore, the department chair is a central force in fostering a positive climate, as well as influencing student, staff, and faculty life. Rice personally thanks each department chair for accepting this critical leadership role.

We hope that this website, designed specifically for department chairs, will be a useful repository of information targeted at assisting both new chairs and those already serving. This site will provide easy access to resources and information that chairs need as they lead their department. We must work together to make Rice University a place where faculty create new knowledge, teach young scholars, and perform valuable service that enriches and sustains our communities, both locally and nationally. Without the department chairs, these essential processes would not be possible.