Digital Commons Network^™

The Appointment Of Untenured Department Chairs In Two- And Four-Year Colleges In A Western State: Problems And Potentials, Forrest G. Williams

Theses and Dissertations

This research study explored the appointment of untenured faculty as department chairs in three two- and four-year colleges in one Western state's system of higher education. Eleven untenured faculty serving as untenured department chairs were interviewed using the qualitative methodology of grounded theory to analyze the data collected in the form of interview transcripts. At the two- and four-year colleges studied, an untenured faculty member's potential of achieving tenure does not appear to be negatively affected by serving as department chair before receiving tenure. A central finding in this research study is the presentation of an explanatory model that provides …