Academic Chairperson Evaluation Instrument: A Potential Design (Report‪)‬

ABSTRACT The professional literature seems to contain a deluge of descriptions of the ever-increasing complex academic chairperson functions, but there was substantially less information about chairperson evaluation procedures. Consistency in evaluation seems important give the consistency of the annual evaluation, the need for formative data, and the argued benefit of development through dean-chairperson collaboration. Therefore, the Leadership Evaluation Instrument for Academic Chairpersons (LEIFAC) was developed, piloted, and suggested as a tool for future research. The 39-item scale, completed by faculty members using a likert-scale, measures five areas: 1) Managerial, 2) Interpersonal, 3) Communication, 4) Academic, and 5) Political. Estimates of internal consistency ranged from .77 to .99. Cautious recommendations for practice and directions for future research are included.