Peer-reviewedCC BY 4.0PLOS Computational Biology
Ten simple rules for a department chair
- 1Faculty of Natural Sciences, Department of Genetics, Comenius University Bratislava, Bratislava, Slovakia
Abstract
Department chairs occupy a pivotal position in the university. Teaching, research, graduate education, and much of the academic community's professional and administrative activity are organized at the departmental level. Yet, despite the importance of the position and the considerable challenges it entails, many scientists assume the role with little or no formal preparation for academic leadership. This paper is intended as a practical primer rather than a comprehensive guide to academic leadership. The proposed rules provide a framework that prospective and current department chairs can adapt to their own institutional circumstances, experience, and leadership style.
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BibTeX
@article{tomaska2026simple,
title = {{Ten simple rules for a department chair}},
author = {Lubomir Tomaska},
journal = {PLOS Computational Biology},
year = {2026},
month = nov,
doi = {10.1371/journal.pcbi.1014934},
url = {https://journals.plos.org/ploscompbiol/article?id=10.1371/journal.pcbi.1014934},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Ten simple rules for a department chair
AU - Lubomir Tomaska
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/11/06
JO - PLOS Computational Biology
DO - 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1014934
UR - https://journals.plos.org/ploscompbiol/article?id=10.1371/journal.pcbi.1014934
AB - Department chairs occupy a pivotal position in the university. Teaching, research, graduate education, and much of the academic community's professional and administrative activity are organized at the departmental level. Yet, despite the importance of the position and the considerable challenges it entails, many scientists assume the role with little or no formal preparation for academic leadership. This paper is intended as a practical primer rather than a comprehensive guide to academic leadership. The proposed rules provide a framework that prospective and current department chairs can adapt to their own institutional circumstances, experience, and leadership style.
SN - 1553-7358
ER -