You have a meeting with your new chair, and 'ask about expectations' is sitting at the top of your notes. But expectations can mean a hundred things. A useful first conversation needs questions that lead to decisions you can act on.
Bring your appointment information, your teaching schedule, and a short list of uncertainties. You don't have to solve your entire career in one meeting. Aim to leave knowing what matters first and where the next answers will come from.
1. What does my assignment look like this semester?
Ask about the responsibilities attached to your appointment and any formal allocation across teaching, research, service, or other work. Clarify preparation, advising, coordination, and administrative duties that might not be obvious from the course schedule. If something is still being decided, ask when it will be confirmed.
2. Which deadlines should I know about now?
Get the dates for immediate course requirements, required training, and the next evaluation process. Ask where the official calendar and instructions live. A colleague's estimate is useful context, but you'll want the actual deadline in your own calendar.
3. Where are the current criteria and course materials?
Ask for the applicable review guidance, approved course information, and any master syllabi. Clarify which documents govern your appointment. If several versions are online, ask which one applies rather than choosing the newest-looking file.
4. Who can help with routine questions?
Find out who handles course scheduling, purchases, travel, classroom technology, and other common needs. Ask how requests should be submitted and what lead time is reasonable. Knowing the route helps you respect staff time and avoid sending the same question to five people.
5. What should I focus on first, and when should we check in?
Bring your own sense of priorities and ask whether it matches the department's immediate needs. If the list is too long, ask what can move. Agree on a follow-up point and what you should have ready by then.
Bring a real scheduling problem to the conversation
Broad questions can produce broad answers. If your first month includes a new course preparation, an approaching project deadline, and a request to join a committee, explain that combination. Ask how those responsibilities should be prioritized under your assignment. A chair can respond more usefully to a concrete conflict than to a general promise that you'll work hard.
You can also distinguish an expectation from an opportunity. Is the committee role part of your assigned work, something you may consider later, or a request that needs further discussion? Knowing the difference helps you plan without treating every invitation as an obligation.
Leave room in your notes for questions the chair can't settle that day. Record who will clarify the issue and when you should follow up. A productive meeting doesn't require instant answers to everything. It requires a clear enough next step that uncertainty doesn't quietly become the basis for your schedule.
After the meeting, send a brief recap of the decisions and any items still awaiting clarification. Keep it simple: responsibilities, dates, and next steps. If you misunderstood something, that gives your chair an easy opportunity to correct it before you build a month of work around the wrong assumption.
Adapted from the first-week guidance in The New Faculty Handbook by Zafer Unal, p. 1.
