The basic, but not exclusive, campus instructional unit is the academic department. Departments at Berkeley vary in size. Typically a department is administered by a chair and vice chair.

The department chair is the chief academic and administrative officer and is in charge of guiding the overall functions of the department. In consultation with other members of the department, the chair is responsible for planning programs in teaching and recruiting, selecting, and evaluating academic and staff personnel. The chair also assigns teaching duties, allocates space within the department, and is responsible for overseeing the orientation of new faculty.

In conjunction with other members of the department, the vice chair may assist with aspects of the graduate and undergraduate programs or assist with faculty teaching assignments.

In departments, staff duties are typically divided as follows (although in large departments, duties may be divided among more than one person):

• The Graduate Assistant (working title) or Student Affairs Officer (payroll title) may coordinate, among other duties, all graduate student admissions, fellowships, qualifying exams, and student progress through their programs.

• The Undergraduate Assistant (working title) or Student Affairs Officer (payroll title) informs undergraduates about course schedules and program requirements, organizes class materials, orders textbooks for courses, handles course scheduling, and follows student progress through their majors.

• The Administrative Assistant handles accounting, purchasing, payroll, and benefits.

• The Management Services Officer (MSO) (payroll title) or Department Manager (working title) is responsible for budgetary matters, hiring and supervision of staff, preparation of academic personnel cases, health, and safety. This person often functions as the "institutional memory" of the department.

last updated on 5/8/07