Recognizing that the roles and responsibilities of the academic department chair and school director are among the most complex within the institution, Iowa State University established the Department Chairs Council, comprised of all current department chairs/school directors, to provide for communication between the department chairs as a group and the administration, faculty, staff, and students of Iowa State University. The Senior Vice President and Provost and the Faculty Senate President are ex-officio non-voting members of the Council. The Council’s governance is documented in the Department Chairs Council Constitution and Bylaws (DOC).
To facilitate communication, the Council elects a Cabinet which consists of one chair from each of the colleges and four at-large chairs. The Senior Vice President and Provost (or designee) and the Faculty Senate President (or designee) attend Cabinet meetings as ex-officio non-voting members. The Cabinet meets monthly to discuss and make recommendations on matters of university concern with particular implications for academic departments and programs.
Meetings of the Department Chairs Cabinet take place from 8:30 a.m. to 9:45 a.m. in 3150 Beardshear Hall.
Meeting dates for the 2025-2026 academic year are: September 12 (Minutes), October 10 (Minutes), November 14 (Minutes), December 12, January 23, February 13, March 13, April 10, and May 8