Department chairperson vs student services director

The differences between department chairpeople and student services directors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both a department chairperson and a student services director. Additionally, a department chairperson has an average salary of $98,438, which is higher than the $68,307 average annual salary of a student services director.

The top three skills for a department chairperson include curriculum development, professional development and classroom management. The most important skills for a student services director are professional development, financial aid, and support services.

Department chairperson vs student services director overview

	Department Chairperson	Student Services Director
Yearly salary	$98,438	$68,307
Hourly rate	$47.33	$32.84
Growth rate	7%	7%
Number of jobs	33,511	69,818
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 54%	Bachelor's Degree, 60%
Average age	47	47
Years of experience	6	6

What does a department chairperson do?

A Department Chairperson is a faculty member who provides academic and administrative leadership to an academic department. They exercise leadership in recruiting and retaining capable faculty, communicate departmental needs and desires to the Dean and Provost, and coordinate the academic advisement process.

What does a student services director do?

In learning institutions, a Student Services Director spearheads and oversees the student services office's daily operations. They directly handle student affairs, from academic endeavors to student discipline, including expulsions and suspensions, school security, child welfare, internships, and alternative education. A Student Services Director also participates in developing academic projects and programs, coordinating with internal and external parties to make them possible. Moreover, they also have the authority to implement policies and regulations, developing new ones as necessary.

Department chairperson vs student services director salary

Department chairpeople and student services directors have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Department Chairperson	Student Services Director
Average salary	$98,438	$68,307
Salary range	Between $50,000 And $191,000	Between $43,000 And $106,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	Berkeley, CA
Highest paying state	California	New Jersey
Best paying company	Marshall University	Los Alamos National Laboratory
Best paying industry	Finance	-

Differences between department chairperson and student services director education

There are a few differences between a department chairperson and a student services director in terms of educational background:

	Department Chairperson	Student Services Director
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 54%	Bachelor's Degree, 60%
Most common major	Education	Business
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

Department chairperson vs student services director demographics

Here are the differences between department chairpeople' and student services directors' demographics:

	Department Chairperson	Student Services Director
Average age	47	47
Gender ratio	Male, 45.5% Female, 54.5%	Male, 37.4% Female, 62.6%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 12.8% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 13.5% Asian, 4.2% White, 64.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%	Black or African American, 10.4% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 14.0% Asian, 4.3% White, 66.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	16%	16%

Differences between department chairperson and student services director duties and responsibilities

Department chairperson example responsibilities.

Manage the club's Facebook/Twitter accounts.
Lead meetings with ESL department teachers in which teachers collaborate on unit plan ideas, classroom strategies and student needs.
Manage the development of an alumni newsletter and coordinate with alumni to provide relevant content.
Manage both individual and organizational achievements for the members through involvement with the community, philanthropies, campus involvement, and scholarship
Negotiate and obtain clinical sites for PN and ADN programs.
Develop and deliver dynamic, rigorous lessons for high school economics classes.

Student services director example responsibilities.

Support and oversee students from colleges across the country as they organize and lead interfaith service programming on their own campuses.
Source employers through market research, LinkedIn and cold calls.
Explore and find additional sources to supplement scholarship funds for minorities.
Review and edit resumes while providing direction for content in LinkedIn and e-portfolio profiles.
Attend and contribute to impartial hearings or legally-binding mediation meetings where students' needs are discuss.
Design and maintain a participation tracking system that will accurately document student participation in the SSS program.

Department chairperson vs student services director skills

Common department chairperson skills

Curriculum Development, 15%
Professional Development, 14%
Classroom Management, 13%
Rehabilitation, 7%
Student Learning, 5%
Colleges, 4%

Common student services director skills

Professional Development, 8%
Financial Aid, 7%
Support Services, 6%
Social Work, 5%
Alumni, 4%
Student Life, 4%

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Department Chairperson
Department Chairperson vs Student Services Director

Updated January 8, 2025

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