Characteristics, perceptions, and factors influencing the decision making of physical therapy chairpersons in 2000

The physical therapy (PT) profession is changing. A mailed survey elicited characteristics of current PT chairpersons, such as time spent on responsibilities, influences on decision making, perceptions of working relationships, and satisfaction with decision making, as well as information about their supervisors and the faculty they managed. Chairpersons of 115 (54.28%) accredited PT programs responded. They had been in their positions for a mean of 6.04 years; 63 (57.8%) held doctoral degrees. They had a mean of 25.6 years of experience in PT practice and 17.5 years in academic positions. Their levels of satisfaction and the power and influence they had in their positions were high. However, the time spent on faculty recruitment and mentoring, given the lack of seniority of their faculty, and the small percentage of time they devoted to their own professional development may be concerns. Long-range planning and accreditation duties take up most of the time of PT chairpersons. This information may be helpful to people who seek, or who are recruited for, chairperson positions. It provides a foundational database for longitudinal studies of PT chairpersons.