How to select department heads? How are they changed?

Question:

You talk of department heads, and give them responsibility.  How are department heads selected? What is the mechanism for changing dept heads?

Answer:

I have tried department heads twice and find them not worth the trouble.  I put them in just in case someone wants to have them, but their roles are rather ill-defined, and they need to be graded by someone - the Senior Manager - which makes for more work for the Senior Manager.  I have always considered that there is a big danger in having department heads:  that the others will depend upon them as passively as they otherwise would, upon the teacher.

Last semester I did use them for the first half of the semester.  I chose them by a bizarre but effective method, competitive examination.  I gave the mid-term two weeks into the course!  And four or five people really went out of their way to do well  on it.  So I chose them, and they turned out to be able individuals.  Still, the role didn't give them too much to do.