By Ryan Winstead

The College of Arts and Sciences has selected new department chairs.

This change in personnel includes seven new ledaers, each hand picked via a selection process headed by Mark Kornbluh, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences.

The intensity of this process mirrors the responsibility for each chair, said Richard Milich, interim chair for psychology.

“It’s like a full-time job,” Milich said.

Deborah Crooks, the chair for anthropology, agreed.

“We’re just like the head of a company,” she said.

One responsibility of the chairs is the budgetary power. This power includes the distribution of money among programs old and new, allowing them to snuff potentially bad ideas while aiding fresh ones, Milich said.

Hiring new faculty, promotion of staff, scheduling meetings and committee hearings are only a few others.

This level of control will lead to contemporary programs for students.

Ernest Yanarella, the department chair for political science, said students can look forward to upcoming programs.

“We’re currently working on a multi-year hiring plan to expand the number of faculty in our department,” he said. “This will help to offer more undergrad classes.”

Milich and Crooks also discussed new programs in their departments, which include a new honors program, renovations and a graduate program.