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Create your departmental organizational chart in Excel

The easiest way to create an organization chart in Excel is to use SmartArt feature. An org chart template has been provided so that you can customize it to your department.

The listing of people/positions shown on spreadsheet is completely independent from the diagram. You will need to fill out both, independently.

Start from a template

  1. Open the Excel worksheet (Template.xlsx) Jason Dudich, VP for Finance & Administration, emailed to Deans and VP's in Microsoft Excel, not Google Sheets.

Google Sheets is not recommended because it does not include all the features this Tech Guide suggests.

  1. Click on the chart to the right of the listed columns. A type your text here text pane will appear. You can edit the text in this text pane or directly on the chart (blue boxes). This text pane allows you to easily outline the structure of your organization.
Depicts step 2

If you close the text pane, it can be re-opened by right-clicking on chart and selecting Show Text Pane.

Depicts right-clicking options
  1. In the text pane, to illustrate reporting lines, press TAB for that title. The chart will update immediately. If you mistakenly indented, you can remove by pressing BACKSPACE.  In the sample (pictured below) Filled Title 2 position has been tabbed twice to illustrate that it's two positions under the Department Head.
Depicts sample
Add a person's name to the position
  1. To add the person's name for the position you can not use the text pane, you must click on the white box (within the chart) and enter the name directly there.
Depicts step 1
If a position is currently vacant

If a position is currently vacant, enter the following as a job title depending upon the position's current state:

  • Approved - Vacant if position has been budgetary approved to be refilled. (Green box)
  • Unapproved - Vacant if position had not been budgetary approved yet to refill. (Red box)
  • Approved - Currently Contractor - if position has been budgetary approved to be refilled and currently has a contractor in the position. (Yellow box)

To change the box's fill color, right-click on the box within the chart. Select Fill and select the appropriate color under the drop down arrow.

Depicts right-click for fill option
Add additional position(s)
  1. To add an additional position, go to your text pane and press ENTER under the job title this additional position will report to.
  2. Enter the job title (via text pane or chart).
  3. Make sure this new position is highlighted and press TAB.
  4. Enter the person's name via the chart.

In the sample illustrated below, Additional Position is entered as the job title for the additional position. Right now it's listed as reporting to the Departmental Head, to have it report to the Temp Title press TAB.

Depicts sample of additional position
Adding Adjunct Faculty

For Adjuncts, the number of Adjuncts currently available to the department can be listed numerically (specific names are not necessary) in the white box. These are individuals who have completed the HR process and are available to have a contract.

Depicts white box for Adjuncts
Changing a solid reporting line to a dotted line (illustrating temporary or shared reporting lines)

To change a line to dotted, create the position as usual and then:

  1. Click on the line that needs to be changed.
  2. Right-click on the line and select style from the menu.
  3. Choose the correct dotted line from the presets.
Depicts steps 1-3