Section 1. COLLEGES, SCHOOLS, DEPARTMENTS, AND PROGRAMS: NOMINATION AND TERMS OF OFFICE FOR ADMINISTRATORS
- Each of the four colleges in the university’s academic structure will be led by a college dean.
- Each academic unit within a college will be led by an academic unit head, which includes directors of programs, chairs of departments, and associate deans and deans of schools.
- Each department and program shall (1) develop election procedures for nomination of candidates for administrative positions and (2) recommend terms of office for those positions. The nomination(s) shall be forwarded to the president of the university by January 15 of the last year in the term of office.
- The provost will recommend candidates and terms of office for school unit heads, after consultation with relevant academic unit(s) and college dean. The nomination(s) shall be forwarded to the president of the university.
- The president of the university will recommend the appointment of college deans, after consultation with the provost and the academic units within the college.
- The director of core curriculum will serve as the equivalent of the college dean for academic core programs that are not affiliated with other colleges.
Section 2. EVALUATION OF ACADEMIC ADMINISTRATORS
- The Provost’s Academic Council in consultation with the Rank and Tenure Committee and Faculty Affairs Committee shall develop and bring to the Faculty Assembly for approval the instruments and procedures to be used in the evaluation process.
- It shall be the responsibility of all faculty with voting rights to evaluate academic unit heads and college deans annually in administrator feedback forms. The administrator feedback forms are to be completed and the results shared with the administrator and their immediate administrative superior by June 15. The provost will also share the results of the administrator feedback forms with the university president by June 15.
- Academic unit heads are reviewed annually by their college dean. College deans are reviewed annually by the provost. Reviews will incorporate the results of administrator feedback forms. By September 1, a draft of the review for the previous academic year is to be shared with the administrator being reviewed. By September 15, the administrator being reviewed may offer their response and/or meet with their immediate administrative superior. By September 30, the final review is due in the Office of the Provost.
Section 3. JOB DESCRIPTION FOR COLLEGE DEANS
- Provide leadership for and supervise the academic programs of the college.
- Provide reports essential for effective administration of the division/school and its academic programs.
- Establish and recommend the budget of the college.
- Recommend and supervise department, program, and school budgets within the college.
- Make recommendations for faculty appointments, promotions, salaries, sabbatical and special leaves, and oversee or write required faculty evaluations.
- Facilitate recommendations for student, faculty and staff awards.
- Encourage and facilitate the professional growth and teaching competency of the faculty, and the professional growth of college staff.
- Support academic leadership and collaboration among department, program, and school administrators.
- Support the development and competency of the staff of the departments, division, and school.
- Advance the financial support base of the programs and facilities of the college and its academic programs.
- Work cooperatively with the other deans to foster the liberal arts and their integration with major and professional degree curricula.
- Collaborate with other college deans and the provost on academic division priorities.
- The provost may in consultation with the president, amplify this job description.
Section 4. ACADEMIC UNIT HEAD
- Academic unit heads have planning, management, and leadership responsibilities that include the following: unit governance, instructional supervision, faculty affairs, student affairs, external communication, fiscal management, office management, and unit development. Appointed by the president and the Board of Regents, unit heads serve the faculty and the institution, a dual responsibility. They report, administratively, to their respective college deans. Units, if they wish, and in consultation with their college deans and the provost, may amplify this job description.
- The annual contractual term of service for Dean or associate dean overseeing a school is normally 12 months. Compensation and release time will be negotiated with the college dean upon appointment.
- While department chairs are recognized as having duties spread across 12 months, the workload is generally equivalent to 10 months. Their annual contractual term of service is the 10-month period September 1 – June 30. Compensation for the chair during this 10-month period shall consist of two parts: a) a course load release during the academic year (September 1 – May 31) at a level to be determined by the college dean in consultation with the provost, and b) in addition to their regular faculty contract, a 10-month service agreement carrying with it a stipend to be paid over those 10 months.
- Interdisciplinary Program directors and chairs have duties that are unique to each program and the scope of duties varies considerably among the programs. For selected programs, the position of director or chair carries with it a course release during the academic year at a level to be determined by the college dean in consultation with the provost. For selected programs additional compensation may be considered as well.
- In some cases, and as a consequence of the release time provided to academic unit heads, departments may need additional funds to maintain their teaching schedules. Requests for such funds to meet the needs caused by the chair release time should be submitted annually to the college dean by February 15 for the following academic year.