Position Descriptions

Z33G

As leaders of their academic departments, Department Chairs foster a sense of cohesive team building within their units and represent their departments to other areas of the University. Chairs direct and motivate faculty efforts to explore new directions for their departments as well as exercise oversight to ensure the academic quality of their departments’ existing programs. Toward these ends, major responsibilities of the chairs include attention to curricular and programmatic issues and the professional development of the faculty. Additional information on Department Chairs can be found in the Faculty Bylaws, Article XI.

Chairs keep abreast of developments in the content and pedagogy of their disciplines to ensure the currency and appropriateness of curricular offerings. Chairs oversee those further activities (advising, student organizations and/or honor societies, events for majors/minors, etc.) which complement the curricula of their majors to ensure students a complete and high quality educational experience. Chairs coordinate their departments’ strategic planning in these curricular and programmatic areas and ensure that assessment of goals is conducted and used in ongoing planning.

Chairs assist departmental faculty in the creation and implementation of individual professional development plans and engage in formative evaluation of the faculty, the primary purpose of which is to advance professional development. Chairs also assist Deans in matters of hiring, contract status, salary, promotion, and tenure.

Z22R

As leaders of the academic college and various schools, Deans are responsible for the overall direction of programs within their units. Attuned to the institutional and societal contexts affecting current and potential programs within their units, Deans coordinate and motivate the efforts of Department Chairs, Program Directors, and faculty to respond creatively to these contexts. The Deans ensure the effective implementation of these goals through allocation and management of resources, through appropriate initiatives for external funding, and through evaluation of the quality of personnel, programs, and related services.

Deans coordinate the use of budgeted funds to ensure appropriate staffing within their units (balance of full-time, part-time, and overload) and recommend areas within their units that require additional staffing. Deans coordinate course offerings within their units to meet departmental and core curriculum needs. Deans coordinate and make recommendations concerning departmental and program initiatives and their budgetary priorities.

Deans oversee that department and program planning are consistent with missions of the institution and their school/college. They evaluate the assessment efforts of departments and programs to ensure that results yield meaningful information which is used in ongoing planning. The Deans work closely with Chairs, Program Directors, and faculty in implementing program improvements. Deans are responsible for the summative administrative evaluation of their unit’s faculty and make recommendations to the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs in matters of salary, promotion, continuance, and tenure. Deans also assure appropriate faculty development activity throughout their unit.

The first Friday of February is reserved for meetings of the faculty of each school or college for the purpose of consideration and discussion of matters within their purview, including curriculum. The agenda of the meeting shall be set by the appropriate Dean, who will also preside over the meeting. 

Z35J

As leader of academic affairs, the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs guides the establishment of overall directions for the University’s academic programs. The Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs anticipates future developments in higher education and their impact on the University, identifies the threats and opportunities they pose, and evaluates the needs inherent in meeting those challenges creatively and effectively. The Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs is responsible for ensuring the academic quality of all departments, programs, and services within the academic affairs unit through the appropriation and allocation of necessary resources, through the oversight of hiring and evaluation activities, and through the establishment and coordination of policies and priorities.

The Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs has primary responsibility for securing internal and external funding in support of academic programs and services. The Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs establishes policies for and retains ultimate responsibility over the management of budgets within academic affairs. The Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs authorizes the creation and elimination of faculty and academic staff positions as appropriate to the plans and priorities of the academic affairs unit and oversees that the allocation of resources to the various programs within the unit reflects established priorities. The Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs oversees the ongoing evaluation of personnel and assessment of programs to ensure appropriate levels of quality throughout the academic affairs unit of the University. The Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs makes recommendations for promotion and tenure decisions to the President.

The Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs oversees the development of the strategic plan for academic affairs, assigns responsibilities for its implementation, reviews academic policies for their consistency with the strategic plan and University mission, and has responsibility for the overall evaluation of the plan's implementation and outcomes. The Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs coordinates initiatives and ongoing programs across all areas of academic affairs and guides the establishment of annual and long-term priorities.