Deans and Chairs

Deans and Chairs

College Deans

Deans of colleges (including schools, centers, and programs that report to the Provost) are responsible for providing leadership and for such matters of academic management as coordinating the design and development of academic degree programs and curriculum, the recruitment, assignment and development of faculty, and the maintenance of such programs’ quality and standards. Deans work collaboratively with faculty in shared governance. Deans serve on the Academic Council, which meet regularly during the academic year, providing oversight and management for the University’s academic programs. On matters of faculty reappointment and review, the deans work closely with the faculty promotion and review committees of their colleges on the evaluation of faculty for reappointment and promotion. Deans coordinate the process of peer evaluation of faculty. In the search for new regular and adjunct faculty, deans work closely with faculty and program chairs of the relevant academic disciplines. Deans provide guidance, and mentoring, to faculty in the improvement of teaching and may cooperate with the Teaching and Learning Center in this effort. Specific duties carried out by the dean of a college include, but are not limited to:

  • Faculty workload management
  • Adjunct faculty hiring
  • Overload faculty contracts
  • Faculty Orientation
  • Peer evaluation of faculty
  • Student evaluation of teaching
  • Textbook ordering
  • Course scheduling
  • Coordination with academic advising
  • Curriculum and program review
  • Maintenance of model syllabi
  • Approval of petitions to graduate
  • General student petitions
  • Transcript evaluation
  • Approval of Degree Conferral

Assistant and Associate Deans

Assistant and associate deans help deans of colleges with the leadership and management of academic, curricular, and faculty matters in that academic unit. Assistant and Associate Deans have broader duties than program chairs, assist with the management of numerous academic disciplines, and have a more limited teaching load than program chairs.

Department and Program Chairs

Department and Academic Program Chairs are full-time faculty members who assist deans of colleges with the management of academic, curricular and faculty matters. The specific duties of the department and program chairs are outlined in the Faculty Handbook.