Section III.D.3: Article III: Organization of the Faculty
Section 1. Divisions
- The Faculty is organized into the following Divisions: Arts and Humanities; Mathematical and Natural Sciences; and Social Sciences.
- Each division elects representatives to College committees, and one representative to the Faculty Council (see below).
- Together with the Dean of the College, the directors of interdisciplinary programs in the College of Arts & Sciences shall form an Interdisciplinary Learning Council. The Interdisciplinary Learning Council shall be a locus of discussion about existing and new interdisciplinary programs. Ideas generated there shall be brought to departments, divisions, or the Faculty Council for further elaboration.
Section 2. The Dean and the Associate Dean
- The Dean of the College is appointed by the President to serve as the chief academic officer of the College of Arts & Sciences. The Dean of the College is responsible for administering the curriculum and managing the faculty in collaboration with standing faculty committees, chairs of departments and programs, and the associate dean. The Dean of the College is a member of the Executive Council, attends meetings of the Board of Trustees, and represents the Faculty on official and public occasions. The Dean of the College also provides oversight for the Registrar’s Office, the Writing Center, the Math Skills Center, and the Aubrey R. Watzek Library.
- The Associate Dean is responsible for facilitating faculty development processes, including: position requests and searches for tenure-line faculty positions; new faculty orientation and mentoring; faculty development programming; coordinating file review for developmental review, tenure and promotion, and salary reviews; soliciting applications for sabbaticals; and managing travel and research grants. As appropriate, the materials collected by the Associate Dean are forwarded to the Dean of the College, the Committee on Promotion and Tenure, or Faculty Council for deliberation.
- The Associate Dean is appointed by the Dean of the College after considering a list of nominees forwarded by an ad hoc faculty committee. This committee seeks nominations (including self-nominations) from the faculty, ascertains that the nominees are willing to serve as Associate Dean, evaluates the qualifications of the nominees, and forwards a list of three or four top nominees to the Dean of the College.
Section 3. The Faculty Council
- The Faculty Council advises the Dean of the College on allocation of faculty and staff positions, funds for capital projects and equipment, changes in by-laws and procedures, and other issues which affect the welfare of the College.
- The Faculty Council shall have three elected representatives as voting members, with each division electing its representative from all ranks of its faculty. The Associate Dean and a representative of the Interdisciplinary Learning Council shall sit as permanent ex-officio members of the Faculty Council. Members of the standing committees of the CAS may be asked to participate in discussions of the Faculty Council as needed.
- Members of the Faculty Council and the Dean of the College shall consult regularly with the Faculty and its constituencies, keep them informed of the Council’s deliberations, and provide the Faculty with timely explanations of recommendations made by the Faculty Council.
Section 4. Departments and Programs
For purposes of planning and administering the curriculum and requirements for majors, the Faculty is organized into Departments. The Dean of the College, upon consultation with the members of each Department, shall appoint one faculty member to chair each Department. Ordinarily, the Department Chairs shall serve three-year terms. The Dean of the College may also appoint various faculty members to head minors, general educational programs, interdisciplinary programs, or other curricular programs offered by the College of Arts and Sciences.