Governance and Administration

Organizational Structure

The president is responsible to the Board, and administrators are directly responsible to the president. Present cabinet-level administrators include the chief operating officer, the vice president for academic affairs, the vice president for enrollment management, the vice president for university advancement, the vice president for student development, facilities and athletics, the chief intercultural engagement officer, the chief marketing and communications officer, and the chaplain.

Board of Trustees

The University is administered by a board of trustees and a group of administrative officers headed by the president. The board of trustees meets regularly twice each year to handle matters of general importance. Certain committees of the board meet more frequently as necessary.

Faculty Organization

The John Brown University faculty meets monthly during the academic year. As stated in the Faculty Constitution, voting members are all instructors, assistant professors, associate professors, and full professors on a full or part-time basis. Faculty status is typically granted to those who teach or perform research for some part of their regular contract or who supervise faculty or curriculum. Once faculty status has been approved, it is generally retained. The chair of the organization is the president of the university; the vice-chair is the vice president for academic affairs. (See Appendix D - Faculty Constitution ).

The table below provides an overview of the academic decision-making model. An ‘X’ indicates that action is taken by the body, and an ‘I’ indicates that information is provided to the body.

Academic Organization

Reporting to the vice president for academic affairs are various committee chairs, college deans of the four academic colleges, the dean of undergraduate studies, and those responsible for support areas. That list of support personnel includes the dean of academic services and registrar, the director of institutional research and assessment, the director of the library, the director of the honors scholars program, the director of faculty development, the chief innovation officer, and the director of ATLAS.

Committees

A list of elected and standing committees, with details of their responsibilities, is prepared annually and distributed by the Office of Academic Affairs to all persons concerned. Committee membership is determined by faculty election and/or appointment by the vice president for academic affairs and/or the president. Preference for membership on particular committees is considered in the appointment process assuming they are communicated to the dean of undergraduate studies well before the appointments are made over the summer.

Faculty are elected or appointed by their colleagues to the following committees for three-year terms: Core Curriculum, Faculty Affairs, Faculty Development, and Faculty Status. Elections are held each spring semester during the last Faculty Meeting of the academic year.

The standing committees consist of faculty members, staff members, and in some cases, a student representative.

Student representatives on committees may legitimately have voting privileges. For example, the Honors Executive Council president, elected by honors students, should have voting privileges on the Honors Scholars Committee. However, faculty-elected committees represent the voice of the faculty. Students may be represented on these committees but should not be voting members. The following distinction has been approved by the faculty (May 2004):

• Standing committees that have student representatives will allow students to have voting status.
• Students do not have voting status on faculty elected committees.

Please refer to Appendix C - Committee Appointments  for information on each committee and the committee members. Questions regarding committees can be directed to the Office of Academic Affairs.

Departmental Organization

Academic colleges are organized around departments. All academic degree programs are housed within departments, and while a department can have several programs, all programs in a department are at the same level, i.e. either all undergraduate or all graduate.

Guidelines for Department Chairs

Each department chair is appointed by the college dean in consultation with the vice president for academic affairs and the faculty in the department. Administrative duties for department chairs vary according to the size and programs of the department. The department chair works closely with the college dean on common problems and exercises general oversight of the department. Department chairs are responsible for:

• Creating and leading an environment that promotes retaining and recruiting students.
• Creating and leading an environment that promotes recruiting and retaining excellent faculty.
• Working with faculty to review and revise the programs and curriculum.
• Scheduling courses each semester.
• Selecting, scheduling, and overseeing adjuncts.
• Completing annual student learning outcome and operational effectiveness reports.
• Directing the program review.
• Overseeing the department budget and expenses.
• Coordinating student recruiting and retention efforts.
• Leading the work of the program coordinators.
• Supporting the chemical hygiene program as specified in the Chemical Hygiene Plan (as appropriate for their department).

Program Coordinators

The program coordinator is the point person for a degree program and works with the department chair to:

• Review and revise the program’s curriculum and degree requirements.
• Oversee the assessment process for the program.
• Coordinate the program review.
• Consult on recruiting and retention efforts.

Appointment of College Deans

Each college dean is appointed by the vice president for academic affairs and the president in consultation with faculty. There are no stated qualifications for this position, but the appointee should be an experienced member of the college who, in the judgment of the president and vice president for academic affairs, will be an effective leader. College deans are evaluated every three years-see Appendix B - Evaluation of Administrative Heads .

Responsibilities of College Deans

1. To provide leadership for the college and its individual departments.

• To conduct a continuing review of course offerings within the college and to encourage innovation and experimentation in course content, teaching methods, and styles of instruction.
• To speak on behalf of the college to other areas and to the university as a whole.
• To conduct a continuing review of the role and contribution of the college and its constituents to JBU.
• To be an exemplar of good teaching and sound scholarship.

2. To administer the work of the college.

• To coordinate and evaluate college course offerings.
• To make recommendations for college and department budget allocations and to administer the budget assigned.
• To schedule regular meetings of the college faculty.
• To chair faculty search committees.

3. To maintain concern for the development of both students and faculty within the college.

• To encourage improvement in teaching and professional development among all members of the college.
• To take leadership in identifying qualified candidates for full and part-time faculty and staff positions.
• To evaluate the professional performance of members of the college and make recommendations for promotions and sabbatical leaves.
• To serve as supervisor for faculty in the college.
• To identify and encourage student academic leadership in the college and to maintain an active interest in advising students in graduate and vocational opportunities.
• To coordinate the advising of students during fall, spring, and Eagle Base Camp.

4. To be responsible to the vice president for academic affairs for the work of the college.

• To interpret the needs of the college or division to the vice president for academic affairs and to interpret the needs of the university to the college.
• To support the institution’s efforts in recruitment and retention.
• To support the institution’s efforts in assessment and accreditation.
• To be a member of the Deans Council and to share actively in its discussions, recommendations, and decisions.
• To communicate council discussions, recommendations, and decisions to the college faculty members and staff.
• To complete an Annual Report of college activities (see Appendix A - Annual Reports ).