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Deans' Searches, Reappointments, and Mid-Term Reviews (Provost's Policy Statement)

Deans' Searches
1. The University Provost works with the Faculty Senate's Nominations and Elections Committee to decide on search committee members. The search committee is chaired by the Provost or her/his designee, and typically includes six to eight faculty members from the college in question, a dean of another college, and a faculty member from outside the college. The Provost submits a list of possible search committee members to the Nominations and Elections committee, the members of which suggest revisions to the list or additional names. The Provost makes final decisions about the membership after determining individuals' willingness or ability to serve.

2. The search committee meets to discuss the search process, the college's needs and future direction, and to decide on an appropriate ad.

3. The search committee is responsible for seeking nominations from the faculty and for providing their own nominations for the position. Search committee members actively seek information about applicants and nominees and begin the process of conducting preliminary meetings with candidates.

4. After the search committee has developed a short list of finalists, the names are made public and the finalists are invited for campus visits. The candidates' visits include meetings with the chairs and directors of the college in question, with representatives of undergraduate and graduate students, and with other academic deans. They also involve presentations to the faculty in the college. Faculty are then invited to submit their assessments of the candidates to the search committee or directly to the Provost, should they wish to have their opinions kept confidential.

5. The search committee actively seeks faculty opinion about the candidates and uses the feedback they receive to help establish an unranked list of three which they then submit to the President for his or her decision. The President takes his or her decision to the Executive Committee of the Board of Trustees for approval.

Deans' Reappointments
1. During the first semester of the fourth year of a dean's five-year term, the Provost inquires About the Deans of the University Faculty's interest in re-appointment, and actively seeks information About the Deans of the University Faculty's performance directly from the faculty in the college, the deans' colleagues in the administration, and alumni advisory council members.

2. The Provost reports the results of the review to the President who makes the final decision about reappointment after meeting with the dean to discuss the views of the faculty, deans, and alumni. Decisions to reappoint are referred to the Executive Committee of the Board of Trustees for approval.

Deans' Mid-Term Reviews
1. At the end of the second year of the dean's five-year appointment, the Provost's Office provides the resources for a 360 review to be conducted by an outside consulting firm. The reviewers will gather information from the dean's supervisor, i.e., the Provost. The dean selects reviewers from among his/her colleagues on the Academic Deans' Council, associates in the dean's office, department chairs, and faculty members in the college. It is the dean's responsibility to seek a wide variety of perspectives.

2. The dean meets with the outside consultant who has administered the review for a two-hour discussion of the results.

3. The dean will meet with the Provost to report the results of the study and discuss his or her responses to them. Any concerns that have arisen will be discussed and addressed.

October 2, 2002