Background

The Office of the Dean of Faculty (ODOF) represents the interests of the faculty to the Trustees and the Administration as well as to students, employees, and alumni. Conversely, it is the responsibility of the ODOF to ensure that the faculty is fully informed about campus issues and the concerns of each university constituency. Shared governance is key to creating an environment that genuinely supports faculty teaching and research. Working towards that end, the ODOF strives to make sure that the collective wisdom of the Faculty is expressed through the Senate and the network of committees that surround it. The ODOF works for the faculty, helping its members navigate the complexities of their profession and university. The formal DOF job description is given here. What follows are details likely to be of interest to candidates for the position.

Eligibility

The DOF must be a member of the University Faculty with University Voting Rights, basically a holder of one of these titles: assistant professor, associate  professor, professor, associate professor emeritus/a, or professor emeritus/a.

The Formal Appointment

The DOF is an elected position and is a half-time appointment. The initial appointment is for three years and can be extended with Senate approval. An individual can serve as DOF for not more than five years. The original appointment and subsequent extensions must be approved by the Executive Committee of the Board of Trustees. (University Bylaws Article XIII.3 ). Although not part of the administration, the “HR part” of the DOF position is handled through the Office of the President.

Electorate

All members of the University Faculty can vote in a DOF election as can all RTE Faculty with these titles: Senior Lecturer, Senior Research Associate, Senior Extension Associate, Professor of the Practice (all ranks), Clinical Professor (all ranks), Research Professor (all ranks), senior scientist, senior scholar, research scientist, principal research scientist, librarian, associate librarian, archivist, and associate archivist. More

Communication

The ODOF maintains an extensive website that is used to keep the faculty informed about pending legislation, ongoing projects, and existing policy. It houses the Faculty Handbook and an archive of past Senate actions. The DOF website is used to solicit comments on major issues. To keep the faculty informed about current events and opportunities, the ODOF publishes an extremely brief  weekly “Monday Message“.

Office of the Dean of Faculty Staff

The ODOF staff consists of three individuals who handle the Dean and Associate Dean calendars, all committee appointments and scheduling, Faculty Senate logistics, memorial statements, the DOF website, the Monday messages, tenure promotions and issues, the Weiss Awards, and all of the DOF interactions outlined below. It also engages the emeriti and other retired academics through CAPE.

Interactions and Activities

The DOF has the opportunity to interact with many individuals and offices across campus as summarized in the table below. Workload depends strongly on the DOF’s inclination to delegate and take on projects that are deemed to be important. The DOF routinely works with all members of the central administration, but is not formally part of the administration. As a result, the DOF is in a unique position to think broadly, independently, and effectively for the good of the faculty. The DOF must be committed to  transparency, diversity, and shared governance.