D. Departments, Programs, and Divisions

Tenure-stream faculty are members of departments and/or programs, groups of faculty who share recognized academic disciplines or scholarly fields. These departments and programs foster scholarship, design curricula, and offer courses in support of the University’s major and minor concentrations. Within their departments/programs, faculty strive to maintain an intellectual community that is a source of mutual support and mentoring.

Chairs of departments and directors of programs oversee personnel, budgets, and curricula. They work with Division Directors on various initiatives and promote collaboration with the Core and other interdisciplinary programs. Chairs/directors also have crucial roles in the mentoring of faculty over the course of their careers (see III.E.1) and in the creation of constructive, welcoming, and intellectually vibrant departmental cultures.

Academic departments and interdisciplinary programs are grouped into divisions.  The division director (DD) is a member of the teaching faculty and normally serves a three-year term. The DD is the chief administrative officer of the division, coordinating the division’s personnel, curricula, and budgets. As a member of the Dean’s Advisory Council, the DD thinks strategically about a variety of issues and works with the Dean to set policy that affects the academic mission of the University. The DD meets regularly with the division’s chairs/directors and serves as liaison between department(s)/program(s) and the Promotion and Tenure Committee. In addition, the DD meets with assistant and associate professors to advise them in their progress towards promotion. (See also III.G.12–13.)

The Dean of the Faculty is “the chief academic officer of the college and has primary responsibility for faculty personnel, curriculum, and supervision of instructional budgets”.  As such, the dean appoints DDs and chairs, after proper consultation with all interested parties. In exceptional circumstances, the dean may intervene in a department/program that is unable to resolve its problems satisfactorily.