POLICY STATEMENT CONCERNING

PERIODIC REVIEW OF THE VICE PRESIDENT FOR ACADEMIC AFFAIRS

FAM 261

FSD 87-03. R1
Faculty Affairs Committee
April 1998

1.  Purpose

Periodic reviews of the Vice President for Academic Affairs are designed to appraise the administrator's leadership, conduct of office including management of subsidiary administrative offices, establishment of objectives and attainment of academic and administrative goals. The review process shall represent a cooperative effort by representatives from faculty, students, staff and administration. These periodic reviews are regarded as constructive and are designed to maintain a sense of collegiality among all persons directly involved with the office being reviewed.

2.  Scheduling

Scheduling of all periodic reviews of the Vice President for Academic Affairs shall be the responsibility of the Office of the President of the University.

An initial periodic review of the Vice President for Academic Affairs shall occur after three years of service. Thereafter, a periodic review shall normally occur every five years unless an early review is called for by special request.

Special requests for reviews shall be approved by the President of the University. Circumstances warranting a special request must be compelling. Special requests shall be made in writing to the President of the University and shall state clearly and in detail the specific reason(s) for the request.

3.  Review Panel

3.1  General Provisions

The review panel shall consist of at least eight members who shall be representative of the constituents having a direct relationship with the Vice President for Academic Affairs.

The review panel shall be assisted in an active consultative role by the five School Deans and the Associate Vice Presidents for Academic Personnel and Academic Programs. At the discretion of the review panel, other members of the University community may be consulted.

3.2   Panel Selection

3.2.1

Five tenured faculty members, one from each School shall be elected. Elections officers shall conduct the elections of these members.

Elections must be held in a timely fashion and may not take longer than three weeks.

3.2.2	One administrative representative from this campus shall be appointed by the President of the University. This member shall be selected from a list of at least two nominees submitted by the Vice President for Academic Affairs who is to be reviewed. This member must be an area administrator.
3.2.3	One student, undergraduate or graduate, who shall be a full-time student during the period in which the review takes place. This member shall be selected by the President from a list of at least two nominees submitted by the President of the Associated Student Body.
3.2.4	One non-academic staff member who has permanent status within the University and must have a position which is related to the Office of the Vice President for Academic Affairs. This member shall be selected by the President of the University from a list of three nominees submitted by the Vice President for Academic Affairs to be reviewed.
3.2.5	The President of the University may appoint additional members to the review panel to reflect such concerns as, but not limited to, community interest, diversity goals or specific program constituencies.

If additional members are appointed to the review panel, the final composition normally shall consist of a majority of faculty members, and the total size of the committee shall not exceed 11 members.

4.  Charge to the Review Panel

4.1  Review

The review panel shall consider the performance of the Vice President for Academic Affairs in the context of the broad range of the diverse activities of the position. This shall include but may not be limited to the objectives, goals and expectations for leadership and management of the position including the supervisory relationships with the Schools and any subsidiary offices. As part of the review process the panel shall assess the strengths as well as weaknesses of the performance of the Vice President for Academic Affairs and evaluate that individual's overall effectiveness in terms of relationships with the University as a whole.

4.2  Areas of Evaluation

To assist the review panel in its deliberations, the following items are suggested for consideration. During the process of review, the panel may find areas to be reviewed not specifically noted here. The review panel shall remain free to expand on this list of suggestions.

4.2.1  Leadership

Does the Vice President for Academic Affairs provide effective leadership in the following areas: faculty recruitment, development and evaluation; student retention; curriculum development; educational equity and diversity programs; and in any other areas related to leadership skills required of this position?

4.2.2  Professional Relationships

Does the Vice President for Academic Affairs maintain effective professional relationships with faculty, students, staff members related to this position, and with the off-campus community?

4.2.3  Supervision Skills

Does the Vice President for Academic Affairs provide effective supervision of the following: school deans, staff of the Office of Academic Affairs, and subsidiary offices, such as Dean of Extended Education, Dean of Undergraduate Studies, Dean of Graduate Studies and Research, and the Associate Vice Presidents for Academic Personnel and Academic Programs? Other positions under the directions of this office, which may be added in the future, shall also be included.

4.2.4  Managerial and Fiscal Skills

Does the Vice President for Academic Affairs effectively manage the administrative affairs of this office with respect to planning, fiscal matters and personnel?

5.  Review Panel Procedures