1.11 The Academic Deans

For the purpose of this document, all references to deans also include the Director of the Chef John Folse Culinary Institute.  Likewise, all references to academic colleges, include the Chef John Folse Culinary Institute (a degree granting institute).

The academic deans are administrators holding faculty rank.  The Dean, as the chief academic and administrative officer of the College, provides leadership in developing academic programs and promoting high standards of teaching, scholarship, and service.  The Dean is expected to represent the College within the larger University structure, and to lead the College in maintaining academic distinction and accreditation.  The Dean is under the supervision of the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs and sits on the Academic Council.  There are six academic divisions at Nicholls State University; five academic colleges and one institute. These are the College of Business Administration, the College of Education and Behavioral Sciences, the College of Liberal Arts, the College of Nursing, the College of Sciences and Technology, and the Chef John Folse Culinary Institute.  Associate Deans and Assistant Deans report directly to the various Academic Deans.

Academic procedures, guidelines, and processes relevant to all academic administrators and faculty are published in the Nicholls University Catalog.

1.11.1  Academic Administrators Reporting to the Deans

1.11.1.1  Associate Dean

The Associate Dean within an academic College is appointed by the College Dean with the approval of the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, and is given a defined scope of responsibilities with greater breadth than that of the assistant dean appointment that may include the authority to act for the Dean in a broad range of specified areas upon the Dean’s absence. The associate dean is assigned a reduced teaching load and receives a salary stipend commensurate with the level of assigned duties.

1.11.1.2  Assistant Dean

The Assistant Dean within an academic college is appointed by the College Dean with the approval of the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, and is given a defined scope of responsibilities specified by the College Dean that may include lower-level decision making, signature authority on specified university documents, and other duties as appropriate. The assistant dean is assigned a reduced teaching load and receives a salary stipend commensurate with the level of assigned duties.

1.11.1.3  Faculty Directors

Faculty Directors are full-time ranked academic faculty who receive alternate work time from teaching to administer programs outside the area of an academic department.  Faculty Directors report directly to the Deans. The Director of the Center for Dyslexia and Related Learning Disorders and the Director of Nursing Continuing Professional Development are examples of a Faculty Director.  Faculty Directors should not be confused with University Directors (see Section 1.8.1.4)

1.11.1.4  The Department Heads

The Department Head is the academic leader of the department and collaborates with the faculty and the Dean in the development of programs that are most suited in meeting student and academic needs. The Department Head is responsible for mentoring of junior faculty.  Mentoring of students is an important responsibility of the Department Head.  The Department Head also assigns faculty regarding academic advising; manages departmental resources for the attainment of departmental, college, and University objectives; allocates the departmental budget; and determines course offerings and time schedules. Teaching at the graduate or undergraduate level is required of Department Heads.  Department Heads report to the Dean of their academic colleges.

1.11.1.4.1  Department/Program Coordinators

Faculty are sometimes awarded alternate responsibilities involving oversight of special departmental programs and other assignments.  Faculty serving in these interdepartmental positions shall be called Coordinators. Assignment examples include coordinators for individual curricular programs within a single large department, for undergraduate and graduate program in a single department, for programs requiring specific academic expertise different from the department head’s, for special service units, and for special initiatives.

Changes to Section of Manual