1.15  Policies for Administrators

1.15.1  Vice Presidents

The Vice President is the chief administrative officer of a major division of the University and reports directly to the President. The Vice Presidents are designated officers of the institution and are fully responsible and accountable for the conduct of the affairs of their divisions. In the President’s absence, the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs will serve as Acting President. The official order of succession will be on file in the President’s Office. Vice Presidents are appointed annually and serve at the pleasure of the President. The duties of a Vice President are those assigned by the President and may include making recommendations from their divisions on such matters as planning, budget, salaries, and general operations of their divisions.

1.15.1.1  Appointments

Appointments for Vice Presidents shall be submitted for approval by the Board of Supervisors as individual line items. Employment should not begin before official Board action. All terms and conditions of employment shall be submitted to the system office for review.

1.15.1.2  Vacancies and Search Committee Responsibilities

The President appoints the appropriate search committee. Final selection is based on a recommendation of the President to the Board of Supervisors. The responsibility for verifying the credentials of all applicants rests with the appointed search committee. Also, the search committee should determine the applicant’s proficiency in both written and oral communication (See policy at Board of Supervisors website).

1.15.2  Vice Provost and Assistant Vice Presidents

1.15.2.1  Vice Provost (OA)

The Vice Provost is an administrator who reports to the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs. The Vice Provost provides leadership in the development, enhancement, and review of academic policies and programs in conjunction with the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, deans, and faculty. The Vice Provost is appointed by the President and the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs through the position search process.

1.15.2.2  Assistant Vice Presidents (OA)

The Assistant Vice President is an administrator who reports to a Vice President with staff responsibilities in administering University policy and procedures.

Assistant Vice Presidents are appointed annually and serve at the pleasure of the Vice President. Specific duties of the Assistant Vice President are assigned by the appropriate Vice President.

1.15.3  Deans and University Directors

Hiring policies unique to Academic Deans and University Directors follow:

1.15.3.1  The Academic Deans (OA)

The academic deans are administrators holding faculty rank who are responsible to the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs for administering University policy and procedures within their units. All Deans are appointed annually and serve at the pleasure of the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs.

All Deans have faculty rank as determined by the guidelines of the department of their major discipline. The rank held must be in accordance with the qualifications cited in Chapter 2 of this Manual for promotion in that rank. Recommendations for promotion shall be initiated with the department in which the Dean holds academic rank, in accordance with faculty promotion policies. A Dean who has attained regular faculty status retains such status.

Selection Procedures. The Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs may declare the position of Dean open for any of the following reasons:

1. the resignation, death, or extended illness of the Dean or the Director of Ellender Memorial Library;
2. reorganization or merger which causes a college or the library, as such, and therefore the position, to cease to exist;
3. non reappointment; or
4. other extenuating circumstances.

Normally, a national search is conducted. However, internal candidates are encouraged to apply. Occasionally, it may be in the best interest of the university to limit the search to internal candidates. The Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs in consultation with the President will appoint the appropriate search committee and will give them their charge.

 Duties. The duties of the Academic Dean include, but are not limited to the following:

1. Evaluate the Department Heads and report the evaluations as required.
2. Recommend appointments, reappointments, promotions, leaves of absence, awards, and non-renewals of college faculty.
3. Prepare and administer the college budget in accordance with University
4. Approve travel requests, subject to budgetary limitations.
5. Encourage a program of professional growth within the college.
6. Be responsible for the maintenance and security of equipment and facilities as
7. Conduct college meetings at least once per semester.
8. Serve as an official representative of the college and the University. In this capacity he or she shall promote the school and the University by maintaining            contact with the community served.
9. Promote the positive aspects of the college and of the other colleges of the
10. Direct the internal operation of the college and maintain and update personnel records with the Department of Human Resources.
11. Be expected to teach at least one course per term unless by agreement otherwise with the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs.
12. Provide leadership and focus for all recruiting and retention activities.
13. Carry out such assignments as may be directed by higher authority.

1.15.3.2  University Directors (OA)

University Directors report directly to the Vice Presidents, Vice Provost, or Assistant Vice Presidents. The Director of Graduate Studies, the Director of Chef John Folse Culinary Institute and the Director of the Library are examples of a University Director.

1.15.4  Associate Deans, Assistant Deans, and Department Heads

1.15.4.1  Associate and Assistant Deans (OA)

Associate and Assistant Deans, who report to Deans of the academic colleges, are appointed annually and serve at the pleasure of the Deans. Associate and Assistant Deans are expected to hold faculty appointments. Specific duties of an Associate or Assistant Dean are assigned by a Dean.

1.15.4.2  Academic Department Heads (OA)

Department Heads report to the Dean of an academic college. The Department Head is a faculty member with administrative duties which necessitate close cooperation with both faculty and administrators. The selection of a Department Head is therefore a matter of mutual concern to both the faculty and the administration. The selection process is designed to reflect this mutual interest. It shall be the responsibility of the Dean of the appropriate school to recommend, through the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, to the President, a candidate for appointment as Department Head in the manner described below.

 Term of Office. The Department Head is appointed for a one–year term and serves at the pleasure of the Dean.

Preliminary Selection Process. The following is the preliminary selection process for the position of Department Head:

1. When appropriate, a Dean shall declare the position of Department Head open.
2. The Dean shall declare the position of Department Head open for any of the following reasons:

• the resignation, death, or extended illness of the Department Head,
• reorganization or merger which causes a college or the library, as such, and therefore the position, to cease to exist,
• non reappointment, or
• other extenuating circumstances.

The Selection Process. The following shall be the selection process for the position of Department Head:

3. When a vacancy occurs or is projected to occur, the Dean will initiate the drafting of the position announcement.
4. The Dean will meet with the outgoing Department Head for input.
5. The Dean will write a draft of the position announcement and submit it to the department faculty for comments and faculty recommendations. The search may be internal, external, or combined.
6. After having the final draft of the position announcement approved by the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, the Dean will submit the position announcement to the Director of Human Resources for approval to advertise.
7. If the search is external or combined, the position, as a minimum, will be advertised in one of the academic discipline’s leading professional publications which historically carries such advertisements, the Chronicle of Higher Education, the historically black institutions of higher education within the State of Louisiana.
8. The Dean in consultation with the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs will appoint the appropriate search committee and will give them their charge.
9. Faculty members who intend to apply for the position are ineligible to serve on the search committee.
10. The Dean will appoint a Department Head from another department within the college to serve as the non–voting chair of the committee.
11. Once the committee has been constituted and a chair appointed, the Dean will meet with the committee to give the committee its charge.
12. Only candidates who fully meet the qualifications advertised will be interviewed by the committee.
13. The committee will forward to the Dean the names, unranked, of the three final candidates. If there are not three acceptable candidates, the committee can recommend to the Dean that the search be extended.
14. The Dean, in consultation with the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs will make the final recommendation to the President. If none of the candidates are found to be acceptable, the Dean may extend the search.

 Duties of the Department Head. It should be recognized that there are at least three equally important thrusts in the duties and responsibilities of d Department Head. First, the Department Head is obligated to represent and support the legitimate needs and wishes of the department. The Department Head is the advocate for departmental and faculty interests. Second, the Department Head has the responsibility to provide the department with direction and leadership. In this capacity, the Department Head’s duties range from promulgation of new academic activities to the monitoring and correction of errant professional behavior. Third, the Department Head has a duty to carry out assignments in compliance with higher authority.

Specifically, the duties of the Department Head shall include but are not limited to the following:

• Teach a minimum of six hours each semester or its equivalent.
• Engage in activity for the support and attainment of legitimate departmental and individual faculty goals.
• Exercise leadership in planning and developing department curriculum, policies, and programs in accordance with the University Strategic Plan.
• Implement the approved departmental curriculum.
• Evaluate the instructional, research, and administrative processes of the department and make recommendations to the Dean.
• Evaluate the department faculty.
• Initiate corrective action in cases of improper behavior on the part of faculty or staff.
• Recommend reappointments, tenure, promotions, leaves of absence, awards, and non-renewals of department faculty.
• Supervise any departmental faculty recruitment process and recommend new appointments to the Dean.
• Ensure that adequate supervision, advice, and training are provided to probationary faculty and others who might profit thereby.
• Ensure the preparation of appropriate course outlines in the department.
• Prepare and administer the departmental budget in accordance with the University and college guidelines.
• Coordinate the preparation of course schedules.
• Hold delegated personal responsibility for the maintenance and security of departmental equipment, facilities, and supplies, and the reporting of equipment loss in a timely manner.
• Report attendance of faculty and/or staff members for purposes of payroll.
• Maintain and update personnel records with the Department of Human Resources.
• Conduct regular departmental meetings at least monthly.
• Serve as the official departmental representative to the administration.
• Direct the internal office operation of the department.
• Conduct a periodic inventory at the time and in the manner required by the division.
• Develop, supervise, and enforce safety procedures for laboratories and other environments, facilities, and operations which are part of the department’s program.
• Provide leadership and focus for all recruiting and retention activities in the department.
• Promote the positive aspects of the department, other departments, the college and other colleges and units of the University.
• Carry out such assignments as may be directed by higher authority.

1.15.5  The Nicholls State University Planning and Budgeting Process

The planning and budgeting process at Nicholls State University follows those lines of administration presented in the Nicholls State University organizational chart. The timelines for this planning process are given below and can also be found in the Administrative Activities: A Chronology (V Drive: Admins>CALENDARS AND SCHEDULES> Administrative Chronology)

Whenever a date listed below falls on a Saturday, Sunday, or holiday, the official date becomes the first University business date that follows.

1.15.5.1  President, President’s Cabinet

Year round: The President meets with the Cabinet (1.7.5.1) and shares with them current trends and issues from the Board of Supervisors, the Board of Regents, and the Legislature. The President leads a discussion on the effects of these trends and issues on the Nicholls planning efforts.

1.15.5.2  President and Vice Presidents

 September 15: The President and Vice Presidents present written annual plans (incorporating their own vision statements) to Deans and University Directors.

February 1: Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs and Vice President for Student Affairs provide notice to units reporting to Academic Affairs and Student Affairs to begin planning critical budgetary needs using the Critical Budget Needs Requests form that will be due to the Vice Presidents on March 1.

1.15.5.3  Deans and University Directors

 September 30: Deans and University Directors present written annual plans (incorporating their own vision statements) for their colleges or units to Associate Deans, Assistant Deans, and Department Heads.

 March 1: Deans and University Directors present written budget needs for the next fiscal year to the Vice Presidents.

1.15.5.4  Associate Deans, Assistant Deans, and Department Heads

 October 15: Associate Deans, Assistant Deans, and Department Heads present their written annual plans for their units to individuals in their respective areas and guide them in preparing written annual reports.

 February 15:  Associate Deans, Assistant Deans, and Department Heads submit budget needs for the next fiscal year to Deans and University Directors who in turn submit to the respective Vice President.

1.15.5.5  President and Vice Presidents

 May 15: The President and Vice Presidents review, analyze, and prioritize within their respective areas and submit written reports to the Chief Financial Officer.

1.15.4.6  President’s Cabinet, President

 June 15: The President receives the final budget recommendations from the Vice President for Finance and Administration in a meeting of the President’s Cabinet. After discussion and suggestions from the members of the President’s Cabinet, the President makes the final determination concerning budget allocations.

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