Roles of Executives, Deans & Heads
Additional Roles
Role of Deans and Faculties
1. Appointment
When the requirement to appoint a Dean arises, the position shall be advertised internally. The position may also, at the discretion of the Vice-Chancellor, be advertised externally either simultaneously or subsequent to internal advertisement. A Dean may be appointed on a fixed term contract or may be appointed to the position of Dean for a fixed term period while at the same time holding a continuing appointment to an academic position to which they will revert at the end of their appointment as Dean.
The selection committee shall consist of the Vice Chancellor (chairperson), Pro Vice-Chancellor Operations, one Pro Vice-Chancellor, Chairperson of Senate or nominee, up to 3 Heads of Unit (or Associate Deans) from the relevant Faculty, one non-professorial academic staff member of the Faculty nominated by the Faculty Executive and 1 Professor of the University from outside the relevant Faculty, nominated by the Vice-Chancellor. There will be at least two members of each sex on the committee.
It is expected that, following the short-listing of applicants, committee members from the Faculty will consult informally within the Faculty to assess the various views of Faculty members.
In the case where the position is externally advertised, the Committee may also include co-opted member(s) from outside the University nominated by the Vice-Chancellor. These persons may be Deans or Professors from another University from a related discipline and/or senior persons from the discipline in Government or Industry.
The normal term of appointment of a Dean shall be four years.
A person from outside the University who is appointed as Dean may also be offered an appointment as a Professor or Associate Professor in a continuing or fixed term appointment.
An appointee as Dean will also be appointed at a suitable academic rank as determined by the Selection Committee. Subsequent to appointment, the Vice-Chancellor may, at an appropriate time, convene a Professorial Credentials Committee to determine if the appointment as Dean should also include an appointment as Professor.
2. Re-appointment
The appointment of a Dean may be renewed for a further term of up to four years.
A Dean may not hold office for more than two consecutive terms. A member of staff who has previously been appointed a Dean and who has served two consecutive terms may be considered for a further term after a lapse of at least two years from the last term of office.
When the issue of re-appointment of a Dean arises, the Vice-Chancellor will appoint a member of the Executive, normally the Pro Vice-Chancellor Operations, to consult the Faculty and provide advice to the Vice-Chancellor. The Vice-Chancellor will then, based on this advice, determine whether to reappoint a Dean for a further term.
In consulting with the Faculty, all comments will be accepted but, as a minimum, consultation will cover the performance of the Dean in the following areas:
1.Academic Leadership
- in teaching
- in research
2.Faculty Representation
- within the University
- outside the University
3.Staff Management
4. Financial management
The process of consultation will consist of :
- A meeting with the Faculty Executive in the absence of the Dean, and
- A meeting with each Department which allows the attendance and participation of all staff members in the Department.
In addition, further consultation may be undertaken where this is considered necessary.
If the decision is that a Dean not be re-appointed, the provisions for appointment of a new Dean will be invoked