Terms of Appointment And Remuneration for Associate Deans

1.0    BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

1.1    The purpose of this policy is to establish the following for Associate Deans:

1.1.1    Appointment authority;

1.1.2    The term of appointment and renewal process;

1.1.3    Remuneration and other conditions of appointment; and

1.1.4    Performance review procedures.

2.0    GLOSSARY

2.1    Associate Dean means the person(s) appointed into an academic administrative appointment outside of the SFU Faculty Association (SFUFA) bargaining unit to undertake delegated responsibilities of a Dean.

2.2    Faculty means the academic unit led by a Faculty Dean.

3.0    SCOPE AND JURISDICTION    

3.1    This policy applies to the appointment of Associate Deans who report to a Faculty Dean at Simon Fraser University except in the School of Medicine. For clarity, this policy does not apply to Associate Deans Libraries who are covered by A13.08 or to Associate Deans in the School of Medicine.

4.0    POLICY

4.1    APPOINTMENT

4.1.1    The Provost and Vice-President, Academic is responsible for the appointment of Associate Deans, on the recommendation of the Dean of the Faculty in which the Associate Dean will serve and following the search process set out in this policy’s associated procedure. The Provost and Vice-President, Academic will have final approval of the terms and conditions of the appointment of Associate Deans.

4.1.2    The qualifications required of the Associate Dean include appointment at the rank of associate/full professor (tenured), or senior lecturer or university lecturer (continuing) with the requisite experience and skillset to accomplish the pre-defined portfolio of duties and responsibilities delegated by the Dean.

4.1.3    The term of appointment will normally be three or five years. Normally, an Associate Dean will not serve more than two consecutive three-year terms.

4.1.4    Faculty members appointed as Associate Dean are excluded from membership in the SFUFA bargaining unit for the duration of the administrative appointment and the associated period of accrued research leave.

4.1.5    The Dean may recommend to the Provost and Vice-President, Academic the appointment of an Acting or Pro Tem Associate Dean for a period of one year or less. Normally, an Acting or Pro Tem appointment will not be extended or renewed beyond one year.

4.2     DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES, REMUNERATION AND OTHER CONDITIONS OF APPOINTMENT

4.2.1    Duties and Responsibilities

a.    Assignment of duties and responsibilities of the Associate Dean is at the Dean’s discretion. Administrative portfolio duties and responsibilities will take precedence while ensuring reasonable opportunity to retain connection with the academic discipline (e.g., through service to the profession, research and scholarly activity or graduate supervision).

b.    The Associate Dean will have their initial duties and responsibilities and any additional responsibilities as may be agreed or assigned from time to time by the Dean set out in writing by the Dean. The distribution of assigned duties and responsibilities must be specified by the Dean.

c.     For the duration of the administrative appointment, the Associate Dean must put the interests of the Faculty ahead of the interests of their home academic unit or equivalent.

4.2.2     Remuneration

a.     The Associate Dean will receive their academic salary and an Associate Dean administrative stipend for the duration of the appointment. In addition, where the Research Leave earned during the Associate Dean appointment commences immediately following the end of the term, the Associate Dean will also receive the stipend for the first semester of Research Leave. The amount of the stipend is set out in Policy A13.04 as amended from time to time.

b.    The University will offer Associate Deans commensurate general wage increases and/or benefits improvements as may be negotiated for members of the SFUFA bargaining unit, except as restricted by external constraints, including freezes on compensation for excluded positions.

4.2.3    Other Conditions of Appointment

4.2.3.1     Research Grant Support.

Associate Deans will be eligible to apply for research grant support from the Dean. Grants may be made after careful review of the research program by the appropriate Dean. Support will be at a level appropriate to the Associate Dean’s discipline.

4.2.3.2    Study Leave Accrual and Research Leave Pursuant to Administrative appointment.

a.     For the term of appointment as Associate Dean, Associate Deans will accrue Study Leave credit at half the normal rate for faculty members specified in the SFU SFUFA Collective Agreement.

b.    Upon completion of a three-year administrative appointment, the Associate Dean is entitled to Research Leave of two semesters. Upon completion of a five-year administrative appointment, the Associate Dean is entitled to Research Leave of three semesters. Where an Associate Dean completes a term of length other than 3 or 5 years, the Research Leave entitlement (if any) will be at the discretion of the University and will be set out in the appointment letter.

c.    Except where an individual is transitioning into another SFUFA-excluded administrative role without returning to the bargaining unit, Research Leave accrued pursuant to the Associate Dean appointment must be taken before returning to the SFUFA bargaining unit and resumption of duties as a SFUFA member. Study Leave (and Research Leave accrued as member of the SFUFA bargaining unit) may not be taken while there is any remaining portion of Research Leave accrued as an Associate Dean.

4.3    PERFORMANCE REVIEW

4.3.1    The Dean will review the Associate Dean performance annually in writing. Performance reviews will include a biennial review for the purposes of salary step awards maintaining the biennial cycle applicable to the Associate Dean academic appointment, and otherwise, once per year in other years. Salary step award recommendations pursuant to biennial performance review will be forwarded by the Dean to the Provost and Vice-President, Academic, for approval.

4.3.2    Where a Dean loses confidence in an Associate Dean as evidenced by the performance review process, they may recommend to the Provost and Vice-President, Academic that the administrative appointment as Associate Dean be rescinded.

4.4    RE-APPOINTMENT

4.4.1    Associate Deans may be reappointed by the Provost and Vice-President, Academic on the recommendation of the Dean of the Faculty in which they will serve as Associate Dean. Consideration for reappointment is at the discretion of the Dean and subject to satisfactory performance review.

4.4.2    An Associate Dean may terminate their administrative appointment by providing four months written notice to the Dean.  

5.0    RIGHT TO ENTER OR RE-ENTER AS A MEMBER OF THE BARGAINING UNIT

5.1    Except where transitioning into another SFUFA-excluded administrative role without returning to the bargaining unit, upon conclusion of the Associate Dean appointment (including any associated period of Research Leave), the appointee will resume membership in the SFUFA bargaining unit and will be subject to the terms and conditions of the SFU SFUFA Collective Agreement as well as any other applicable agreements with the SFU Faculty Association governing terms and conditions of employment on return to the bargaining unit from an excluded administrative position.

6.0    INTERPRETATION

6.1    Questions of interpretation or application of this policy or its procedures shall be referred to the Provost and Vice-President, Academic whose decision shall be final.

7.0    REVISION HISTORY AND MANDATED REVIEW DATE