Responsible Body: Office of the Provost
Date of Last Review: June 25, 2021
For the organizational chart of the university, see the University Organizational Chart.
Provost
The provost is responsible for the leadership, administration, and operation of the Academic Division of the university. The four primary functions of this position are:
- To provide vision, leadership, and oversight for the Academic Division;
- To represent the university to external constituencies, including the Abilene community; state, regional, and national organizations; the Churches of Christ; professional and higher education organizations; and at public functions;
- To serve on committees and projects for the university at the request of the president or the chair of the Board of Trustees; and
- To engage in scholarly and professional activities, including teaching, research, and service, that contribute to the mission of the university, the discipline, and the field of higher education.
The provost provides leadership for the Academic Division of the university. The Academic Division is responsible for the academic life of the university–faculty, student learning, curricula, degree requirements, and academic services.
Other leadership in the Office of the Provost includes:
Vice Provost
The vice provost reports to the provost. The vice provost may teach a course annually and is expected to continue to be an active professional. Responsibilities include academic initiatives on both the main and branch campus: curriculum and instruction, institutional effectiveness, registrar, faculty development, disability services, tutoring, three federal TRIO grants, residential graduate programs, experiential learning and faculty-led study abroad programs.
Assists the Provost with planning and budgeting in the Academic Division and other academic matters, including leadership of the faculty and collaboration with the college deans. The vice provost has primary responsibility for addressing student concerns regarding curricular and co-curricular programs, including appeals and requests for exception to policy. The vice provost chairs the Academic Managers group.
Associate Vice President of Academics, Dallas
The associate vice president of academics, Dallas is directly responsible to the provost and works to provide leadership for academic programs of the Dallas campus. The AVPA-Dallas may teach a course annually and is expected to continue to be an active professional. Responsibilities include planning and budgeting for the Dallas campus and assisting with institutional research and assessment.
Associate Provost for Curriculum and Assessment
The associate provost for curriculum and assessment reports to the vice provost. The associate provost may teach one course annually and is responsible for curriculum administration, curricular integrity, and for directing academic assessment. The associate provost chairs the University Undergraduate Academic Council and the University General Education Council.
Associate Provost for Institutional Effectiveness and SACSCOC Liaison
The associate provost for institutional effectiveness and SACSCOC liaison reports to the vice provost. The associate provost leads the Office of Institutional Effectiveness and may teach up to four courses per year. In the role of SACSCOC liaison, the associate provost is authorized to communicate with the university’s accreditor and works to ensure continued compliance and accreditation.
Assistant Provost for Residential Graduate Programs
The assistant provost for residential graduate programs reports to the vice provost and works directly with the academic deans and residential graduate program directors. The assistant provost teaches 12 hours per academic year and is expected to be professionally active. The assistant provost provides leadership in the strategic planning for graduate education, including growth and development of programs, and works with the Abilene academic deans and program directors in the assessment and evaluation of programs. The assistant provost chairs the Graduate Council and is responsible for residential graduate policies and student appeals.
Deans
A dean administers each of the university’s six colleges, School of Nursing, and Library Services and Educational Technology. The president and provost appoint deans with the concurrence of the Board of Trustees. Deans are responsible to the provost. Deans have twelve-month appointments.
Deans of the Colleges
The deans of the colleges normally teach one class annually, are active professionals in their disciplines and in higher education, and serve as the chief academic administrators for their colleges. They provide leadership in strategic planning and budgeting, are responsible for personnel and administration, and guide departments, programs and schools in the development and review of academic curriculum and graduation requirements.
Dean, Honors College
The dean of the Honors College reports to the provost and is advised by the Honors Advisory Committee, which includes two at-large members selected by the Faculty Senate. The dean also oversees the TRIO program McNair Scholars.
Dean, School of Nursing
The dean serves as the administrator of the School of Nursing. The dean is appointed by and reports to the provost and serves the president in alignment with the mission and strategic plan of the university. The dean directs the achievement of the vision, mission, and values of the School. The dean is responsible for planning, coordinating, and overseeing the students, faculty, staff, curriculum, organizational structure and governance, resources, and evaluations. The dean represents the school to ACU and to the community and serves as liaison to health care facilities and to other schools of nursing.
Dean, Library Services and Educational Technology
The dean of library services and educational technology works cooperatively with the college deans, the faculty, and other libraries and organizations to provide resources and services in support of teaching, learning, and research. The dean participates in campus-wide planning, budgeting, and curriculum development. Externally, the dean serves on the Council of the Abilene Library Consortium (ALC), which serves ACU as well as Hardin-Simmons University, McMurry University, Howard Payne University, and the Abilene Public Library.
Academic Administration
Vice President, Church Relations
The vice president for church relations reports to the provost and works to promote constructive and collaborative relationships between ACU and churches.
Registrar
The registrar reports to the vice provost and is responsible for maintaining accurate, secure academic records for former and current students in accordance with the policies of the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (AACRAO). The registrar also chairs the University Calendar Committee.
Executive Director of the Adams Center for Teaching and Learning
The executive director of the Adams Center for Teaching and Learning reports to the vice provost and oversees faculty development and instructional design through the Adams Center.
Executive Director of Study Abroad
The executive director of Study Abroad oversees ACU’s programs in Oxford, England; Montevideo, Uruguay; and Leipzig, Germany.
Executive Director of University Access Programs
The Executive Director of University Access Programs reports to the vice provost and oversees testing, ESL, tutoring, supplemental instruction; supervises TRiO program staff in Student Support Services, Talent Search and Upward Bound; supervises Office of International Students and Visiting Scholars; coordinates program development with staff and the institution and oversees other access programs as they are developed. The Executive Director of UAP ensures Compliance of Americans with Disabilities Act of 2008 and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.
Director of Experiential Learning
Responsible to the vice provost, the director coordinates and supports high-impact experiential learning including undergraduate research, discipline-specific laboratory experiences, community engagement, internships/clinicals/practica, study abroad, missions and ministry programs, and related opportunities.
Academic Operations Manager
Responsible to the provost for managing financial and operational activities for the Academic Division including all employment processes; tenure, promotion and other faculty-related processes; records management; and Provost’s Office operations.
The preceding administrators along with the chair of the Faculty Senate serve as the Provost’s Cabinet, which addresses matters of academic policy and assists in planning and budgeting for the Academic Division.
Additional Academic Administrators
Several administrators with specialized roles also report to the provost.
Vice President for Research
The vice president for research reports to the president and provost and is responsible for setting and executing the strategy for maturing and growing the research enterprise at ACU by promoting and facilitating scholarship and research, strengthening the university’s position with external funding and strategic partnerships, and enhancing the research infrastructure.
Director of the Carl Spain Center
The director of the Carl Spain Center reports to the provost and works to promote racial unity within Christian organizations all over the country. The center seeks to equip churches, church leaders and lay members alike, to understand and respond to the call for racial unity by providing experiences, resources, and tools to expand their understanding of the racism and to draw them closer to God and, in so doing, draw them closer to other Christ followers regardless of race.
Chief Diversity Officer
The chief diversity officer reports to the president and provost and works to cultivate university-wide organizational capacity for diversity, equity, and inclusion. The CDO also serves as co-chair of the Diversity Council with the president and may serve on other relevant councils.
Executive Director of the Center for Building Community and Director of the Lynay Program
The executive director reports to the provost and works with students in the Lynay program to build community and develop their leadership skills. The center also serves local groups and beyond on issues of community.
One administrator serves the Dallas campus and reports to the associate vice president for academics, Dallas.
Assistant Provost for Academic Initiatives and Innovation
The assistant provost for academic initiatives and innovation reports to the associate vice president for academics, Dallas. This individual directs the launch of new academic initiatives, assists in setting course delivery schedules, and provides support in the approval process for programs and courses. In conjunction with the dean, the assistant provost curates and directs ongoing professional education in regard to existing and emerging pedagogical and andragogical methods of instruction, particularly as pertains to online learning.
Department and Program Leadership
Department Chairs
The department chair on the Abilene campus provides administrative leadership for the department or school. Each is directly responsible to the dean of the college. They are selected by the dean, in consultation with faculty and with the approval of the provost. Appointments are for 3-year renewable terms. Some Abilene schools have program directors who serve the functions of a department chair. Generally, department chairs serve in a year-round role but may work less structured hours during the summer term, with the dean’s permission.
Chairs’ duties include:
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- Personnel matters for faculty and staff members (e.g., searching, hiring, evaluating)
- Student academic requests and processes (e.g., academic integrity, grade appeals, student complaints, substitutions and waivers)
- Budget management
- Course scheduling
- Review of transfer course requests within the discipline or delegation to academically qualified faculty member
- Program coordination (See the definition of program coordinator. In cases where the department chair cannot be credentialed in all fields in which the department offers programs, this responsibility may be delegated to another faculty member for one or more programs in the department with the permission of the provost’s office)
- Communication with campus offices to support student experience and other constituencies (e.g., Admissions, Advising, Alumni, Marketing and Strategic Communication)
- Program assessment
- Oversight of applicable disciplinary accreditation
- Departmental representation at college and university events
Program Directors
The program director on the Dallas campus provides administrative leadership for the program. Each is directly responsible to the dean of the college. They are selected by the dean with the approval of the provost. Program directors serve in a 12-month role.
Program directors’ duties include:
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- Personnel matters for faculty and staff members (e.g., searching, hiring, evaluating)
- Student academic requests and processes (e.g., academic integrity, grade appeals, student complaints, substitutions and waivers)
- Review of transfer course requests within the discipline or delegation to academically qualified faculty member
- Program coordination (See the definition of program coordinator, which includes curricular responsibilities. In cases where the program director cannot be credentialed in the program offerings, this responsibility may be delegated to another faculty member with the permission of the provost’s office)
- Program assessment
- Oversight of applicable disciplinary accreditation
Program Coordinators
The program coordinator is responsible for the curriculum of an educational program, which includes undergraduate majors toward the associate’s and bachelor’s degrees, graduate program degrees, and certificates. This role is program-specific, and a department may have more than one program coordinator.
The program coordinator must be qualified in fields appropriate to the curricular content (and degree level) of the program. This may be demonstrated through a graduate degree in the field represented in the program requirements or a documented and approved justification. The program coordinator must be able to oversee the cohesion and quality of the program. In programs that represent multiple disciplines, a program may have multiple coordinators.
Program coordinators’ duties include:
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- Periodic review of the degree plan
- Periodic review of course content supporting the degree plan
- Annual review of assessment findings
- Working in conjunction with the department chair or program director and other program coordinators, recommend course terms for courses in the degree plan and help coordinate scheduling conflicts outside the department to implement effective delivery of the curriculum