Demystifying Acadmic Affairs
Fall 2006 - course #4
Instructor: Susan Dunton
CLOSED
Course Overview:
Colleges and universities exist for the primary purpose of delivering
the academic curriculum to students seeking degrees. But student
affairs professionals understand very little about the academic
structure. In fact, the academic side of institutions of higher education is often a mystery to student affairs administrators particularly new and mid-level professionals. How is it organized? What is its culture? What are their views towards student affairs?
This six week professional development course will introduce academic affairs in simple, straightforward terms to student affairs
professionals. One topic per week
will be introduced during the course.
The course will provide a broad overview of academic
affairs for those:
- seeking to learn more about the organization and workings of academic affairs
- seeking to cultivate collaborative ventures with academic affairs
- desiring a better understanding for the purposes of future career paths
Specifically, participants will:
- study the organizational structure of academic affairs to include faculty governance and committee structures
- examine the academic department system along with the school/college configuration
- review the function of the board of trustees and its committee structure
- learn about the curriculum (degree programs) - how they grow, evolve, or even die.
- introduced to the accreditation process and outcomes assessment
- learn about the faculty culture - what are they like as individuals and how they tend to operate differently as a group.
- learn about faculty procurement (hiring and selection) process and the policies/procedures underlying promotion in rank and tenure will be reviewed.
- learn about faculty work loads - teaching, research, public service.
Participants will also:
- discuss how to get faculty involved with students and student life
- how to work more closely with faculty
- learn what faculty think about student affairs and the work done by student development (they recognize SA work more than practitioners give them credit for).
- compare the functions of the academic dean to the dean of students (perhaps they are more similar than not)
Participant Expectations:
Participants should plan to spend approximately 1 1/2 to 2 hours per week in this course. This will include time to read materials, complete on-line exercises and surveys and participate in asynchronous on-line discussions.
Participants will need to log on for course content that will be posted on the site. In addition participants will need to answer questions posted on the
discussion board each week.
As the discussion board is asynchronous, students may check in and post at
their convenience. This learning tool will be an important part of participants learning experience.
Individuals registering for CEUs will receive 1.0 CEU upon successful
completion of the course.
Instructor Bio:
Susan Dunton, has worked in student affairs administration and academic affairs for over 20 years.
Dr. Dunton has held positions in residence life, student activities, orientation programs at Embry Riddle Aeronautical University, FL and Mitchell College, CT and served as the Interim Dean of Students at the University of Connecticut.
After teaching for two years at Lindenwood University, MO, she served as an Associate Academic Dean and Interim Vice President and Dean for Academic Affairs at Fontbonne College.
She was VP for Academic Affairs at Averett University.
Currently, Dr. Dunton is Assistant Dean for Academic Affairs, Harvard Divinity School.
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