Faculty Administrative Structure & Governance

Reporting and Key Relationships

The Dean of the University of Michigan School of Kinesiology reports directly to the Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs. The Dean will also work in close collaboration with other senior officers of the university and the deans of its schools and colleges, as well as serve on key committees and with the other deans of the Health Sciences Council.

Manage Interests of Diverse Academic Disciplines

The Dean is responsible for the overall leadership and functioning of the school.  Key responsibilities include: providing leadership and supervision to SoK tenure-track and clinical-track faculty, appointing and mentoring faculty and staff leadership, leading the executive committee, and developing strategies for the success of our diverse group of academic disciplines: Applied Exercise Science, Athletic Training, Movement Science, and Sport Management. The Dean provides leadership and develops synergies across the various program areas toward a unified vision and plan for the future. 

The School of Kinesiology has a diverse set of disciplines under one academic umbrella, which fall into two distinct domains: (a) the social science of Sport Management and (b) both social and biomedical sciences of Applied Exercise Science, Athletic Training, and Movement Science. From a faculty perspective, the diversity in academic disciplines creates distinct challenges and unique opportunities that impact course and curriculum design, scheduling, space, faculty evaluation and compensation, and other issues. The Dean understands and embraces Kinesiology’s disciplinary diversity and manages the interests of all faculty, staff, and disciplines. 

Develop strategies for budget, fundraising and alternative revenue

The Dean leads the marketing and communications, finance and operations, and development teams and appoints and supports professional staff leaders in these areas. The Dean also provides overall leadership for the development of new initiatives and priorities.

Leadership

• Lead the implementation of our core values statement and suggest professional development activities that support our core values. 

• Attend program meetings as necessary to discuss relevant topics, gain programmatic knowledge and understanding, and to endorse the diversity of the four programs.

• Understand and respect all faculty areas of research.

• Provide unbiased leadership and feedback for all four programs.

• Be a proactive resource and advocate for new initiatives for faculty development and growth.

• Be an active, supportive member of the Dean’s leadership team (including ADR, ADGA, ADUA, Director of Diversity and EDFPO) including attendance at biweekly AD meetings, monthly EC meetings (including annual FAR review meeting), space advisory committee and other meetings as requested.  Provide guidance to faculty and be an advocate for the Dean.  

• Support the Dean’s Office policies and procedures.  Limit the number of referrals to the Dean by making decisions within your area of responsibility.

• Be a visible leader and presence in the office throughout the year, including the summer months.

Faculty Affairs

• Organize and implement the annual review process for tenure track assistant/associate professors and clinical track instructor/assistant/associate faculty.

• Organize and implement all aspects of the third-year review process for tenure track faculty.

• Organize and implement all aspects of the promotion process for tenure track and clinical track faculty.  This includes oversight of the external review process, internal reviews at the program and school levels, and coordination with the Dean at the  EC level. Work closely with the Dean’s Assistant to write the School’s response letter to the candidate and draft the Dean’s correspondence to the Provost for the casebook submission.

• Match junior faculty with internal and external mentors, monitor progress, and meet with junior faculty on a scheduled basis for updates on progress.

• Guide and provide counsel to junior faculty through the tenure and/or promotion process.

• Provide advice and guidance to associate professors regarding promotion to full professor.

• Continually review and update promotion and tenure guidelines.

• Contribute to the professional development opportunities for faculty.

• Coordinate adjunct appointments, reappointments, and promotions.

• If necessary, develop our research professor and research scientist appointment and promotion procedures.

• Coordinate orientation of new faculty.

• Review Faculty Handbook annually for necessary updates.

• Notify the Dean in advance when you plan to be away from the office for more than three days and leave contact information in case of an emergency. 

• Be accessible and timely in responding to students, faculty and staff.

Represent the School at University Functions

• Represent the school on various committees and activities within the Provost’s office or as assigned/invited by the Dean.  This may include attending meetings of the Provost, commencement activities, or other special events designed for attendance by the dean.

Financial

• Meet as needed with the Dean and Executive Director of Finance, Planning and Operations (EDFPO) to work collaboratively on various issues impacting the school, faculty, and budgetary matters.

• Coordinate with program chairs and associate deans for graduate (ADGA) and undergraduate affairs (ADUGA) to understand teaching needs and work with the Dean’s leadership team to suggest options and solutions for hiring strategies.

Goals

• Maintain historical data on applications, admissions, student retention and graduation placement.

• Develop data informed program goals related to graduate program recruitment, selectivity, yield, enrollment, matriculation, diversity and other tangible metrics.  Communicate goals to staff, faculty and alumni.  

• Develop strategies to successfully achieve program goals.  Work with program and School staff, faculty, and alumni to implement strategies. 

• Monitor graduate programs purpose, enrollment targets, curriculum, and career paths.  Work with program and School staff, faculty, and alumni to refine and optimize as needed.

• Maintain records for PhD program graduates and facilitate record keeping of MS program graduates 

• Coordinate with the Kinesiology Career Center and Office of Development on alumni programming 

• Work with the School’s Communications Director to publicize and promote graduate programs.

Financial

• Develop the graduate program annual budget and provide annual report to the Dean’s office on expected spending.

• Develop enrollment projections and understand their impact on the School’s budget.  Work closely with the Executive Director of Finance, Planning and Operations to accomplish Dean’s and graduate program goals.

• Track each doctoral student’s funding for each semester in the program and understand the relationship between student funding and the School budget.  Forecast future doctoral commitments.  

• Make doctoral student funding records available to the Dean and Executive Director of Finance, Planning and Operations.

• Advise the Dean and Executive Director of Finance, Planning and Operations on graduate faculty doctoral student allocation.  Advisement should include, but is not limited to, faculty’s record of funding past students, ability to fund future students, and ability to successfully mentor students to degree completion.

• Seek new funding opportunities for students and faculty.  Communicate those opportunities to faculty and students.  Encourage students and faculty to seek additional funding/grant opportunities.

• Meet regularly with the Dean and Executive Director of Finance, Planning and Operations and work collaboratively on various issues impacting the faculty and students.

Students

• Communicate with faculty members and coordinate with the Associate Dean of Undergraduate Affairs on GSI selection and appointments

• Coordinate orientation for incoming graduate students

• Ensure the teaching requirements and expectations for GSIs comply with Graduate Employee Organization contract.

• Monitor and refine student related policies that maintain the best interest of the School, student and faculty

• Identify and address areas of importance for graduate students

• Encourage frequent communication with graduate students through email, text, phone and open door policy.  Identify and address issues promptly.

• Provide timely annual feedback on student progress towards degree.

• Facilitate graduate student and faculty mentorship, provide mentoring training, assisting with creating a positive experience, and mentorship conflict resolution

Rackham Graduate School

• Be familiar with Rackham Graduate School policies (academic, fellowship, faculty).

• Provide support/ service to Rackham when possible.

• Build the liaison relationship by attending meetings and seminars.  Communicate relevant information to graduate faculty.

Staff Supervision

• Provide clear objectives (short term and long term) for the coordinator position in meeting the goals of the program.

• Provide regular feedback, suggestions and specific tasks for meeting objectives.

• Encourage professional development and provide mentoring toward career development.

• Approve staff timesheets, manage time away from the office (e.g., vacation/sick), complete performance evaluations and seek feedback from Dean’s Office on HR policies/procedures when appropriate.  

Graduate Faculty

• Develop and coordinate Graduate Committee functions

• Meet with and receive guidance from the Graduate Committee

• Work with graduate faculty to optimize graduate programs and student success.

• Provide regular electronic or in-person updates to and answer questions from the graduate faculty on graduate program status (eg, student numbers, funding, tracking student success, and policy development).

• Communicate program goals and work with faculty to meet those goals.

• Communicate new Rackham Graduate School policies and programs.

• Provide relevant training/professional development opportunities to graduate faculty.

Awards

• Track School of Kinesiology, and Rackham Graduate School scholarships, fellowships, and award and facilitate student applications.  

• Provide information to the Director of Advancement to assist with scholarship, award, and fellowship development.

Leadership

• Promote diversity within and between all Kinesiology graduate programs.

• Provide unbiased leadership and feedback 

• Be a proactive resource and advocate for new initiatives for graduate program development and growth.

• Engender and practice integrity, trust, and respect among faculty.

• Be an active, supportive member of the Dean’s leadership team (including ADR, ADAP, Graduate Faculty Committee, and Dean’s Administrative Advisory Committee).  Provide guidance to faculty and be an advocate for the Dean.  Support Dean’s Office policies and procedures.  

• Be a visible and present leader throughout the year

Research Catalyst Responsibilities

• Develop or lead the development of new programs/programming to elevate SoK research

• Advise faculty on research grant applications

• Alert faculty to relevant opportunities for professional development related to research (e.g., grant-writing workshops)

• Oversee the organization of the School of Kinesiology Seminar Series that aims to bring in leading scholars with relevant expertise to various aspects of the research in the School. Arranged by the Research Process Manager and Contract & Grant Specialist.

• Organize Assistant Professor Workshops (typically one each semester) with Research Process Manager on the various topics chosen after consultation with the assistant professors 

• Organize the seminar given by the School of Kinesiology Research Excellence awardee with support from the Research Process Manager

• Chair the Katarina T. Borer Lectureship in Exercise Endocrinology and Metabolism Committee, and work with Louis Perdue, Associate Director of Development to organize the seminar each year.

School Leadership Responsibilities

• Attend the Associate Dean's meeting of Associate Deans and Executive Director of Finance, Planning and Operations to provide updates on ADR responsibilities and work. 

• Act as substitute for Dean at meetings across campus, as needed

• Represent Kinesiology at the monthly Research Associate Dean’s meeting (RAD) with the Vice President for Research and work with research associate deans from other units across campus.

• Serve as an ex officio member of the Kinesiology Executive Committee

• Participate in Annual Faculty Productivity Review Meeting

• Assist the Executive Director of Finance, Planning and Operations, and the Dean with annual budget request documents to the Provost and participate in annual budget meeting with Provost 

• Rackham Post-doctoral Advisory Group

• Serve as liaison for University-wide research initiatives

• Liaison for UM SCIVAL expert database

• Liaison for Business Engagement Center 

• Responsible for approval of faculty requests for hosting Visiting Scholars

• Meet with all faculty candidates for job searches, and attend faculty candidate job seminars if possible.

Research Administration Responsibilities

• Supervise Research Process Manager and Laboratory Research and Instructional Laboratory Coordinator 

• Approve external grant and contract applications (PAFs) prepared by Research Process Manager and Contract & Grant Specialist  

• Check for effort, indirect costs, cost share and space commitments

• Approve exceptions to policies as needed

• Obtain cost-share funds from School as needed (review with the Dean and the Executive Director of Finance, Planning and Operations)

• Supervision of the submission of internal funding applications

• Oversight of research performed in the School of Kinesiology 

• Advise Dean on Kinesiology policies and guidelines related to research

• Work with Research Process Manager, review and approve Conflict of Interest and Commitment disclosures

• Oversee research compliance issues that arise (e.g., related to IRB, UCUCA, ESH, etc.)

• Work with faculty and Executive Director of Finance, Planning and Operations on research space requests and issues and serve on Space Advisory Committee

• Work with the Space Advisory Committee to develop procedures to address various issues, e.g., annual representative election (during spring/summer each year), and a twice-yearly process for User Groups to request new equipment (fall and winter semester).

• Continue to refine and improve the User Groups for shared research or research and teaching space use, with regular meetings with User Group representatives.

• Serve as resource for faculty as they set up laboratories and research related processes

• Facilitate Research Parking Spaces

• Track postdoctoral fellows 

• Annual review and approval of faculty research incentive fund supplement

• Provide new faculty with research orientation; continue to update and improve the School of Kinesiology Faculty Research Information Document.

• Manage logistical issues for departing faculty (e.g., requests about research equipment, grant transfers)

• Work with Facilities Manager to facilitate the allocation of research equipment that was previously assigned to departing faculty

• Organize the Hartwig Fund annual award application and review process

• Organize the School of Kinesiology Research Fund award and review process

Leadership / Undergraduate Affairs

• Provide oversight to the Office of Undergraduate Student Affairs; meet monthly with OUSA director and/or staff. Conduct annual evaluation of OUSA director, attend and contribute to OUSA recruitment and orientation events.

• Chair the Faculty Curriculum and Instruction Committee and work with appropriate program areas to evaluate, design, and monitor current and future curricular needs and effectiveness.

• Work with program chairs and school registrar in course scheduling and enrollment for all curricular areas, working with relevant faculty and staff to provide a thoughtful approach to curricular offerings and student registration. Work with program chairs and school registrar in facilitating faculty teaching preferences/assignments, course buyouts/releases, and leaves on a multi-year basis and assess impact on course availability.

• Provide oversight for policies and procedures related to academic standing, academic integrity, and student conduct. Make final decisions related to student disciplinary and academic issues along with any requests for exceptions to degree requirements.

• Work with program chairs and SoK HR to identify and hire intermittent lecturers as needed. Provide guidance and supervision of full-time lecturers.

• Conduct annual teaching evaluations of lecturers, adhere to all union contract guidelines, and provide teaching evaluation data and feedback to lecturers annually. Conduct all lecturer reviews including major reviews, continuing reviews and interim reviews. 

• Collaborate with Kinesiology Registrar on orientation training for new graduate student instructors, lecturers, clinical and tenure track faculty to discuss teaching responsibilities and Kinesiology academic policies; conduct group meetings with graduate student instructors annually and as needed, to discuss teaching and student-related issues.

• Organize the annual SoK commencement speaker nomination process and oversee the commencement ceremony with the SoK Development office.

• Coordinate annual faculty teaching awards with student leaders.

• Serve as an advisor to the Dean and senior leadership on matters related to the undergraduate student experience and other school wide matters.

• Commit to establishing and supporting a diverse, equitable, and inclusive work and educational environment and promoting the SoK core values.

• Clearly understand the educational role and academic mission of the School of Kinesiology.

• Understand and endorse the diversity of the four programs.

• Understand and respect all faculty areas of research.

• Engender and practice integrity, trust, and respect among faculty.

• Meet with Go Global director/staff as needed to ensure high quality undergraduate study abroad experiences.

• Be an active, supportive member of the Dean’s leadership team (including ADR, ADGA, ADFA, Director of Diversity and EDFPO) including attendance at biweekly AD meetings, monthly EC meetings (including FAR meeting), space advisory committee, and other meetings as requested.  Provide guidance to faculty and be an advocate for the Dean.  

• Support the Dean’s Office policies and procedures.  Limit the number of referrals to the Dean by making decisions within your area of responsibility.

• Represent the school on various committees or activities in the Provost’s office or assigned/invited by the Dean.  This may include attending meetings of the Provost, commencement activities, or other special events designed for attendance by the dean.

• Be a visible leader and presence in the office throughout the year, including the summer months.

Financial

• Align recruitment and admissions goals and processes across the various programs with budget and other resource considerations.

• In coordination with the Kinesiology Executive Director of Finance, Planning and Operations (EDFPO) and HR Officer, identify needs for intermittent lecturer and graduate student instructor appointments to finalize hiring and teaching assignments.

Staff Supervision

• Provide clear objectives (short-term and long-term) for all direct reporting staff (Director of Office of Undergraduate Student Affairs, School Registrar, and Administrative Assistant) in meeting the goals of the program.

• Provide regular feedback, suggestions, and specific tasks for meeting objectives.

• Encourage professional development and provide mentoring toward career development.

• Approve staff timesheets, manage time away from the office (e.g., vacation/sick), complete performance evaluations, and seek feedback from Dean’s Office on HR policies/procedures when appropriate.

• Be accessible and timely in responding to students, faculty and staff

The primary role of the program chair in the School of Kinesiology is to be a liaison between each curricular unit (program), the associate deans, and the dean.

• Program chairs work with school leadership to organize and set priorities for each program; the details of the process are at the discretion of the chair.

• Communicate, model, and support faculty to uphold the school’s core values. 

• Respond to questions and concerns from students, faculty, and staff and help to facilitate solutions.

• Lead the third-year reviews and the developmental (annual) review of assistant/associate professors. 

• Support mentorship plans for program faculty.

• Participate in biweekly meetings of all program chairs with the dean and serve as the primary liaison between program faculty and dean, particularly with respect to the development and communication of new policies, initiatives, and programs.

• The program chair or their designee(s) will support the functions of the relevant advisory board(s) as necessary (Sport Management Advisory Board, Kinesiology Alumni Society, Campaign Advisory Board, etc.). 

• Program chairs at or above the rank of associate professor with tenure will lead the program-level promotional reviews for the associate level for tenure-track faculty candidates, and all levels for clinical and research scientist track faculty candidates. Chairs at the rank of professor with tenure will also lead program-level promotional reviews for the full professor level tenure-track faculty candidates. Chairs in the clinical track may not chair tenure-track promotional reviews.

• Program chairs with the rank of associate professor may attend promotion reviews of candidates to the rank of full Professor but may not serve as chair of the review committee for these candidates. They also may not vote on these promotions.   

• In the event that the program chair is ineligible to lead a promotion review, the dean will appoint a committee chair with the appropriate rank to serve as chair of the review committee.

Appointment and Evaluation

• Program chairs are appointed by the dean of the School of Kinesiology. 

• Program chairs report to the dean. They work closely with and may receive direction from the appropriate associate dean(s).

• Program chairs are evaluated by the dean in consultation with the associate deans each year. The dean enters an administrative score into the FAR scoring for purposes of the merit pay program. 

• Program chairs will serve a two- to four-year renewable term, depending on the program's needs.

• Program chairs provide leadership to identify, appoint, assign duties, and evaluate associate program chairs if applicable.

Lead Monthly Program Faculty Meetings

• Create monthly program faculty meeting agendas.

• Keep program faculty updated on school-related information as necessary.

• Ensure minutes are taken and published on a central Kinesiology location (secure intranet).

• Set the expectations around program meeting procedures and policies and ensure they are followed.

• Encourage colleagues to attend all school faculty meetings and other important events (commencement, seminars, dissertation defenses, etc).

Manage Program Curriculum

• Lead or designate leadership for program and curriculum innovation and development.

• Serve or assign a designee on the Curriculum and Instruction Committee.

• Provide the associate dean for undergraduate education (ADUE) with a list of course offerings for upcoming semesters with recommendations for teaching assignments for upcoming semesters:

  • • By the end of fall term for subsequent fall term

    • By the end of winter term for subsequent winter term

• Review requests and approve at the program level, for sabbaticals, course buyouts, and other leaves and the impact the leave will have on the program's teaching responsibilities.

• Maintain a three-year curriculum plan sensitive to the programmatic course needs.

• Review materials for student orientation and recruiting; circulate opportunities for faculty involvement. 

• Propose, submit, and oversee spending for the program’s curricular budget.

• Ensure that the program’s student organizations are well supervised, mentored, and managed.

• Provide final approval of academic transfer credits for undergraduate students.

Advise the Associate Deans on Annual Teaching Assignments and Hiring Needs

• All final teaching decisions for graduate and undergraduate courses are determined by the ADUE with input from the program chair after consultation with program faculty.

• Coordinate with graduate program directors and ADUE on graduate course teaching assignments after consultation with program faculty.  

• Program chairs work with the ADUE to hire lecturers; when appropriate, program chairs follow union rules regarding GSIs and lecturers.

• Program chairs assist in the assignment and evaluation process of GSIs and lecturers.

• Advise the dean and relevant associate deans on appropriate staffing and faculty hiring needs of the program.

The role of the Associate Program Chair in the School of Kinesiology is to assist the Program Chairs in each curricular unit (Program) and work with the Associate Dean for Undergraduate Education (ADUE) in the implementation of the program curriculum. Associate program chairs report to the program chairs. Associate program chairs serve on the Curriculum and Instruction Committee. 

The Graduate Program Director for each program will be selected by the Dean and Associate Dean for  Graduate Affairs based on the nomination of two faculty members by their program peers. 

• The  Graduate Program Director will liaise with the Office of Graduate Affairs and the other offices within and  outside of the School of Kinesiology to ensure an optimal graduate experience, while maintaining  compliance with the rules and regulations of the University of Michigan. 

• Each Program Director will  serve a two to three year term with the option to renew. 

• This position will be classified as service with  supplemental compensation commiserate with final responsibilities and approval of the Dean. 

Administrative 

• Liaise between the graduate program and the School of Kinesiology Office of Graduate Affairs and other relevant offices 

• Work with the School of Kinesiology faculty and administrative offices to facilitate graduate  program planning and resources to sustain overall advancement  

• Coordinate and run graduate program level meetings 

• Coordinate student masters application reviews and scoring 

• Coordinate with Office of Graduate Affairs for graduate program specific new student  orientation  

• Coordinate with the Associate Deans for Undergraduate (ADUA) and Graduate Affairs (ADGA) on  GSI/GSSA assignments  

• Ensure coordinated graduate program messaging 

• Coordinate graduate student reviews and mentorship plans 

• Coordinate a mechanism to solicit graduate student input on graduate programs 

• Coordinate with faculty and the appropriate offices on career development opportunities 

• Serve on the Graduate Committee

Curriculum 

• Coordinate with faculty, undergraduate program chair(s), ADUA, and ADGA for overall graduate  and undergraduate curriculum integration and balance.

• Work with program faculty to enhance the existing curriculum and program reviews

• Work with faculty and the appropriate offices to facilitate the development of new graduate  program curricula as needs are identified. 

• Oversee course related changes (e.g. CARFs) 

Marketing 

• Consult with faculty, staff, marketing, alumni relations, career center, etc, on graduate program  specific marketing content as appropriate