Comprehensive Five-Year Review - Purdue University Northwest

Administrative Memorandum PNW- AA 2017-03
Responsible Office: Academic Affairs
Responsible Executive: Associate Vice Chancellor – Academic Support and Development
Approved by the Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and Provost
Date of Original Issue: September 25, 2017

Individuals Affected by this Policy: Academic Leadership; Faculty; Academic Staff

Related Documents and Forms
Based on: http://www.purdue.edu/policies/human-resources/vif3.html

Overview

The performance of Deans at Purdue University Northwest will be subject to recurrent, formal, and comprehensive review at five-year increments which shall supplement the annual review process. This 5-year review process will be implemented by the VCAA/Provost. If warranted, the VCAA/Provost has the option to call for a comprehensive review prior to a given 5-year review.

An academic Dean being considered for continuation of her/his appointment shall normally be reviewed at the beginning of the fifth year of the current appointment. The VCAA/Provost will formally make a decision about whether to continue the Dean’s appointment after completing the review.

Purpose

The purpose of this comprehensive review is both formative and summative. The review will evaluate the progress of the academic Dean, provide the opportunity for faculty and other constituencies to give constructive input, review the individual’s professional contributions and performance as a leader and as an administrator, and provide feedback to improve her/his performance. It will also provide data to the VCAA/Provost to determine continuation of the Dean’s appointment.

The Review Committee

The VCAA/Provost shall have responsibility for selecting an ad-hoc review committee and delivering the formal charge to the committee.

The committee will be chaired by a dean of another college at Purdue University Northwest and include an administrative leader in the college (associate/assistant dean or department chair), three (3) tenured faculty members in the college, up to two (2) non-tenure-eligible faculty members in the college, and a staff member in the college.

Committee members shall adhere to the strictest levels of confidentiality.

Timeline for the Comprehensive Five-Year Review

As noted above, this process will start at the beginning of the Dean’s fifth year of service.

July: The VCAA/Provost meets with the Dean to ascertain her/his willingness to stand for the review and interest in continuing in the role.
July – September: The Dean prepares her/his performance report covering the previous five years (see below for guidelines).
August – September: The VCAA/Provost identifies a Chair (dean from another college) for the review committee and invites colleagues to serve as members of the committee. Committee membership is defined above.
September: The VCAA/Provost formally forms and charges the committee.
By the 2nd Friday in September: The Dean submits her/his performance report to the chair of the committee.
September‐December: The Office of the VCAA/Provost conducts the 360 review and distributes the results to the committee. The committee compiles all information (the 360 review results and the Dean’s performance report) for the review.
December‐January: The committee finalizes the review and prepares the written report.
By February 15: The committee conveys the written report to the VCAA/Provost along with all review-associated raw data. The report and supplemental data will be kept in the VCAA/Provost’s office.
March: Within three weeks after the submission of the committee’s report, the VCAA/Provost meets with the Dean and communicates the review findings.
March: The Dean is given an opportunity to review the findings and submit a response.
March‐April: The VCAA/Provost completes the process and orally communicates a summary of the results of the committee report with the College’s stakeholders.

Inputs to the review process

The committee shall consider the Dean’s performance report as well as the results of a comprehensive 360 degree review.

The Dean’s performance report will be distributed to the members of the review committee and will be included in the final report to the VCAA/Provost. The report should provide the Dean’s perspective on her/his accomplishments and goals, as well as opportunities and challenges for the coming five year period. The Dean’s performance report should include the following:

Position description and current responsibilities;
Administrative and leadership philosophies and approaches;
Priorities over the time period since the Dean’s last comprehensive review or the last five years if a first review;
Major activities, accomplishments, and significant contributions since the Dean’s last comprehensive review or the last five year if a first review;
Future opportunities/priorities/goals for the college and plans to achieve those.
Anticipated management or leadership challenges for the coming five year period
Statement addressing what has been helpful to the dean in accomplishing her/his goals/priorities and what has impeded the Dean’s ability to do so.
Other information the Dean would like to provide

The 360 review shall be conducted by use of a standardized web-based tool, administered by an outside vendor. The 360 review will solicit input on key administrative roles and gather impressions on leadership styles and personal characteristics, job performance, and ratings of confidence in future leadership, while also identifying areas for improvement as observed by stakeholders.

Stakeholders

Input regarding the Dean’s performance shall be invited from faculty and staff members as well as the Dean’s leadership team within his or her College, the Dean’s external advisory board (and/or community members who regularly interact with the Dean), members of the Provost’s Council, and the Senior Leadership Team.

Reporting

The review committee is charged with summarizing the administrative performance of the Dean under review. It should identify the Dean’s key accomplishments and areas of strengths and for potential improvement. The committee should take into consideration particular situations and
contexts that were present when the Dean began his/her appointment as well as the potential for positive college development under the Dean’s leadership.

The committee shall report its findings to the VCAA/Provost by submitting a written summary. The report should be signed by all members of the committee. A template for the evaluation report is
provided below:

Overview – summarizes key findings of the review.
Summary of review process – outlines the activities of the committee (e.g., meetings, dates,
and key actions) and sources of data in the review (e.g., Dean’s performance report and 360
review).
Summary of data and key findings ‐ summarizes themes that emerged in the evaluation data
and process – including:
1. Accomplishments and strengths – highlights key accomplishments and strengths of the
  Dean.
2. Opportunities and challenges – highlights key challenges and opportunities for the
  College and the Dean over the next five‐year period.
Conclusion – overall assessment and impression of the committee. The committee is not
being asked for a recommendation regarding continuation of the Dean in her/his role; that
determination will be made by the VCAA/Provost.
Appendices –survey instruments and raw data, open‐ended comments, other materials.

The report will be submitted to the VCAA/Provost by the committee. It will then be shared with the Dean who shall have the opportunity to review and submit a response if s/he wishes. The report will be shared only with the VCAA/Provost who will share it with the Dean. The VCAA/Provost will orally communicate a summary of the results of the report to the College’s stakeholders.

Note: The VCAA/Provost has charged the PNW deans to implement an equivalent processes for the periodic evaluation of school directors and department chairs across Purdue University Northwest.