ORGANIZATIONAL MODELS FOR THE OFFICE OF THE DEAN 17 CASE EXAMPLE: University of Saint Francis, College of Arts & Sciences From Robert Kase, Dean Founded in 1920 by the Sisters of St. Francis as a liberal arts college for women, the University of Saint Francis is a co-educational University today with traditional and professional programs. The original “College of St. Francis” concept of a small liber- al-arts undergraduate institution evolved into a separate College of Arts and Sciences as one of four colleges within the University. This urban school resides in the south- western suburbs of the Chicago metropolitan area and has a large commuter popula- tion and a significant graduate online population. Classified by Carnegie as a Master’s College and Universities - Larger Programs institution, the 3,500 students are fairly evenly distributed between undergraduate and graduate programs. Organization of the College of Arts and Sciences The College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) has one full-time dean, 12 department units (comprised of 3-12 faculty members) with each headed by a chair who receives a one-course load release (3 credits) from a 12 credit [4/4] teaching load per semester. Within the departments that house programs, some have coordinators who report to the department chair. Program coordinators receive either course release or a stipend depending upon the situation. Academic Organization All faculty report to the Dean of the College, who supervises and assigns all mento- ring of new faculty and in conjunction with the department chairs, oversees all faculty evaluation processes. As a dean without associates, I handle most faculty, staff, and student issues in the College. I address all probation and dismissal issues, appeals, budgeting, personnel, planning, and vision for CAS. I work with the department chairs to resolve all faculty, student, and program issues. Department chairs normally receive a one-course load release for their service. I have been giving two chairs in the largest departments two-course load releases, but this is not in our policy manual and is at my discretion. Department chairs oversee the assignment of teaching loads, course evaluations, department organization, file assess- ment reports and plans, hire adjuncts when necessary, and represent their programs to the dean. Some departments are small with 40-60 majors, while others have 180 majors. Each department has its own departmental budget, and department chairs manage the spending of it. Every departmental expenditure requires the dean’s approval, followed by approvals from the Provost/VPAA, Controller, and finally the VP of Finance. This approval process is all done electronically but is quite ponderous. Strengths and Challenges of This Model As a dean who oversees virtually everything happening in the College, I feel quite