A Note from the Deans and Directors

We are writing to share the final version of the "Minimum Requirements for the Interim Provost Office" document that many of you will have heard outlined. The deans developed the original document and the Interim Provost Selection Committee and the New School President have had input. We have been working with President Kerrey to ratify the agreement and we are happy to report that the outstanding issues are now resolved to our mutual satisfaction.

While this agreement is the beginning of a longer process to review the management structure of the university as a whole ("Stage 2") the ‘minimum requirements agreement’ represents a very significant landmark in the history of The New School. We are very pleased with the outcome and thank President Kerrey for working with us to deliver the fundamental structural changes outlined here including most significantly the creation of an academic budget under the authority of the Provost.

New School Deans and Directors
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Minimum Requirements Governing the Appointment of an Interim Provost

This document was prepared by the deans of the university in consultation with the Faculty Senate Co-chair and presented to the Board of Trustees Subcommittee and to President Kerrey.

Principles

1: It is expected that the Interim Provost will not be eligible for the permanent provost position.

2: The Interim Provost will have the full authorities of the position and will be charged with beginning the restructuring and rebuilding the provost’s office as outlined here.

3: The Interim Provost will have full and unfettered access to all budgetary and other institutional information available to the President and the EVP.

4: The Interim Provost will be central to all budgetary decision making with the President and EVP and will be responsible for the academic budget.

5: The academic budget is defined as the total budget of all eight academic divisions, as well as academic programs (such as Environmental Studies), courses (such as University lectures), and academic support services (such as the libraries and the writing center) that cut across divisions.

6: The Interim Provost will execute the distribution of the academic budget through open, transparent, and collaborative procedures with the deans.

7: The Interim Provost will establish the clear and transparent descriptions of the deans’ authorities and responsibilities, and recognizing that the principal stewardship of the core (academic) business of the institution lies with the provost and deans, will establish clear processes of collaborative decision making through his or her chairmanship of a council of deans. While this council will not arrogate to itself the academic authority of the provost, it will guarantee robust processes of faculty consultation and ensure that academic interests and prerogatives are properly calibrated throughout the university.

8: The Provost Office will have a budget necessary to undertake the work outlined here, and be able to appoint consultants and short-term administrators under his or her own authority within that budget.

9: The functions of enrollment management, planning, admissions, and registration must be regularized to ensure proper articulation between the imperatives of academic and fiscal management. The Interim Provost will be responsible for developing and ensuring robust, collegial processes of communication and consultation consistently to ensure full academic participation in the budget, recruitment, admissions, and registration cycles as pertain to enrollment management. While the precise nature of these processes will be the responsibility of the Interim Provost to develop and the President to authorize, it is understood that structural change is essential for the proper functioning of enrollment management.

10: It is expected that this structure will yield economies of scale over time. Savings will be achieved by encouraging current position-holders across the university to move into provost’s office positions, and by identifying the administrative financial savings that will render the new positions affordable. Every effort will be made to save money from the non-academic functions of the institution. However, the budget for the Provost Office must be approved by the Budget Planning Committee of the Board of Trustees.

Interim Provost Office Structure

In order to facilitate the rebuilding of the office of the Provost, the following staff positions must be filled as soon as possible; some are currently staffed, some vacant but approved, and some newly established:

Vice Provost/Chief of Staff, to ensure the smooth running of the functions of the Office including efficient and ongoing communication with key stakeholders and the restructuring of the Provost’s Office. This position exercises oversight of the libraries, writing center, and university art collection, and will be the point person for the next Middle States Self Study.

Associate Provost for Faculty Affairs, to take charge of completing and implementing a new Faculty Handbook (covering promotion procedures, workload, mentoring, career development, etc.), and to administer the tenure/extended employment process. Coordination and oversight for the process of searching for and hiring faculty will also be a key responsibility of this position, as well as facilitating new and enhanced faculty governance structures including the Faculty Senate.

Associate Provost for Curriculum, to facilitate the development of new inter-divisional degrees; to help establish a New School curriculum committee; to help faculty develop and accredit new degrees and majors; to work to improve quality of teaching, particularly with the part time faculty. This position will also coordinate internal and external reviews of academic programs.

Associate Provost for Research and Industry Partnerships, to facilitate the development of research infrastructure, to improve success with grant applications and academic consultancies, to establish and monitor appropriate stewardship and acquittal of grants, etc.

Director of Enrollment Planning, to ensure that admissions, retention, data management, registration, and ancillary functions are included within a comprehensive vision of academic planning. (Report and description to be consistent with Principle 9.)

Director of Academic Budget, to run the academic budget and the budget of the Provost’s Office.

Director of Academic Administration to work closely with the divisional budget/administrative directors to restructure the academic budget processes, and to facilitate new administrative structures, reporting, and decision-making processes and procedures for the divisions and Provost’s Office.

In addition to the permanent positions, above, there is the need to identify an internal candidate to coordinate, on a term basis, the ongoing faculty efforts to integrate different academic divisions into a more efficient and pedagogically effective University.

Finally, there is an urgent need for the Office of Student Services to improve student representation and advocacy within the governance of the university.