5.1.2lp1 Division Chairs & Program Directors

Adopted: February 2022
Modified: July 2022
Scope: Faculty
Contact: Vice President of Academic Affairs

Division Chairs

The primary function of the Division Chair is to provide division leadership for quality instruction, develop new curricula, and advocate for division programs. In addition, the Division Chairs review annual program budget proposals, submit division schedules, recommend additional faculty, as needed, and assist with interviews of division faculty and staff applicants. These functions require knowledge of college policies, procedures, and practices to assist the academic leadership in implementing the educational mission of the College. Division Chairs must value comprehensive education and life-long learning.

Division Chair Duties

General:

Develop and review division annual schedules along with Academic Dean
Assist Academic Dean in monitoring and responding to deadlines (required training, "no show" submissions, etc.)
Mentoring new faculty
Assist Academic Dean in delivering orientation sessions for adjunct instructors
Assist Academic Dean hiring process for new instructors
Monitor quality, rigor, and consistency of Blackboard course content
Monitor safety and housekeeping practices in classroom and laboratory areas of division
Monitor timely updates to Blackboard grade books
Guide the completion of academic and governance tasks required of academic area members within the division, e.g. Field Trip Request Forms, Final Grades and/or Gradebooks, etc.
Perform other duties as assigned

Budget:

Serve as a resource person to the division in budget development, review, and management and on the purchase of technical or instructional materials

Communications:

Lead consensus-based decision-making in the division.
Relay information, concerns, and goals from division faculty to college administration.
Assist the Deans in preparation of reports/documents.
Facilitate division representation at community activities and other educational institutions.

Division Chairs are given instructional release time and issued a salary stipend.

Program Directors

In order to ensure quality and consistency of instruction and to effectively meet the needs of students, Lanier Technical College hires a Program Director for each of its academic program groups.

Program Directors report to the Academic Dean for their program division (e.g., Allied Health, Applied Technology, etc.). Instructors teaching in a program do not report to the Program Director: they report to their Academic Dean, and — if required by the accrediting body — have a "dotted line" reporting chain to the Program Director.

The job responsibilities of the Program Directors are:

General:

Participate in Instructional Faculty Consortium Committee (IFCC) meetings, and inform LTC academic leadership and program faculty of actions taken by their IFCC
Participate in the hiring process and training of adjunct instructors
Provide leadership for obtaining and/or maintaining programmatic accreditation, if applicable (see LTC Procedure 2.3.4.lp2)
Coordinate with Institutional Effectiveness Office to complete and execute the program's Student Learning Outcomes Assessment Reports and Annual Plans
Recruit Advisory Committee members
Organize, facilitate, and document semi-annual Advisory Committee meetings
Develop course schedules and faculty workload assignments for approval by the Academic Dean
Ensure that master course shells are developed for appropriate courses within their program
Provide oversight of the curricular content aspects of program coordination or assign to faculty members with appropriate academic credentials.
Maintain communication with instructors at all instructional sites and monitor instructors' completion of required tasks by the posted deadlines.
Approve and supervise internship and clinical sites.
Lead program efforts to recruit new students
Coordinate with academic leadership to develop articulation agreements
Provide input on program admission criteria
Oversee program's Live Work activities (if applicable)

Budget:

Assess facilities and equipment to provide actionable information for use in program Annual Plans and budgets
Prepare and submit an annual budget request and oversee program expenditures including the ordering of supplies and equipment in a timely manner
Coordinate with Business Office to properly collect, submit, and expend Live Work monies (if applicable)

Communications:

Serve as liaison between program faculty and LTC academic leadership
Serve as liaison between LTC, community and industry stakeholders, and relevant professional organizations
Lead consensus-based decision-making in the program
Provide clear and regular communication to faculty within the program.
Assist in the promotion of dialogue between a student and an instructor when there is a complaint. This assistance will be advisory only and will attempt to informally resolve the issue at the lowest level possible.

Program Directors are given instructional release time.

Program Coordination

Lanier Technical College assigns oversight of the curricular content aspects of program coordination to faculty members with appropriate academic credentials. For most programs, the Program Director holds the most relevant credentials and is assigned this responsibility, but in cases where a different instructor (either full- or part-time) holds more relevant credentials, and is the true subject matter expert, this non-Director instructor will oversee curricular content.

The curriculum coordination responsibilities of the Program Coordinator are:

General:

Attend TCSG Instructional Faculty Consortium Committee meetings
Select textbooks and other learning resources
Work with program director and with other faculty in the field and with LTC's Institutional Effectiveness staff to
- Develop student learning outcomes
- Determine assessment results

Communications

Discuss assessment results with peer faculty to determine strategies for improvement.
Work with LTC Institutional Effectiveness staff to complete annual Student Learning Outcomes Assessment reports
Coordinate with Program Director to ensure selected strategies for improvement are implemented in the upcoming assessment cycle