UCL Academic Manual

Duties and Responsibilities of Deans of Faculties within the School of Life and Medical Sciences

contact: Tim Perry, Director of Registry and Academic Services

Policy

In accordance with UCL Statute 8(3) and Regulation for Management 10.2, Deans of Faculties are appointed by the Council on the advice of the Provost. For Deans of Faculties within the School of Life and Medical Sciences (SLMS), proposals for the appointment of Deans will be made to the Provost following a transparent process conducted within SLMS by the Vice-Provost (Health) as Head of SLMS. The appointment is normally for a period of five years which can be renewable.

Deans of Faculty of the SLMS are responsible to the Vice Provost (Health) and, together with the Vice-Provosts, other Faculty Deans and the Director of Finance and Business Affairs, make up the Provost's Senior Management Team. The following sets out their main duties. Some of these duties may be delegated by the Dean to a Vice-Dean but will remain the ultimate responsibility of the Dean. In carrying out these duties, the Deans will work with the Vice-Provosts as appropriate.

Academic Strategy

To advise on academic matters (strategic developments, research initiatives and research funding bids, Research Excellence Framework (REF) submissions, etc) for Divisions/Institutes in their Faculty.

To establish and chair Faculty Research Boards.

To liaise with Divisions/Institutes on the preparation of Divisional/Institute Strategic Plans and to produce a Faculty Strategic Plan based on input from Divisional/Institute Directors in the Faculty, drawing on available Divisional/Institute and other relevant Strategic Plans including those of the School and of UCL.

To work with the Development & Alumni Relations Office on corporate and Faculty fundraising projects in the UCL Campaign.

To prioritise Divisional/Institute requests for additional space/facilities and deal with competing demands within their Faculty. To advise the School’s Estates Board and UCL Director of Estates accordingly.

Management

To be responsible for the overall financial health of the Faculty and the optimum use and sharing of resources across the Faculty. This includes the management of the Faculty Resource Allocation Model and the achievement of agreed budgetary targets.

To be responsible for the effective management and performance of staff within the Faculty.

To advise on cases for Senior Promotions from their Faculties and present cases to the appropriate UCL committee.

To participate in appointments to Chairs (and Readerships) in their Faculty and to be responsible for the follow-up with the preferred candidate, after discussion with the Chair of the Academic Board Working Group concerned and with the Divisional/Institute Director.

To ensure the completion of appraisals for all staff within the Faculty and undertake the annual appraisals of Divisional/Institute Directors in the Faculty in accordance with UCL’s performance management framework.

To work in accordance with UCL’s management competencies.

Academic Support

To oversee (i) teaching and learning strategies and (ii) quality management and enhancement at Faculty level and in Divisions/Institutes across the Faculty, through chairing Faculty Teaching Committees.

To liaise with Faculty Tutors on undergraduate admissions and on student academic matters.

To oversee the work of the Faculty Graduate Tutor on postgraduate matters.

To oversee examination matters at Faculty level (read all reports of external examiners and annual reports of Chairs of Boards of Examiners, produce annual report and deal with any follow-up work) through chairing Faculty Boards of Examiners.

To co-ordinate Faculty views on Library Services and library matters through chairing Faculty Library Committees.

To co-ordinate Faculty views, through appropriate Faculty consultative mechanisms, on IT and other matters relating to education and information support.

Faculty Office

To oversee the running of the Faculty Office and to undertake annual Appraisals, or oversee the annual Appraisals, of Faculty Office staff, Faculty Tutors and Faculty Graduate Tutors.

Committee Membership

To participate in the strategic management of UCL as a member of the Provost's Senior Management Team, attending its weekly meetings.

To participate in the strategic management of the School of Life and Medical Sciences through chairing one or more of the School Boards, membership of the School’s Senior Executive Group, the School’s Planning and Performance Committee and the School’s Strategy Group.

To represent the Faculty on the following UCL Committees*:

• Academic Board**
• Academic Committee*
• Estates Management Committee
• Honorary Degrees and Fellowships Committee*
• Human Resources Policy Committee
• Information Services Governance Committee

Other Duties

To undertake such other duties as the Vice Provost (Health) may from time to time prescribe.

August 2012

^* In the case of committees in italics, the Dean may choose to nominate a Faculty colleague to represent the Faculty.

^** Deans (normally being Professors) are members of the Academic Board by right and normally speak as individuals. They should, however, be available to represent the views of their Faculties, if called upon to do so. 

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