Dean
The dean is responsible for guiding the college in its academic programs, research and creative activity, and service to the institution, the community, higher education, and professional/disciplinary organizations. In addition, the dean works with the college Director of Development in cultivating private giving and with the college Director of Communication to enhance the visibility of the college, in the local and broader communities.
Associate Deans
Associate Deans have delegated authority and responsibility over various areas of the college, including student affairs, academic programs, and business and research administration.
Chairs
Working collaboratively with the Dean’s Office to promote the university’s mission of research and creative activity, teaching, and engagement, Department chairs provide academic vision and leadership for the faculty, staff, and students in their units. The Chair is responsible for creating a positive and inclusive environment for learning and scholarship and for managing the Department’s human and financial resources effectively. The Chair is accountable to faculty and students and to the College in fulfilling administrative tasks. Chairs have been entrusted by the Dean and by their departmental colleagues with the stewardship of their departments, and their effectiveness in this position will have a direct impact on the vitality of the College as a whole.
Directors
Directors oversee interdisciplinary programs or research/public service centers. In general, they report directly to the Dean.
For full list of all positions in the Dean’s Office, see:
College of Liberal Arts & Sciences > About Us > Dean’s Office > Organizational Chart
Faculty
The University Faculty Handbook contains information regarding faculty work, in all its aspects. Individual departments may have a similar resource, that identifies departmental policies and procedures.
Faculty in the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences are committed to the college’s mission: to advance the discovery, dissemination, and application of knowledge in the traditional areas of liberal arts and sciences and in emerging areas of study. Our faculty aspire to be thought leaders, who model ethical and engaged citizenship for their students. Our faculty and students actively engage with local, national, and global communities and seek to transform the world through creative and innovative solutions.
(The following statement is intended to address collegiality as a core institutional value. It does not specify that collegiality should be considered in decisions about reappointment, promotion and tenure.)
The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences is committed to sustaining a productive and supportive work environment for its faculty and staff. A respect for intellectual diversity should always be a central feature of its institutional culture and faculty governance activity. Faculty, staff, and college leadership play an active role in maintaining this environment through the ways they choose to interact with one another. To that end, collegiality should be at the core of a climate that nurtures a range of viewpoints in background, judgment, and expertise.
The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences defines collegiality as cooperative interaction that sustains sensitivity to and mutual respect for both similarities and differences of opinion, philosophy, and practice, and that avoids obstructing the professional pursuits and responsibilities of others. Collegiality should not be construed as conformity, congeniality, or excessive deference to hierarchy. These are behaviors that run counter to the open and unbound development and expression of ideas, including those concerning professional duties and the functioning of the university. Collegiality reflects an absence of destructive behaviors that would restrict the cultivation and expression of diverse points of view.
Faculty members of all ranks not only contribute to the collegiality of this college but also have a right to expect that a vigorous and collaborative environment be maintained by department chairs and other administrators. Free discourse can take place only in an environment built on trust and respect. Chairs, administrators and senior faculty are leaders who must treat everyone with respect and dignity. The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences considers the preservation of a collegial environment to be central to the cultivation and maintenance of its intellectual capital.
Lecturer
Lecturers are teaching faculty, who generally contribute to the undergraduate teaching mission. The course load for lecturers is 4/4, unless other responsibilities replace a course.
Senior Lecturer
The rank of Senior Lecturer is a unique (and not automatic) recognition for Lecturers who have distinguished themselves in their careers at UNC Charlotte. Senior Lecturers help to provide a stable core for leadership and curricular development in departments and the college. They help maintain a sense of continuity in programs, in the classroom, and through service.
Teaching Professor
The title “Teaching Professor” is awarded to an outstanding lecturer or senior lecturer in recognition of extraordinary accomplishments in teaching and fundamental contributions to the university’s educational mission. Faculty are nominated for this title by the chair of their department. For further information, see: Appointment of Teaching Professor
Part-time Faculty
Part-time faculty are faculty members, with specific expertise, who are hired to teach a particular course or courses. Their employment is not necessarily continuous from one semester to another. Normally, they are not expected to contribute to the research, service, and engagement missions of the university.
Tenure-Track Faculty
Tenure-track faculty are hired to support all aspects of the university’s mission: research, teaching, service, and engagement. After a probationary period of five years, tenure-track faculty apply for permanent tenure and promotion to associate professor.
Tenured Faculty
Tenured faculty, at the ranks of associate and full, are established scholars and teachers, who support all aspects of the university mission and who have demonstrated leadership at the university and in their professions.
EHRA Staff
ERHA Staff members are University employees who are “exempt” from the State Personnel Act. This means that issues such as overtime and longevity pay do not apply as they would for most SHRA employees, who are “subject” to the State Personnel Act.
ERHA Staff positions are administrative, professional, managerial, instructional support, development, and research positions. Most of these positions are “at will” employment, meaning the employee serves at the will of the Chancellor and can be terminated without justification. Notice of termination is given according to the policy applicable to the particular category of ERHA Staff position. Some ERHA Staff are hired on term contracts, where a definite ending date is given, and the employee is terminated on that date without further notice. ERHA Staff positions are also normally subject to merit pay increases.
For more information, see: Human Resources > Staff
SHRA Staff
Classes of employees designated as ‘Subject to the Personnel Act’ (as defined under NC General Statute Chapter 126). Included among these classes: accountants, administrative support, engineers, information technology, institutional services (housekeepers, grounds workers), research assistants (scientific and social), skilled trades, etc. Under the provisions of the State Personnel Act, employees in these classes are covered by benefits (leave accrual, etc.) and job protections (progressive discipline, grievance rights, etc.) not afforded to other types of employees.
For more information, see: Human Resources > Staff