Sonoma State University

Academic Reorganization Update: Dept. Chair/Coordinators Assigned Time

February 28, 2024

TO:         Academic Affairs

FROM:     Karen Moranski, Provost and VP of Academic Affairs

RE:         Academic Reorganization Update: Dept. Chair/Coordinators Assigned Time

We are writing to provide an update on our conversations with faculty, Deans, the AVP for Faculty Affairs and Success, staff and administrators in the current Schools, and other partners and stakeholders about the issue of Department Coordinator assigned time. Feedback from Deans and faculty have shown great concern over assignment of work for the Fall 2024 schedule given uncertainties related to possible Department Coordinator assigned time. Many Chairs have asked us not to wait until March 8 to provide more information. In workshops with Chairs on assigned time in fall 2023 and spring 2024, some Chairs conveyed a strong desire to split Chair assigned time within the integrated schools. Finally, our latest financial analyses done in the Provost’s Office in conjunction with the SSU Budget Office indicate that significant Department Coordinator assigned time will undermine our budget savings related to reorganization at a time when the campus is counting on those savings to close this year’s budget deficit. 

Based on these discussions, and in alignment with the vision that Departments will leverage the new School organizational structure to be more collaborative to increase enrollment, the chair assigned time outlined in the January 18 memo may be shared across Departments within a School. For example, this assigned time may be split with one or more Department Coordinators or between a Chair and an Associate Chair. Below are some parameters that should be used to make decisions about sharing or splitting assigned time:

  • Regardless of how Schools distribute the WTUs, each School must recommend a School Chair. That Chair will serve on College leadership councils and will have the responsibilities outlined in the Academic Senate Policy.
  • Schools may elect to distribute the units assigned in the January 18 memo in the following ways:
    • Keep the WTUs concentrated in the Chair position
    • Divide the WTU between the Chair and Department Coordinators (Department Coordinators may assume tasks such as advising the Chair on scheduling, work assignment, discipline-specific advising, etc., but may not assume the responsibilities of the Chair) 
    • Divide the WTU between the Chair and an Associate Chair, with chair duties to be divided by MOU. We have two examples of MOUs we could share.
  • Regardless of how Schools distribute the WTUs, all T/TT faculty are expected to be assigned a full workload for the academic year (i.e. 23-24 WTUs of teaching or reassigned time/AY). 
  • Distribution of the School WTUs should be arrived at by consensus of all T/TT faculty in the School, and ultimately determined by the Dean. If necessary, a secret ballot might be considered if more than one option has been put forward and there is disagreement. 
  • Once the School has decided in a transparent and consultative way what the distribution of WTUs will be for School Chair and Department Coordinator(s), current Chairs will communicate to the Dean's Office in a document clearly approved by all departments what the distribution will be for the 2024/2025 AY. The Dean's Office will then forward the results to the AVP of Faculty Affairs and Success. 
  • Deans, as neutral parties, are available to facilitate/mediate conversations about WTU distribution among departments, if necessary. 

There will be no additional funding for Department Coordinators other than what has been provided for Chair assigned time in the January 18 memo. 

The sharing of Chair assigned time under this model will be evaluated annually to ensure equity and compliance with relevant policies and to ensure interdepartmental collaboration is progressing. Details for this evaluation will be provided at the start of Fall 2024.

We are often asked about other kinds of assigned time, for accreditation efforts, graduate program coordination, and other specialized program coordination. All of this program coordination is outside the scope of reorganization.  

Program or disciplinary accreditation matters are handled at the department or program level. We will work with appropriate deans to clarify how to distribute load across the designated leads so that accreditation is maintained and related program matters such as clinical placements and compliance matters are met. Assigned time for accreditation will be evaluated and budgeted separately from Chair/Coordinator assigned time.

Assigned time for graduate programs is also a separate issue and separately budgeted assigned time. The Graduate Studies Subcommittee is providing a set of recommendations about metrics for equity in assigned time for graduate program coordination, and we will have more information once we have used their recommendations to evaluate that assigned time. 

I hope that the opportunity to split or share assigned time within the Schools will assist with scheduling and with concerns about departmental representation.