APR 1 – revision history
APR1 was presented to the Provost Council on Wednesday, 01 April 2015, for review and
comment. The following feedback was received:
1) Dean Starnes suggested that APR1 be presented and reviewed at the Department
Heads Workshop on 16 April. Associate Provost Schwab created 15 minutes in
the agenda for Associate Dean Kloeppel, as a representative of the Graduate
Council, to answer questions and receive feedback from Department Heads.
2) Dean Carpenter wanted to present and discuss the current version of APR1 with
his Department Heads for comment and input.
3) Dean Parker suggested that Department Heads comment on the suggestion of the
Graduate School providing data and feedback to the Department Heads on
Program Director activities and involvement for inclusion and formative feedback
in Program Director AFE or Annual Review documents.
4) Assistant Vice Chancellor Metz suggested that Graduate Program Directors be
held responsible for their Graduate Programs’ learning outcomes and the
assessment of students’ performance in achieving these outcomes.
APR1 was presented at the Department Heads Workshop on 16 April 2015 for review
and comment. The following feedback was received:
1) Department Heads were specifically asked to comment on the suggestion that the
Graduate School provide a summary of program recruiting, application, and
engagement activity to the Program Directors and their Department Heads each
academic year. This suggestion was made so that summaries could be included as
part of Faculty AFE activity to their Department Head. Feedback was received
from three Department Heads and all were positive on this suggestion: Cindy
Atterholt (Chemistry), Dale Brotherton (Human Services), and Gael Graham
(History).
July 2015 - Revised Graduate Program Director Guidelines included as ‘Part I’ in APR
1; ‘Part II’ includes existing APR 1 language for undergraduate program directors. Part
II revisions include updated reference to Curriculog under Curriculum Oversight and
elimination of language about graduate student recruitment under Student Recruitment
and Retention.
Aug 2015 – Revisions from DHW/Associate Deans Council
28 October 2015 – Revisions endorsed by Faculty Senate
APR 1
Academic Program Director Guidelines 1
Revised 28 October 2015
Part I: Roles and Responsibilities of a Graduate Program Director*
*For purposes of this document, ‘Graduate Program Director’ also includes those individuals
designated as “Graduate Program Coordinator.”
Faculty members who are Graduate Program Directors have responsibility for the
coordination and oversight of a graduate degree program for a 12-month period.
Although the Department Head and Dean may identify a variety of responsibilities for
Program Directors, typical responsibilities include:
Program Leadership. The Graduate Program Director is responsible for providing
overall leadership for the graduate program and students, which may include:
conducting periodic meetings of faculty to discuss programmatic issues; ensuring
the flow of critical information between the department, school/college, Graduate
School, and all program faculty; managing enrollment including recruiting,
facilitating application review and admission, student advising, and graduation
processing.
Curriculum Oversight. The Graduate Program Director should guide the graduate
curriculum in consultation with the program’s graduate faculty and Department
Head. This may include modifications to the curriculum, which may include:
submission of course/program modifications via Curriculog, course sequencing, and
development and maintenance of the program’s curriculum guide.
Recruitment. The Graduate Program Director is responsible for program
recruitment and public relations strategies and activities, in conjunction with
graduate faculty and, where appropriate, the Graduate School.
Program Planning & Evaluation. The Graduate Program Director is responsible
for all program planning and evaluation activities, which may include: coordinating
program goals and strategies from the department strategic plan, developing and
revising graduate program learning outcomes, and assessing graduate student
performance in achieving these program learning outcomes including submission of
the 5-year Program Assessment Plan and the annual Assessment Report; oversight
of periodic program review including development and submission of the Program
Portfolio and Program Development Plan; and when applicable, oversight of
programmatic accreditation.
1
Revisions approved by Council of Deans on August 22, 2006; revised April 2007; July 2015;
October 2015.
Admissions. The Graduate Program Director is responsible for admissions
decisions, which includes managing Apply Yourself (AY) prospects, applications,
and serving as a liaison with the Graduate School in admissions processing and
procedures; maintaining current and correct Graduate Catalog information
regarding admissions requirements via Curriculog.
Outreach. The Graduate Program Director is responsible for representing the
graduate program’s interests in both internal and external endeavors, which may
include: coordinating program advisory boards; serving as a liaison between the
program and other campus constituencies; and participating in community events in
which the program is represented.
Qualifications and Work Load of Program Directors:
Ideally, a Graduate Program Director should be a tenured faculty member with the rank
of Associate Professor or Professor in the content area with a record of teaching graduate
courses. It is recommended that untenured faculty who serve as Graduate Program
Director, clarify with their departments the extent to which Graduate Program Director
duties count toward tenure and promotion as well as their faculty work load. Departments
are encouraged to delineate the weight of Graduate Program Director duties in their
DCRD or in written agreements with Graduate Program Director. Prior to the
appointment of an untenured Graduate Program Director, the Department Head must
receive written approval from the college Dean in consultation with the Dean of the
Graduate School.
Compensation for Graduate Program Directors:
Graduate Program Directors should receive compensation appropriate to the work load of
their directorial duties. When the program size and duties are sufficient to support it,
work load redistribution should be considered. Because of the nature of graduate studies,
admissions, advising, and graduation, program responsibilities carry through the summer
term. Therefore, Graduate Program Directors with a 9-month contract should be
compensated appropriately for their work and responsibilities through the summer term.
Graduate Program Director compensation will be determined by the Department Head
with the approval of the college Dean.
Graduate Program Director Compensation Options:
The following represent some possible compensatory means that might be included in a
written agreement between the Graduate Program Director and Department Head or
Academic Dean.
 Work load redistribution (teaching load and/or service reduction – not a
reduction in scholarly activity).
 Salary increase for the duration of service
 Stipend (summer or academic year)



Designated administrative support
Travel and professional development funding
Other rewards that appropriately compensate Graduate Program duties
Supervision and Authority to Department Head:
Generally, the Graduate Program Director’s department head supervises and evaluates
the position of the Graduate Program Director. Program directors should be mindful of
the authority granted to the Department Heads by the Faculty Handbook and other
University policies; actions of the Program Director such as curriculum assessment,
graduate assistantship requests, curriculum changes/proposal, etc. should be submitted
through the Department Head.
The Department Head should consult with the departmental faculty and Graduate School
Dean annually to conduct an evaluation of the Graduate Program Director’s performance
of responsibilities. The Graduate School will provide an annual data summary to the
Program Director and Department Head to utilize when evaluating the Program Director.
This will include the number of prospects to the program, the number of applications to
the program, the current enrollment of the program, and the number of consultations with
Graduate School staff and leaders. These evaluations can be incorporated into the
Program Director’s AFE and shared with the College Dean. In addition, the release time
and compensation for each Program Director should be reviewed annually by the
Department Head or Dean as appropriate.
Term of Service:
Graduate Program Directors serve at the will of the Department Head or Dean as
appropriate. Graduate Program Directors ideally should serve for a minimum of three
years.
Part II: Roles and Responsibilities of an Undergraduate Academic Program
Director 2
Academic program directors are faculty members who have been assigned responsibility
for the coordination and oversight of a degree program. Although the department head
and dean may identify a variety of responsibilities for program directors 3, typical
responsibilities include:
Program Leadership. The program director is responsible for providing overall
leadership for the program and its faculty, which may include: conducting periodic
meetings of faculty to discuss programmatic and departmental issues; ensuring the
flow of critical information between the department or school/college and all
program faculty; and soliciting and submitting program budget requests to the
department head.
Curriculum Oversight. The program director is responsible for all modifications
to the curriculum, which may include: submission of course/program modification
via Curriculog; course sequencing and scheduling; and development and
maintenance of the program’s curriculum guide.
Faculty Recruitment, Load, and, when Appropriate, Evaluation. The program
director, in concert with the department head, is responsible for management of the
program faculty, which may include: certifying and maintaining documentation
related to faculty credentials; assigning courses, in concert with the department
head, to achieve workload balance and to ensure adequate coverage for course
offerings; conducting faculty searches; and when appropriate, providing feedback
for tenure/promotion/rank decisions to department heads.
Program Planning & Evaluation. The program director is responsible for all
program planning and evaluation activities, which may include: coordinating
program goals and strategies from the departmental strategic plan; assessment of
program learning outcomes including submission of the 5-year Program
Assessment Plan and the annual Assessment Report; oversight of periodic program
review including development and submission of the Program Portfolio and
Program Development Plan; and when applicable, oversight of programmatic
accreditation.
2
For purposes of this document, ‘program director’ also includes those individuals designated as
‘program coordinator.’
3
Please see additional roles and responsibilities for coordinators of professional education
programs in specialty areas outlined in Appendices A and B.
Student Recruitment and Retention. The program director is responsible for
developing and maintaining materials and processes that promote recruitment and
retention, which may include: creating and updating promotional
brochures/literature, program website, catalog copy and degree checklist; oversight
of all program-affiliated student organizations and activities such as majors’ clubs,
honor societies, recognition events, etc.
Outreach. The program director is responsible for representing the academic
program’s interests in both internal and external endeavors, which may include:
coordinating program advisory boards; serving as a liaison between the program
and other campus constituencies; and participating in community events in which
the program is represented.
Preferred Qualifications of Program Directors
All academic Program Directors should have a terminal degree and must be qualified to
teach in the content area. Ideally, academic Program Directors should be senior-level
faculty with rank of Associate Professor or Professor in the content area. Junior faculty
with rank of Assistant Professor and full-time, non-tenure track faculty can be appointed
Program Director, but these appointments should be exceptions. Prior to the appointment
of a junior-level or non-tenure track faculty to position of academic Program Director, the
appropriate Department Head must submit a written justification statement to the college
Dean for approval.
Release Time 4 for Program Directors
When possible, department heads will attempt to accommodate the program director’s
assignment through the service requirements of the faculty members’ load. However,
when the program size and duties require additional time, the option of release time can
be considered. The amount of work required for one, 3 credit course release should be
equivalent to approximately ten hours per week. Program directors may be released by
the department head with the approval of the dean from one class per semester, one class
every other semester, or any combination of course release to accurately reflect the
amount of work required for the position.
4
There are program coordinators who do not have oversight of a degree program. Any release
time and compensation for these individuals should be negotiated by the department head with
the dean and approved by the provost.
Program Director Compensation Guidelines 3
The following represent some possible compensatory means that might be included in a
written agreement between the Undergraduate Program Director and Department Head or
Academic Dean.
 Work load redistribution (teaching load and/or service reduction – not a reduction
in scholarly activity).
 Salary increase for the duration of service
 Stipend (summer or academic year)
 Designated administrative support
 Travel and professional development funding
 Other rewards that appropriately compensate Undergraduate Program duties
Note:
1) Department Heads do not typically receive program director stipends unless they
are also directing a distance learning program.
2) Program directors who are 12 month employees are not eligible for program
director stipends.
3) Stipends for distance learning program directors of certificate areas vary
according to duties assigned and size of program.
Relationship to Department Head
The department head supervises and evaluates the position of program director. Actions
of the program director are submitted to/through the department head for action.
Program Director Evaluation
The department head shall consult with the departmental faculty annually to conduct an
evaluation of the responsibilities of the program director. These evaluations will be
incorporated into the program director’s AFE and shared with the dean. In the case of
interdisciplinary programs, the supervising department head shall receive input on the
program director’s performance from all department heads involved in the academic
program. In addition, the release time and compensation for each program director should
be reviewed annually by the department head or dean as appropriate.
Term
Program directors serve at the will of the department head or dean as appropriate.
Program directors are expected to serve for a minimum of three years. Continuation from
year to year is dependent upon successful performance evaluated by the departmental
faculty through the AFE process and department head.
Appendix A
Coordinator of Professional Education Programs in Specialty Areas
Roles and responsibilities
1. Curriculum
Coordinate development of the curriculum in the specialty area so that it meets
accreditation requirements: state, regional and national accreditation (SDPI, SACS,
NCATE).
Coordinate development of the curriculum so that candidates are knowledgeable of
the NC Standard Course of Study in the specialty area.
Coordinate development of the curriculum so that candidates are prepared to
exceed minimum passing scores on the relevant Praxis tests in the specialty area.
Coordinate development of the curriculum in the specialty area so that it complies
with expectations and requirements of the professional education unit for all specialty
area education programs to include: the conceptual framework, admission
requirements, continuing and exit requirements (e.g., GPA, tests, required courses,
clinical and field experiences, licensure, etc.), diversity technology, etc.
2. Scheduling
Coordinate scheduling of required courses in the specialty area so that candidates
are able to progress through the program at the expected rate and complete the
program within the expected time-frame.
Coordinate scheduling of required courses with other required courses in the
Professional Core.
Coordinate scheduling of required courses so that candidates are able to complete
field and clinical experiences requirements without undue hardship.
3. Advisement
Coordinate the development of accurate and current advisement materials for
candidates in the specialty area to include program checklist(s), goals and objectives
of the specialty area, and other information that may be needed by candidates such as
requirements beyond courses (e.g., special seminars, required noncredit labs, clinical
and field experiences).
Coordinate advisement procedures for candidates in the specialty areas so that all
candidates have an assigned advisor who is knowledgeable of program requirements
including making all candidates aware of the conceptual framework, advising about
field experiences, and guiding and evaluating portfolio requirements at the
undergraduate and/or graduate level.
Serve as the primary specialty area advisor for all alternative licensure candidates
in the program.
4. Recruitment
Develop contacts with the middle, secondary and postsecondary schools in the
region to recruit candidates into the specialty area professional education program.
Coordinate with existing recruiting efforts of the university (e.g., WCU on Tour,
Open House, personal phone calls to admitted students, etc.) and other regional
entities (i.e., WRESA) to promote the specialty area education program.
Develop recruitment materials for the specialty area and/or cooperation with others
in the development of broader materials so that the specialty area is represented.
Develop a request through the Graduate School Associate Dean for needed funds for
recruitment
5. Professional Education Liaison
Serve as the primary liaison for professional education matters concerning the
specialty area including: serving on the Professional Education Council, representing
the specialty area on SUTEP committee(s), and serving on other professional
education committees within the university as needed (e.g., professional education
core, accreditation-related, etc.)
Serve on statewide committees as appropriate (e.g., DPI, UNC-OP) to represent
WCU in professional education matters generally and relating to the specialty area
(e.g., reviewing the Standard Course of Study in the specialty area, review of
guidelines and competencies in the specialty area, Praxis tests issues, licensure issues)
Communicate with department head(s) of specialty area and other relevant persons
including dean(s), associate dean(s), department heads with courses in the
Professional core, director of field experiences and specialty area faculty about status
of teacher education program in specialty area and changes as appropriate.
6. Program Evaluation
Serve as the primary liaison for contributions to required reports about the specialty
area (e.g., IHE Performance report, Title 2 Report, Clinical and Field Experiences,
SUTEP, School Services, accreditation, program review, etc.)
In collaboration with other efforts on campus, periodically and systematically
review the specialty area program on at least an annual basis and submit a written
report to the dean of the College of Education and Allied Professions.
Contribute to the development and implementation of the assessment plan for the
professional education programs.
7. Instruction
Teach methods courses or coordinate the teaching of methods courses in the specialty
area.
Supervise field and clinical experiences or coordinate the supervision of field and
clinical experiences in the specialty area in conjunction with Director of Field
Experiences and Dept. Head(s), as needed.
Maintain current state teaching license in the specialty area.
Appendix B
Assessment Plan and Report Responsibilities for Professional Education Programs
Shared by the College of Education and Allied Professions (CEAP) and Other
Schools/Colleges
The designated specialty area coordinator for each professional education program
leading to a North Carolina Department of Public Instruction license is responsible for
developing a Program Assessment Plan, in coordination with the CEAP program director,
and for the submission of the annual Program Assessment Report to the University
Director of Assessment and to the Dean of the CEAP. The department head for each
designated coordinator has oversight responsibility for assessment plans and reports.
The following resource persons for the development of assessment plans and reports for
programs shared by the CEAP and other units include: coordinators for the BSEd, MAT
and MAEd in the Department of Education Leadership and Foundations; Director of
Assessment in the CEAP; Director of the CEAP Office of Field Experiences; and,
Associate Dean in the CEAP.
Program Assessment Plans and Reports are developed and submitted according to the
format and schedule of the University Director of Assessment.
Programs leading to a North Carolina Department of Public Instruction License include:
UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAMS
(BS) Birth-Kindergarten (Dr. Eliza Dean, edean@email.wcu.edu )
(BSEd) Elementary education (Dr. Patricia Bricker, bricker@email.wcu.edu )
(BSEd) Middle Grades
Language Arts (Dr. Victoria Faircloth, victoria@email.wcu.edu )
Mathematics (Dr. Victoria Faircloth, victoria@email.wcu.edu )
Science (Dr. Victoria Faircloth, victoria@email.wcu.edu )
Social Studies (Dr. Victoria Faircloth, victoria@email.wcu.edu )
(BSEd) Secondary Education (Dr. Eddie Case, ecase@email.wcu.edu )
*(BSEd) English (Dr. Catherine Carter, ccarter@email.wcu.edu )
*(BSEd) Comprehensive Science (Dr. Patricia Hembree, phembree@email.wcu.edu )
*(BSEd) Comprehensive Social Sciences (Dr. Elizabeth McRae, mcrae@email.wcu.edu )
*(BSEd) Mathematics (Dr. Harold Williford, willifor@email.wcu.edu )
*(BSEd) Art (Dr. Erin Tapley, etapley@email.wcu.edu )
*(BSEd) Music (Prof. Michael Schallock, mschallock@email.wcu.edu )
*(BSEd) Physical Education (Dr. Dan Grube, dgrube@email.wcu.edu )
*(BSEd) Spanish (Dr. Alberto Centeno-Pulido, acentnopulido@email.wcu.edu )
*(BSEd) Special Education, General (Dr. Karena Cooper-Duffy,
kcooper@email.wcu.edu )
GRADUATE PROGRAMS
(MAT) Dr. Sarah Meltzer, CEAP Program Director, meltzer@email.wcu.edu
(MAEd) Dr. Sarah Meltzer, CEAP Program Director, meltzer@email.wcu.edu
*(MAT, MAEd) Art: Dr. Erin Tapley, etapley@email.wcu.edu
(MAT, MAEd) Special Education: Dr. Lisa Bloom, bloom@email.wcu.edu
*(MAT, MAEd, MS) Biology: Dr. Sabine Rundle, rundle@email.wcu.edu
*(MAT, MAEd, MS) Chemistry: Dr. Carmen Huffman, chuffman@email.wcu.edu
*(MAT, MAEd) Social Sciences: Dr. Elizabeth McRae, mcrae@email.wcu.edu
(MAEd) Elementary Education: Dr. Roya Scales, rqscales@email.wcu.edu
(MAEd) Middle Grades Education: Dr. Roya Scales, rqscales@email.wcu.edu
*(MAT, MAEd) English: Dr. Annette Debo, adebo@email.wcu.edu
(MS) Communication Science and Disorders: Dr. Bill Ogletree, ogletree@email.wcu.edu
(MAEd) School Counseling: Dr. Lisen Roberts, lroberts@email.wcu.edu
(MS) Clinical Mental Health Counseling: Dr. Lisen Roberts, lroberts@email.wcu.edu
(SSP) School Psychology Dr. Lori Unruh, lunruh@email.wcu.edu
*(MAT, MAEd) Social Sciences (9-12) Dr. Elizabeth McRae, mcrae@email.wcu.edu
MAEd) Higher Education Student Affairs: Dr. Adriel Hilton, aahilton@email.wcu.edu
(MSA) School Administration: Dr. Ann Allen, alallen@email.wcu.edu
(EdD) Educational Leadership: Dr. Kathleen Jorrisen, ktjorrisen@email.wcu.edu
(DNP) Nursing Practice: Dr. Sarah Mannle, semannle@email.wcu.edu
(DPT) Physical Therapy: Dr. Todd Watson, twatson@email.wcu.edu
(MA) History: Dr. Andrew Denson, denson@email.wcu.edu
(MA) Psychology: Dr. Kia Asberg, kasberg@email.wcu.edu
(MAcc) Accountancy: Dr. Susan Swanger, swanger@email.wcu.edu
(MFA) Fine Arts: Richard Tichich, rtichich@email.wcu.edu
(MAEd) Educational Supervision (Jamaican program): Dr. Casey Hurley,
churley@email.wcu.edu
(MBA) Business Administration: Dr. Hollye Moss, hmoss@email.wcu.edu
(MCM) Construction Management: Dr. George Ford, gford@email.wcu.edu
(ME) Entrepreneurship: Dr. Bob Lahm, rjlahm@email.wcu.edu
(MHS) Health Sciences: Dr. Marianne Hollis, mhollis@email.wcu.edu
(MPA) Public Affairs: Dr. Jay Gerlach, jdgerlach@email.wcu.edu
(MPM) Project Management: Dr. Vittal Anantatmula, vittal@email.wcu.edu
(MS) Human Resources: Dr. John Sherlock, sherlock@email.wcu.edu
(MS) Nursing – Nurse Leadership: Professor Ramona Whichello,
whichello@email.wcu.edu
(MS) Nursing – Family Nurse Practitioner: Dr. Tamera Pearson,
tlpearson@email.wcu.edu
(MS) Nursing – Nurse Educator, Professor Ramona Whichello,
whichello@email.wcu.edu
(MS) Nursing – Nurse Anesthesia, Dr. Shawn Collins, shawncollins@email.wcu.edu
(MSW) Social Work: Dr. Patricia Morse, pmorse@email.wcu.edu
(MS) Technology: Dr. Martin Tanaka, mtanaka@email.wcu.edu
* shared program