ORGANIZATIONAL MODELS FOR THE OFFICE OF THE DEAN 13 technology, assessment, human resources, development, faculty development, and marketing. Academic Organization The College’s 13 departments are headed by chairpersons who are 12-month employees. They are responsible for managing teaching and advising schedules, student orienta- tions, curriculum development, faculty mentoring, budget development, fundraising, assessment of student learning outcomes, space utilization, faculty and staff workloads, and mediating between students, faculty and parents. Each chairperson is assigned one or two administrative assistants and an associate chair to assist with day-to-day activi- ties, which allows the chair time for his/her professional development. Strengths and Challenges of This Model This organizational model, with its associate deans and specialty staff, allows myriad opportunities to plan and create initiatives, strategically using a shared and inclu- sive approach. Associate deans provide expert advice as well as service supporting many day-to-day and strategic operations of the College. In addition, they are able to provide more individual attention and support to the chairs. The associate deans have the independence and flexibility to create and implement new initiatives, such as our Innovation Ventures Fund, a Global Lecture Series, and the College Endowment. Given the size, breadth and complexity of the College, the associate deans and I are able to attend almost all of the many events among the departments, assist the chairs with special funded and non-funded projects, and assist them with creating external partnerships, in ways that align with their disciplines. The organization of the College of Arts and Sciences faces challenges in regard to expectations of the University. The College is responsible for instruction for the General Education curriculum. Using a prescribed funding formula for Arts and Sciences disciplines, as well as carrying the highest teaching loads in less expensive disciplines, the College of Arts and Sciences has the smallest operating budget and the lowest-paid faculty at the University. Although it exceeds the University’s averages in first-year retention, and four- and six-year graduation rates, it is also expected to be excellent in research, including in disciplines where research funding is minimal. MODEL I—Variation: Traditional + School This is the traditional model plus the addition of semi-independent school/s whose directors may have a dotted-line relationship with the college dean. Such an arrange- ment occurs when a cluster of departments or disciplines achieves a critical mass (of faculty and students) or when a level of external visibility warrants greater autonomy. The size or stature of these programs may not justify independent-college status, but other imperatives—such as the cross-fertilization of teaching and research inter- ests, a common foundational year for the undergraduate programs, or efficiency of