Position Summary

The new position of Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs (ADFA) will serve as a key leader in promoting an inclusive, supportive, and productive academic environment for faculty within the College of Osteopathic Medicine (COM) and the College of Veterinary Medicine (CVM). This role involves overseeing faculty recruitment, retention, development, and evaluation processes while fostering a culture of excellence in teaching, research, and service. The ADFA will serve as a liaison for the COM and CVM with the MSU Faculty and Academic Staff Affairs Office (FASA) while serving on the executive committees within both colleges. The ADFA will uniquely report to both the Dean of the CVM and the Dean of the COM. This dual-reporting structure is intended to ensure that the ADFA can advocate effectively for faculty across both colleges while maintaining a unified approach to faculty affairs.

Performance Evaluation and Promotion and Tenure

• Establish and manage faculty evaluation processes that are fair, transparent, equitable, and aligned with institutional goals.
• Oversee the faculty appointment, promotion, and tenure (P&T) processes. This role includes assessing and refining the appointment, promotion, and tenure guidelines in tenure-stream, health program, and academic specialist streams.
• Ensure that promotion and evaluation processes within the colleges embody justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion principles.
• Advise departmental reappointment, promotion, and tenure (RPT) committees on the principles of inclusive excellence.  
• Lead efforts to create and sustain awards committees and honorific programs for the colleges.
• Develop inclusive mechanisms to identify faculty members who may be eligible for awards and work with their department chairs to ensure nominations occur.

Policy Development

• Collaborate with institutional leadership to develop and revise college policies related to faculty affairs, ensuring alignment with best practices and compliance with accreditation standards.
• Serve as a resource for faculty in each college regarding institutional policies and procedures.

Faculty Development, Mentoring and Retention

• Collaborate with the appropriate DEI offices to develop strategies to recruit and retain faculty while fostering inclusive hiring practices and diverse faculty recruitment efforts.
• Oversee Faculty Advancement, Mentoring and Engagement (FAME). This role includes developing and managing new faculty programs, workshops, faculty rewards and recognition, college-wide structured mentoring programs, and leadership and career development programs.
• Coordinate, facilitate, and disseminate faculty development initiatives within the colleges.
• Serve as an advocate for the faculty and a conduit to the leadership of both colleges.
• Develop a referral system to aid faculty in finding the correct support to enhance their scholarly activity.
• Work with department chairs to identify staffing needs, succession planning, faculty development, and recruitment plans.

Wellness

• Work directly with the Dean and senior leaders to impact the health and wellness of the faculty while enriching the academic culture and environment for all.
• Assess, advocate, and promote faculty wellness initiatives, work-life balance, and programs to support the holistic well-being of faculty members.

Faculty Support and Conflict Resolution

Facilitates support and guidance to faculty and chairs for resolving conflicts while ensuring that the applicable college and university policies have been followed.

Mediate faculty grievances and academic misconduct to facilitate resolution of conflicts.

Engage in academic go