Administrative Structure

The Unit director commonly serves a three-year term (term lengths vary based on negotiations with administration) and has duties that include but are not limited to:

1. Overseeing the process of developing, maintaining and altering unit governance policies and procedures
2. Mentoring tenure-track faculty members to ensure adequate progress toward tenure in compliance with Media School and unit policies on reappointment and review of non-tenured faculty
3. Mentoring lecturers to ensure adequate progress towards senior lecturer status in compliance with Media School and unit policies on retention, evaluation, and promotion of NTT faculty
4. Having individual meetings yearly with associate professors
5. Overseeing the tenure and/or promotion process for unit faculty, including writing the director’s letters
6. Nominating and writing letters of support for unit faculty applications for fellowships and other honors and monetary awards when required
7. Working with faculty to develop appropriate CMS unit committees and populate those committees
8. Meeting regularly with other unit directors in the School and with the School Dean, School Associate Dean and directors to develop shared programs of study and research and to ensure that the units are not duplicating efforts
9. Overseeing unit merit review process and making recommendations to the dean for salary raises
10. Handling unit-specific inquiries from upper administration

The Speaker Series/Events director is appointed by the director, serves a two-year term, and has the following responsibilities:

1. To help communicate events organized by CMS faculty members to CMS faculty, and graduate students, and the MSCH’s Communications and Media Relations Director
2. To take the organizational lead on the selection and planning of the annual Naremore Lecture
3. To serve as the liaison to graduate student representatives who organize the CMS Graduate Student Forum

Advisory Committee

The Advisory Committee is elected to two-year terms by the unit faculty and consists of two members of the unit faculty, at least one of whom is tenured.  The terms are staggered and nobody can serve two consecutive terms. The responsibilities of the committee are as follows:

1. to serve as an independent advisory body to the director on strategic planning, other matters of unit administration and faculty governance, and any situations for which the unit director requires advice
2. to serve as a liaison between the faculty and the director for the purpose of communicating and resolving faculty grievances or other matters of faculty concern
3. to serve faculty on sensitive issues: any faculty member may request a meeting of the advisory committee.

Merit Review Committee

1. The primary responsibility of the Merit Review Committee is to evaluate faculty and make recommendations to the Deans on annual merit salary increases according to the procedures outlined in the merit review policy.
2. The Merit Review Committee consists of at least three members of the unit who are appointed by the unit director. The unit director will attend committee meetings if deemed necessary by the merit review committee.
3. Members of the merit committee serve two-terms.
4. The Merit Review Committee elects its own chair.
5. Materials for annual merit reviews may include the following: each faculty member’s DMAI or an equivalent document based on the calendar year, C.V., copies of published works, student evaluations (if requested), additional supplemental materials, including, course syllabi, that each faculty member wishes to include.
6. The chair of the Merit Review Committee sends the final committee report to the Deans.

• The CMS unit elects two members of the tenure-track or non-tenure-track faculty to serve on the Faculty Advisory Board. These members generally serve staggered 3-year terms. FAB members will be elected when necessary from the members of the unit. The director will call for nominations from the faculty and conduct a vote amongst them. The highest vote getters who agree to serve will be elected.
• The unit director appoints two members of the tenured or tenure-track faculty to serve on the Graduate Committee. These members serve 3-year terms.
• The unit director appoints one member of faculty (TT or NTT) to serve on the Undergraduate Committee and one member to serve as coordinator for each undergraduate concentration supported by the unit. These members serve 3-year terms.

Other committees may be appointed by the director or by the faculty to deal with special issues or concerns.