Structure and Organization of the School

The Director, School of Fashion Design and Merchandising (hereinafter “Director”) is the chief administrative officer of the School, is accountable to and reports directly to the Dean of the College (hereinafter “Dean”).  The Director is responsible for recording, maintaining, and implementing the policies and procedures stated in this Handbook through regular and thorough consultation with the School faculty and the School’s various committees.

The Director's duties and responsibilities shall include but are not limited to the following:

a.    Developing, coordinating, planning, and providing leadership for all academic programs and professional activities housed in the School in a manner which is consistent with the mission of the University, the College, and the School and is mindful of the quality and breadth of programs supported by the University, the College and the School.

b.    Ensuring School compliance with University, Administrative and Operational Policies, rules, regulations and any applicable Collective Bargaining Agreement.

c.    Developing and carrying out administrative and educational policies in the School, with appropriate consultation.

d.    Managing personnel administration and appropriate professional development for the School, including the hiring or severance of all faculty and staff and all personnel actions related to the reappointment, tenure, and promotion of faculty in the School in consultation with the Faculty Advisory Committee (hereinafter “FAC”).

e.    Administering the School budget by allocating funds to the academic programs in the School and monitoring and reviewing the expenditures of these funds.

f.    Assigning workload to faculty members, with appropriate consultation.

g.    Identifying the resource needs of the School and recommending priorities for addressing these needs to the Dean of the College.

h.    Overseeing the development of teaching and classroom schedules and an enrollment plan for the School and advising the Dean on all issues related to the recruitment, academic advising, attribution, and retention of qualified and able students in the School.

i.    Consulting and responding to the recommendations of the FAC on matters central to the mission of the School and those specified by the University Policy Register and Collective Bargaining Agreement.

j.    Scheduling regular FAC and full-faculty meetings.

k.    Making recommendations on Graduate Faculty status.

l.    Representing the School and, when requested and deemed appropriate by the Dean and/or Provost, serving as official spokesperson for the School with other universities, academic/professional agencies, and honorary and accrediting bodies.

m.    Providing leadership for and commitment to affirmative action and promoting diversity in the School.

n.    Working with the Chair of the School’s external Advisory Board to direct their activities, convey their insight and implement initiatives.

o.    Developing and maintaining contacts and relationships with professional organizations and leaders in the profession.

p.    Engaging, when appropriate, in external fundraising activities in support of the University, the College and the School.

q.    Accepting ad hoc assignments related to School, College, and University matters as deemed appropriate by the Provost and Senior Vice President of Academic Affairs.

r.    Preparing Annual Mission Report and other University and College generated reports.

s.    Serving as building curator of Rockwell Hall.

t.    Responding to student academic complaints.

u.    Performing other tasks and duties as assigned, all of which cannot be cataloged and may include but not be limited to following:  the progress of graduates, maintaining relationships with Regional Campuses, providing orientation to new faculty, developing brochures of course syllabi, etc.

The Director is an ex officio, non-voting member of all School committees, and may make appointments as necessary and permitted to School committees and to the various administrative and service positions in the School. The selection, review, and reappointment of the Director are the responsibility of the Dean, who consults with the School faculty on such matters. Procedures for the selection, review, and reappointment of the Director are included in the applicable Collective Bargaining Agreement.

The NYC Studio Director (hereinafter “NYC Director”) is the onsite manager and principal administrator for the School’s New York City Studio, while adhering to the policies and procedures of Kent State University. The NYC Director reports directly to and is accountable to the Director, School of Fashion Design and Merchandising.  The NYC Director is appointed by the Director and is considered a full-time administrative position, reviewed annually by the Director.

The NYC Director’s duties and responsibilities shall include but are not limited to the following:

a.    Directing the administrative, instructional, operational, and technological aspects of the New York City Studio as an academic study away program/facility to support the Fashion Design and Merchandising curricula as well as academic outreach programs.   

b.    Managing the NYC Studio facility; making arrangements for cleanliness of space, security of classroom space, and renewal of lease preparation in conjunction with the Director.

c.    Managing the NYC Studio budget, in conjunction with the Director of the Fashion School, by providing accurate monthly spreadsheet reports to the Director, accurate and timely execution of paperwork for part-time faculty and staff hires, and managing approved expenditure of funds to operate the NYC Studio.

d.    Coordinate and implement recruitment, marketing, and development activities for the NYC Studio to meet target goals for Spring, Fall, and Summer academic sessions.

e.    Assist in securing and hiring approved part-time faculty for the NYC Studio in consultation with the Director, School Curriculum Committee and FAC.

f.    Reviewing NYC Studio part-time faculty performance in the classroom.

g.    Working with the Director and the Undergraduate Studies Coordinator to schedule and cancel classes based upon student demand and other issues identified for the NYC Studio.

h.    Overseeing the hiring and evaluation of staff assigned to the NYC Studio.

i.    Facilitating the completion of necessary forms, processes, and record-keeping including: Office of Global Education Applications, Deposit Agreements, Student Visas, and forms.

j.    Planning campus visitation programs to Kent and non-KSU campuses for recruitment and facilitation of students in NYC Studio and other Study Away Programs.  Communicating and coordinating with other Study Away program leaders.

k.    Overseeing the designing and maintenance of the NYC Studio website, as part of the School website.

l.    Increasing the network for placement of students in jobs and internships within the industry.

m.    Assisting faculty to recruit industry professionals as guest speakers and part-time instructors.

n.    Engaging in fund-raising activities for the NYC Studio through interaction among students, faculty, alumni, and industry professionals in New York, and coordinating these efforts in conjunction with the Director of Advancement and the College of the Arts office.

o.    Developing and planning revenue-driven programming for the regular academic year, summer, and intersession.

p.    Hosting a range of events in the NYC Studio to support the goals and mission of the School of Fashion Design and Merchandising.

q.    Performing other tasks and duties related to the NYC Studio as assigned by the Director, including knowing and following all KSU procedures in all areas of operation.

The School's non-academic staff includes all classified and unclassified staff positions within the School including but not limited to, academic advisor(s), computer analyst(s), administrative assistant(s), secretarial staff, etc.  Each position has specific duties as defined in the applicable position description.

The Faculty Advisory Committee (hereinafter “FAC”) is structured and operates as described in the applicable Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).  The FAC includes all eligible members of the tenure track faculty.  Prior to the start of each academic year and fall semester, the Tenure Track CBA provides that the tenured and tenure-track faculty of the School shall decide whether and to what extent full-time non-tenure track (NTT) faculty shall be represented on the FAC. 

The FAC is convened at least once per term by the Director who, in consultation with the FAC, sets the agenda for its meetings.  FAC members may request that items be added to the agenda.  Additional meetings of the FAC may be called by the Director, as needed or upon a request by at least one-half of the members of the FAC.  The FAC elects one (1) tenured faculty member to serve as the School’s representative to the College Advisory Committee (hereinafter “CAC”).

The Graduate Studies Committee (hereinafter “GSC”) includes the following faculty members:

• The Graduate Coordinator, who serves as the GSC Chair.
• A minimum of three faculty members elected from those possessing Graduate Faculty Status in the School.
• Members will serve a 2-year term with one rotating off each, providing continuity of at least two members from year-to-year.

The GSC assists the Graduate Coordinator with the oversight and development of the School’s graduate program.  The GSC is responsible for evaluating applications for admission and evaluating and recommending individuals for graduate appointments.  The GSC is also responsible for monitoring the progress and academic performance of graduate students in the School.  The GSC reviews proposals for new graduate courses, changes in course content and related curricular matters, and conducts periodic reviews of the School’s graduate program as a whole.  In matters of curriculum, the GSC makes its recommendations to the School Curriculum Committee, who then make recommendations to the FAC.

The School Curriculum Committee (hereinafter “CC”) shall consider all curricular proposals, including Workshop and Special Topic courses or academic issues such as blanket substitutions.  Any faculty member or the faculty as a whole may propose items for discussion.  Curricular proposals approved by the FAC shall be recommended to the Director and, upon his/her approval, forwarded to the College Curriculum Committee (hereinafter “CCC”) for consideration.  The chair of the School’s CC is the de facto representative to the CCC.

The policies and procedures which govern the School’s Ad Hoc Reappointment, Tenure and Promotion (hereinafter “RTP”) Committee are included in University Policy.  Procedural and operational guidelines for this committee are provided annually by the Office of the Provost.  This committee reviews materials relevant to the professional performance of faculty who are candidates for reappointment, tenure, or promotion in rank, and to make recommendations to the Director on each of these personnel decisions.  The recommendations of this committee and the Director, together with the materials assembled for the committees, are forwarded to the Dean of the College.

The Student Academic Complaint Committee is appointed by the FAC.  The Undergraduate Program Coordinator serves as the Chair of the Student Academic Complaint Committee.  The policies and procedures of this committee are governed by University Policy 3342-4-02.3, including but not limited to the addition of at least one (1) student representative to the committee.  An undergraduate student will be added to the committee for complaints from undergraduate courses and a graduate student will be added to the committee for complaints from graduate courses. 

In the event that a member of the Student Academic Complaint Committee is the subject of or may otherwise be involved with a student complaint, the FAC will select a replacement from the full-time tenured and tenure-track faculty.  If the Assistant to the Director is the subject of or may otherwise be involved with a student complaint, the Director will appoint a member of the Student Academic Complaint Committee to chair the committee and the FAC will appoint an additional member to the committee from the full-time tenured and tenure-track faculty.

The Director may establish, charge, and appoint the membership of ad-hoc committees and other necessary assignments as required for the operations of the School.  In establishing ad-hoc committees, naming members, and designating a committee Chair, the Director shall consult with the FAC.  The Director will welcome requests and preferences from the faculty before establishing and making appointments to ad-hoc committees and assignments.

The following are examples of the School’s various Ad-Hoc Committees and Assignments.  This list is illustrative and not considered all inclusive.

• FDM Scholarship Committee
• Faculty and Staff Recognition and Awards Committee
• FDM BFA Committee
• FDM Research Culture Fund Committee
• FDM Destination Kent State/FYE Course/Advising
• FDM Development/Advancement
• Library Liaison
• Fashion Student Organization (FSO) Advisor
• Modista Student Organization Advisor