Administration

The Office of the Provost and Senior Vice President is charged with developing, implementing, and reviewing academic policies and programs. The Provost serves as the chief academic officer of the university. The office coordinates academic deans and directors and informs and advises the President on academic matters. The office is responsible for academic personnel and budgetary matters, including support areas such as the Libraries; the Graduate School; the Teaching, Learning, and Professional Development Center; TTU Online; International Affairs; Institutional Effectiveness; Academic Innovation and Student Success; Faculty Success; Outreach and Engagement; the Museum of Texas Tech University; the Humanities Center; the National Ranching Heritage Center; TTU Press; the Institute for Studies in Pragmaticism; and Official Publications. Student Life also reports to the Provost.

Academic Structure

The principal administrative officer of each of the colleges and schools of the university is the dean. Faculty are assigned to each college and school except the Graduate School. The Davis College of Agricultural Sciences & Natural Resources; the Whitacre College of Engineering; and the Colleges of Arts & Sciences, Education, Human Sciences, and Media & Communication are organized into instructional departments or divisions administered by chairpersons. The College of Human Sciences also has one school administered by a director. The J.T. & Margaret Talkington College of Visual & Performing Arts is structured with three schools administered by directors. The organizational pattern for the Rawls College of Business includes areas of instruction, headed by area coordinators. The College of Architecture, Honors College, School of Law, and School of Veterinary Medicine are organized as single units.

Department chairpersons, school directors, and area coordinators are recommended by the dean of the appropriate college and appointed by the Provost, in accordance with OP 32.03. They serve in their administrative roles without tenure and at the discretion of the dean. The dean reviews chairpersons annually.

Each department chairperson, school director, and area coordinator, in cooperation with the faculty, is responsible for supervising the activities of the department, school, or area; developing curriculum; advising students; preparing department budget requests; evaluating the performance of the faculty and staff on an annual basis; recommending tenure, promotion, and continuing appointment; recommending merit increases and post-tenure reviews; and initiating appointment recommendations (OPs 32.03, 32.06, 32.32).

Academic Council

The Academic Council serves in an advisory capacity to the Provost on matters related to academic policies and procedures. The Council considers requests for changes to existing or the addition of new degree programs and recommends course additions, changes, and deletions. The Council also considers matters of enrollment management, recruitment and retention, off-campus and distance education, core curriculum, faculty development, and academic services.

The Academic Council is composed of the Vice Provost for Institutional Effectiveness, who chairs the Council; Vice Provosts (ex officio); Associate and Assistant Vice Provosts (ex officio); the Vice President of the Faculty Senate; associate deans from each school and college and the Libraries; the Registrar; the Directors of Institutional Research and Official Publications; and a representative from the Student Government Association. Directors of various academic support offices and programs also attend Council meetings.

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Chairs Council

The Chairs Council is convened by the Vice Provost for Faculty Success and provides opportunity for department chairs, school directors, and area coordinators to interact on a monthly basis and with administrative leadership as necessary on a variety of academic affairs matters that directly involve these unit leaders.

Associate Deans Council

The Associate Deans Council is convened by the Vice Provost for Academic Innovation and Student Success and provides opportunity for associate deans to interact on a monthly basis with vice provosts, associate and assistant vice provosts, and other guest attendees on a variety of academic affairs matters that directly involve these unit leaders. Unit leaders are also asked to bring items for discussion.

Faculty Ombudsperson

The Faculty Ombudsperson acts as an independent, impartial, confidential, and informal resource for faculty who are dealing with any work-related difficulty including interpersonal conflict or academic or administrative concerns. The Faculty Ombudsperson advises both the Provost and the President of the Faculty Senate on matters concerning faculty welfare.

Faculty Senate

The Faculty Senate is composed of senators representing the voting faculty of Texas Tech University. The voting faculty are those who have completed at least one year in a full-time appointment in a tenure-track or tenured position, including librarians and archivists who hold appointments that make them eligible for tenure, and those in a full-time, non-tenure-track faculty position who are eligible for continuing appointment by virtue of serving six or more consecutive years in the faculty position. Membership of the Faculty Senate includes one senator for each twenty voting faculty members or fraction thereof from each college or school, but not fewer than two senators, and nine additional senators at-large. Members may not hold administrative positions higher than department chair. The Senate elects a president, vice president, and secretary from its membership to serve terms of one year.

The Faculty Senate acts on behalf of the faculty and serves as an advisory body to the President of the university and may consider all matters of university concern. Any member of the university community may bring a matter of university concern to the attention of the Senate. The Senate may make recommendations to the President of the university concerning the academic functions of the university, academic freedom, and other matters pertaining to the welfare of the university, particularly those of special interest to the faculty. If the President of the university chooses not to follow a recommendation of the Faculty Senate, the President shall inform the Senate in writing of the reasons and, on request of the Senate, the President shall meet with the Senate for discussion of the matter.

The Texas Tech University Faculty Senate is a member of the Council of Faculty Governance Organizations.

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Graduate and Postdoctoral Affairs

The Vice Provost for Graduate and Postdoctoral Affairs and Dean of the Graduate School is responsible for coordinating graduate admissions, programs, advising, and events of Texas Tech University. The Graduate School administers policies related to graduate faculty, graduate students, and postdoctoral fellows, and provides professional development opportunities for graduate students and postdoctoral fellows.

Graduate Faculty. Graduate Faculty are responsible for the graduate instruction of the university. Members participate in all phases of the graduate program, assist in determining policy, and elect members to the Graduate Council. Membership is a means of recognizing faculty members for scholarly and creative activity, direction of graduate research and study, and other contributions to the graduate programs of the university.

University-wide criteria for graduate faculty membership are (1) possession of the terminal academic degree in the field or recognition for substantive and distinctive contributions to the discipline involved, (2) evidence of current interest and involvement in scholarly research or creative productivity, and (3) successful experience in the teaching, counseling, and/or direction of students at the graduate level.

Graduate Council. The Graduate Council, assisted by the graduate faculty, is responsible for formulating the policies of the Graduate School and the requirements for graduate degrees. These policies are administered by the Graduate Dean.

The Graduate Council is composed of 14 voting members. The graduate faculty elects 11 members (three-year, non-renewable terms), the Graduate Dean appoints two (two-year terms), and the Faculty Senate elects one from its graduate faculty membership (one-year, renewable term). The Graduate Dean is ex officio and chairs the Council. Other ex officio members include the following: the Provost (or designee), associate deans, and representatives from the Library, the Law School, the School of Veterinary Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, and others appointed by the Dean. The Graduate Vice President for the Student Government Association and the President of the Graduate Assembly also serve as ex officio members.

Elected members serve three years and are not eligible for immediate reelection unless they have been chosen to fill an unexpired term. Appointed members serve two years. By a system of rotation, some new members join the Council each year, replacing those whose terms have expired.

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University Councils and Committees

Standing councils and committees are appointed to serve the needs and interests of Texas Tech University. These bodies, most of which have faculty, student, and administrative representation, are an important element in the effective functioning of the institution. The collective ability, knowledge, and competency of council and committee members are an invaluable resource to the administration. By their membership on university councils and committees, faculty members participate in and contribute substantially to the activities and operations of the university, especially in academic affairs.

Councils and committees are advisory bodies, unless specifically charged with other responsibilities. It is not intended that they assume the authority and responsibility assigned to offices within the administrative structure of the university. Ideas and suggestions from these bodies are, however, of great value to administrators in their continuing efforts to improve operations of the institution and in broadening the base for decision making. In addition to contributing to the orderly and objective administration of the university, councils and committees afford the members an opportunity to participate in the governance process, to enhance their personal and professional growth, and to broaden their knowledge of the operations and activities of the institution.

Details of the councils and committees are contained in the Directory of Standing Councils and Committees. The directory should be consulted for the latest and most accurate information on councils and committees because membership, responsibilities, and administrative procedures are subject to change. Each entry in the directory specifies how a council or committee membership is determined.

In addition, the Faculty and Staff Senates have standing committees, but they are not standing committees of the university. They are listed below as a matter of information and for convenience of reference by the faculty and staff.

Faculty Senate Standing Committees

• Academic Issues Committee
• Administrator Evaluation Survey Committee
• Budget Study Committee
• Committee on Committees
• Faculty Senate Campus Climate Committee
• Faculty Status and Welfare Committee
• Nomination Committee
• Study Committee A
• Study Committee B
• Study Committee C

Staff Senate Standing Committees

• Bylaws and Constitution Committee
• Caregiver Committee
• Communications/Public Relations Committee
• Elections Committee
• Executive Board
• Grievance Committee
• Issues Committee
• Nominations Committee
• OP Review Committee
• Red Raider HIT (Humanity, Impact, & Togetherness) Committee
• Scholarships and Awards Committee
• Staff Emergency Fund Committee
• Technology Committee

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Faculty Handbook Contents

Introduction

General Information

Role of the Faculty

Facilities and Services

Office of the Provost

Research

Faculty Affairs

Benefits and Services

Emergency Procedures

Financial Exigency Plan

Faculty Directory

Operating Policies