Appointment of Deans

adopted by Senate, November 25, 1971

Procedures to be Adopted in Advising the Principal on the Appointment of Deans of Faculties and Schools

1. The following procedures are those which the committee recommends as appropriate for normal use in the appointment of deans of faculties and schools, including the School of Graduate Studies and Research. Some modification may be necessary in the case of faculties and schools without departments.

2. Initial Procedures. Approximately fifteen months before the end of the term of office of the dean of a faculty or school, the Principal shall place a notice in the Queen's Gazette announcing the end of the term of the incumbent dean and calling upon the university community for submission of opinion on the direction and leadership of the faculty or school. In the announcements the Principal will normally announce the name of the Chair of the Advisory Committee (see 3 below). The Principal shall also send a letter to all members of the Faculty Board, or, in the case of the School of Graduate Studies and Research, to all members of the Council and Divisions of the Graduate School, and others at the Principal's discretion, inviting them to submit their views on the question of potential candidates and matters pertaining to present administration and future development. Where these views are expressed in writing, the Principal shall ask respondents to state whether they wish to have their letters shown, in confidence, to the members of the Advisory Committee.

   When the Advisory Committee is appointed, the fact of its appointment, and the names of its members shall be published in the Queen's Gazette.

3. The Advisory Committee. The Committee shall be selected by the Principal and the number of its members shall be at the Principal's discretion. In composing the Committee, the Principal shall consider:

   1. the desirability of having representation from those of various ages, ranks and disciplines.
   2. the normal desirability of having a majority of the Committee drawn from the faculty or school concerned.
   3. the normal desirability of having representation from a closely-related faculty or faculties and from the School of Graduate Studies and Research.

   Advisers from outside the University may be selected either as members of the Committee or as consultants to the Committee.

   The Principal or designate shall be Chair.

4. Functions of the Committee. Taking into consideration the views expressed in the submissions to the Principal pertaining to present administration and future development, the Committee shall:

   1. arrive at its own conclusions concerning the desirable future direction of the faculty or school;
   2. review the field of potential candidates, having regard to the type of person most likely to meet the requirements suggested by those conclusions.
   3. make appropriate recommendations to the Principal.

   In view of the long tradition at Queen's of associating academic appointment with the appointment of deans, we recommend that the Advisory Committee give due consideration, where appropriate, to the candidates' teaching abilities, and scholarly, research, and professional interests.

5. Term of Office. Normally, the term of office for a dean shall be five years, except that a longer or shorter term may be recommended by the Advisory Committee if a strong case is made. In the event of reappointment, the term shall be for not more than five years on each occasion. Procedures for reappointment shall be the same as for a new appointment.

6. Associate and Assistant Deans. Associate and Assistant Deans shall be appointed in such a way as the Faculty Board may propose, and the Principal may approve.

Please note that the processes described above take into account the university’s Senior Search Strategy developed by Queen’s Human Rights and Equity Office.