2008-09 Catalog - Saint Mary's College of California

Academic Officers and ServicesDean for Academic DevelopmentThe dean for academic development is responsible, in collaboration withthe vice provost of academic affairs, the deans of the schools and theregistrar, for review of undergraduate departmental offerings, tracking theContinuous Action Plan (the strategic plan for the academic programsof the College), major WASC recommendations, the five-year plansgenerated by program reviews in each academic area; strategic planningfor new academic initiatives; and implementation of the Academic HonorCode as well as academic probation and disqualification policies. Thedean handles the student evaluations of faculty and courses and studentgrievances on academic issues. The dean responds to College-widerequests for academic information or assistance.Dean for Faculty DevelopmentThe dean is responsible for administering the Office of Faculty Developmentthat provides faculty support services, as advised by the Committeeon Teaching and Scholarship. Programs include new faculty orientations,chair development, sabbatical and research presentations, rank andtenure workshops, book discussions and mentoring for effective teaching,learning and service. An annual Woodrow Wilson Fellow enrichescampus life through class visits and public forums. Professional andscholarly development and collaborative faculty/student research fundsand technology grants are distributed through FD Office by the FacultyDevelopment Fund Committee and the Faculty Technology Group.Dean for Academic Resourcesand Director of the LibraryThe dean for academic resources is responsible for the development,programming and administration of the information and learningresources of the Saint Albert Hall Library and the Hearst Art Gallery.The dean is responsible for the quality and evaluation of services, collections,facilities, and staff, allocation of these resources across academicdisciplines and programs at all levels, and implementation of policyand procedure. The dean determines an appropriate balance amongprint, media and digital academic resources to support the educationalprograms of the College through broad-based collaboration with facultyand administrative staff.Dean of Academic Advising and AchievementThe dean of academic advising and achievement is responsible fordeveloping and implementing programs, policies and procedures relatedto the academic development, persistence and success of undergraduatestudents. The dean has administrative responsibility for the AcademicAdvising Center, general academic advising services, the Tutorial andAcademic Skills Center, The Career Development Center, the HighPotential Program, Project Success class and Student Disability Services.Academic Advising andAchievementAcademic Advising and Achievement is committed to providing undergraduateswith the guidance necessary to help them find the correctbalance of support, challenge, structure, and independence needed torealize their full potential. The various programs and services of AcademicAdvising and Achievement provide support for students as theyplan their course of study toward the achievement of their educational,career and life goals. Through a coordinated blending of various academicadvising, career development and other academic support programs andservices, Academic Advising and Achievement provides students withopportunities to effectively integrate academic, personal, cultural andemotional development into activities that incorporate self-assessmentof academic and personal skills, interests, personal values and abilitieswith an exploration or examination of academic and career opportunities.By diffusing academic and life skills development throughout theprocess, Academic Advising and Achievement empowers students tobecome more independent in developing and achieving their goals. Ingeneral, Academic Advising and Achievement’s overall mission is to assiststudents in their academic growth, assist students in developing realisticand meaningful academic and career goals, and assist students in developingrealistic strategies to achieve their goals.Academic AdvisingFirst-year students have a full-time faculty advisor from a discipline orfield closely related to the academic interest expressed by the student.The first-year faculty advisor strives to communicate the ideals of a liberalarts education, and balance that with helping each student navigate thecomplexity of issues and options encountered as they transition into thecollege environment. When students declare a major they are assigned afaculty advisor from the respective academic department or program, ormay continue on with the same advisor if appropriate. Specialized advisorsare provided for health sciences, pre-med and pre-law.Academic Advising CenterThe Academic Advising Center is committed to providing undergraduateswith the support and guidance necessary to succeed academically.The center is primarily focused on helping students who are experiencingacademic difficulty, and on providing guidance for students who areundecided about their academic major to help them make well-informedand meaningful decisions about their academic goals and strategies.The academic advising coordinators in the Academic Advising Centerrecognize, and are sensitive to, the diversity of differences and uniquecharacteristics that each student brings. The advising coordinators striveto connect to students by providing advising and support interventions atimportant points throughout the academic year. The academic advisingcoordinators help students plan academic programs, suggest enrichmentopportunities, monitor student progress, explain college policies andhelp students navigate through procedures.23