Responsibilities

The Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs is the senior executive officer responsible to the Provost for USC's 4300 faculty.

Promoting Excellence

• Academic Personnel : Advises the Provost on tenure, promotions, senior appointments, salaries, contracts, and bridge funding, seeking to further academic excellence. Facilitates the work of the University Committee on Appointments, Promotions and Tenure. Initiated and manages the computerized contract management system, and the faculty web portal.
• Fostering a Collegial Environment: Works closely with the Academic Senate and faculty committees to foster collaborative and collegial processes.
• Academic Policies: Cooperates with faculty to develop the Faculty Handbook and other policies on the academic environment.
• Coordination: Initiated and facilitates the Council of Deans of Faculty.

Faculty Development

• Educational Opportunities: Initiated, and facilitates the work of, the Academic Leadership Development Committee. Assists its programs for department chairs, orientation for new appointees, search committee affirmative action liaisons, assistant professors early in their careers, assistant professors about to be considered for tenure, and research professors.
• Equality and Diversity: Promotes excellence by aiding in the recruiting, development, and retention of women and those from under-represented groups. Assists in developing university-wide anti-harassment training initiatives.

Serving Faculty

• Faculty Seeking Help and Advice: Counsels and assists professors.
• Faculty Rights and Responsibilities: Advises the Provost on policies and practices that involve both academic and legal factors.
• Faculty Problems: Assists in efforts to prevent or respond to faculty problems, including issues of discrimination or harassment, threats or violence, and misconduct or performance issues. Facilitates the work of the University Committee on Tenure and Privileges Appeals concerning grievances and potential discipline.
• Special Situations: Deals with individual situations such as requests for extensions of the tenure decision date, special leave, sabbaticals, parental leaves, faculty as degree candidates, and other special circumstances. Facilitates the work of the Committee on Probationary Deadlines.
• Assisting Deans: Helping deans, deans of faculty, and their staffs solve problems.
• Retired Faculty: Oversees the Emeriti Center and the Emeriti College

Liaison to Schools

Provost's liaison with the schools of business and law; the schools of social work, education, and policy, planning and development; and the schools of music, theatre, fine arts, and architecture. Provides ongoing counsel to deans, and assists in consideration of planning and budgeting.

Academic Initiatives

Works with faculty and deans to foster new inter-disciplinary teaching and research projects in the Strategic Plan's urban initiative, in both liberal arts disciplines and professional schools. Assists the Urban Deans Council, which includes deans from the USC College and the schools of dentistry; communications; education; policy, planning and development; and social work; and the vice president for external relations. Co-chairs the subcommittee on overcoming barriers to collaboration across academic units.

Development

Assists in selected principal fund-raising for academic programs. Has oversight of the stewardship of academic endowments.