The institution has qualified administrative and academic officers with the experience and competence to lead the institution. (Qualified administrative/academic officers)

Judgment Compliance

Reinhardt University has qualified administrative and academic officers with the experience and competence to lead the institution. All administrators are qualified for the positions they hold and are evaluated on a regular basis. To ensure that the institution has effective leadership to accomplish its mission, the University employs academic and administrative officers with the credentials and expertise appropriate to the duties and responsibilities associated with their positions. Search processes use procedures that include professional references, background checks, and verification of a candidate's academic degrees and experience.

Recruitment and Hiring

Job descriptions for all Reinhardt employees, including administrative and academic officers, specify the functions, duties, responsibilities, and qualifications of the position. They are maintained by the Office of Human Resources. National searches for these positions are required and guided by the job description, and the recruitment and hiring processes are conducted in accordance with state and federal laws, and University guidelines. Employee files are held in the Office of Human Resources.

Reinhardt University’s search process for academic officers requires an appointed group of faculty to serve as a search committee to assess potential candidates. [1] The search committee chair maintains documentation of the search. Reinhardt’s Human Resources office obtains backgrounds checks and verifies the academic credentials of the selected individual by requesting official transcript records.

Similarly, hiring for non-faculty positions at the director level or above requires a national search and may involve an official search committee and/or the inclusion during the interview process of individuals associated with the posted position.  [2]

Organization

Reinhardt University President Dr. Kina Mallard was selected by the Reinhardt Board of Trustees. Dr. Mallard assumed her duties in Spring 2015; she earned a Ph.D. in Communication from University of Tennessee in 1991, a master’s degree in Organizational Communication from University of Tennessee in 1983, and a bachelor’s degree in Speech and Theatre from Middle Tennessee State University in 1981; she has 27 of years of higher education administration experience.

The narrative for Core Requirement 2.3 more fully addresses the President’s position. The narrative for Comprehensive Standard 3.2.1 addresses expectations pertaining to the President. The narrative for Comprehensive Standard 3.2.10 delineates a complete description of the evaluation of administrators.

The Leadership Team has extensive experience in higher education and is charged with day-to-day management of the divisions of the University. The University’s Organizational Chart outlines the structure of the divisions. [3] Most key academic and administrative decision-makers hold positions of provost, vice president, and dean.  As of June 30, 2017, Reinhardt’s Leadership Team included the president and the following executive administrators:

• Provost
• Vice President for Enrollment Management
• Chief Finance Officer
• Dean of Students
• Vice President for University Advancement
• Chief Marketing Officer
• Director of Athletics
• Director of Institutional Research & Effectiveness

The Division of Academic Affairs is organized into seven schools, with each school having a Dean who is responsible for faculty and academic affairs management. Six of the seven Deans hold terminal degrees in their respective fields and all are qualified academically to teach in their schools of supervision. The division includes an Office of Graduate Studies directed by an Associate Vice President who holds a terminal degree. The office oversees acceptances and denials of admission for graduate programs, but each school is responsible for academic coordination of their respective graduate programs.

Each academic and administrative officer's educational qualifications and administrative experience are detailed in Table 3.2.8.

Table 3.2.8-1 Qualifications of RU Academic and Administrative Leaders as of June 20, 2017  

Evaluation

The performance evaluation at Reinhardt is designed to ensure that senior leaders have the competence to lead the institution. The Board of Trustees is charged with the evaluation of the President. Job performances for members of the Leadership Team are conducted annually by the President through a formal evaluation process that includes gathering feedback from the community. [32, 33] Feedback on the Provost’s performance is sought from all full-time faculty. [34, 35] The Provost evaluates Deans using annual performance reviews, which includes feedback from faculty in the school. [35, 36] Evaluations of administrative and academic officers are maintained in the Office of Human Resources. Copies of evaluations of deans and other academic officers are also maintained in the Provost’s Office.

Conclusion

Reinhardt University has qualified administrative and academic officers with the experience and competence to lead the institution. All administrators are qualified for the positions they hold and are evaluated on a regular basis. To ensure that RU has effective leadership to accomplish its mission, the University employs academic and administrative officers with the credentials and expertise appropriate to the duties and responsibilities associated with their positions, as documented in the supporting evidence. Thus, RU demonstrates its compliance with Comprehensive Standard 3.2.8 (Qualified Administrative/Academic Officers).

[1] Faculty Handbook, Section V (1.1 to 1.5)

[2] Employee Handbook, Hiring Practices

[3] RU Organizational Chart

[4] President Responsibilities

[5] Mallard CV

[6] Provost Responsibilities

[7] Roberts CV

[8] CFO Responsibilities

[9] Owens CV

[10] Chief Marketing Officer Responsibilities

[11] Leidig CV

[12] VP for Enrollment Management Responsibilities

[13] Fleming CV

[14] Dean of Students Responsibilities

[15] Norwood CV

[16] VP for Advancement & Marketing Responsibilities

[17] Norton CV

[18] Director of Athletics Responsibilities

[19] Popp CV

[20] Director of IRE Responsibilities

[21] Teodorescu CV

[22] VP for Graduate Studies Responsibilities

[23] Morlier CV

[24] School Dean Responsibilities

[25] Glowka CV

[26] Hyatt CV

[27] Tarrant CV

[28] Kiernan CV

[29] Harney CV

[30] Blackard CV

[31] Drawdy CV

[32] 2016 Leadership Team Evaluation Form

[33] President Instructions for the Evaluation of the Leadership Team

[34] Provost Evaluation Form

[35] Instructions for Provost and Deans Evaluations

[36] Dean Evaluation Form