Faculty Leadership and Program Coordinator Roles
This page defines the major roles and responsibilities of key faculty administrative positions at SMU. Each college, school, or unit (CSU) may add further detail specific to its own structure via the linked resources below.
Department Chairs
The Department Chair is the primary academic and administrative leader of a department, serving as the connective link between individual faculty members and the dean's office. Chairs oversee curriculum quality and staffing, assign teaching loads, and coordinate course scheduling to meet student demand. They lead faculty recruitment, mentor early-career colleagues, and write annual performance reviews that inform merit and promotion decisions. Chairs also manage the department's budget, represent faculty interests to the dean and provost's office, and handle day-to-day personnel matters, from workload disputes to student complaints. Because chairs typically continue teaching and research alongside these duties, the role blends faculty peer and administrator, requiring both disciplinary credibility and organizational skill. At SMU, chairs work closely with their dean's office and, where relevant, the Office of the Provost on cross-cutting issues like faculty success, DEI initiatives, and strategic planning. The chair's leadership sets the tone for departmental culture, making the role central to faculty satisfaction and student experience alike.
Associate Deans for Research
The Associate Dean for Research champions the research mission of the CSU, working to expand faculty capacity to secure external funding and produce high-impact scholarship. This role oversees pre- and post-award support, connecting faculty with SMU's Office of Research and Innovation for grant development, compliance (including IRB and export control matters), and budget management. The associate dean identifies internal seed funding opportunities, supports interdisciplinary and collaborative research initiatives, and helps faculty navigate promotion and tenure expectations tied to scholarly productivity. They often lead efforts to strengthen research infrastructure, such as labs, centers, or shared equipment, and represent the CSU's research priorities in university-wide planning conversations. A key part of the role is mentoring faculty, particularly early-career and underrepresented scholars, in building sustainable research programs. The associate dean also tracks research metrics and reports on scholarly output to the dean and, when relevant, to the provost's office, ensuring the CSU's research strengths are visible and well-supported institutionally.
Associate Deans for Faculty/Academic Affairs
The Associate Dean for Faculty (or Academic) Affairs oversees the full arc of the faculty lifecycle within the CSU, from recruitment through retirement. This includes managing faculty searches, onboarding new hires, and coordinating the promotion and tenure process in alignment with SMU's policies and the Office of the Provost. The associate dean handles faculty workload assignments, sabbatical and leave requests, and annual review processes, while also addressing sensitive matters like grievances, accommodations, and conflict resolution. They play a central role in faculty development, connecting colleagues to teaching, mentoring, and leadership resources, and often coordinate accreditation-related faculty data and reporting. This role also supports department chairs in interpreting policy and applying it consistently across the CSU. Because faculty affairs touch nearly every aspect of academic life, the associate dean must balance advocacy for faculty with responsibility for institutional policy, making them a key partner to both the dean and SMU's Deputy Provost for Faculty Success on university-wide faculty initiatives.
Directors of Undergraduate Studies/Program Coordinators
The Director of Undergraduate Studies oversees the quality, coherence, and student experience of the undergraduate curriculum within a department or CSU. This includes designing and reviewing course sequences, ensuring alignment with university-wide general education or Common Curriculum requirements, and managing course scheduling to support timely degree progress. The director works closely with academic advisors to resolve student petitions, monitor degree audits, and support students on academic probation or facing curricular challenges. They typically lead assessment efforts, gathering data on learning outcomes for program review and accreditation purposes, and often coordinate new student orientation and recruitment events for prospective majors. The director also serves as a resource for faculty teaching required courses, helping maintain consistency across sections. Because undergraduate enrollment and retention are priorities across SMU, this role frequently collaborates with CSU-level advising offices and reports curricular or enrollment concerns up through the chair and dean's office. The position blends academic leadership with a strong focus on student success and support.
Graduate Program Directors/Coordinators
The Graduate Program Director provides academic leadership and day-to-day oversight for a graduate program. They approve admissions decisions, often including sign-off on every applicant recommended for admission. They serve on, and frequently chairs, program committees covering admission, recruitment, curriculum, and student progress. Working with the department or division chair, they help coordinate faculty course assignments, the hiring of adjuncts where appropriate, and student assistantship and scholarship assignments. They support students throughout their studies by approving enrollment changes and policy exceptions, helping them understand and access school, college, Moody School, and university resources, and reviewing their progress and intervening when it is unsatisfactory. They oversee required program exams and review processes, such as qualifying exams, language exams, and first-year reviews. They also gather the data and materials for annual program assessment reports and participate in Academic Program Reviews. In addition, Graduate Program Directors can serve as Directors of Graduate Studies who also may have responsibilities that involve close coordination with the Moody School. These can include working with the Moody School on the recruitment and review of applicants, as well as on fellowships, health insurance awards, and other financial and benefit support for students. DGSs may submit nominations to the Moody School for fellowships and awards, and they may partner with the Moody School on issues related to student progress. They may also collaborate with the Moody School to help students pursue external funding, including external fellowships, and to support students’ professional and career development.