East Carolina University Faculty Manual

PART VIII.

RESPONSIBILITIES OF ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICERS

II. Chancellor

The board of governors elects the chancellor, who is the chief administrative and executive officer of East Carolina University. The chancellor is charged with the responsibility of putting into effect the polices and regulations of the board of governors through the president and the board of trustees. All personnel of the university are responsible either directly or indirectly to the chancellor.

Assisting the chancellor in directing the affairs of the university are the vice chancellors for academic affairs, for administration and finance, for health sciences, for institutional advancement, for research, and for student life; the director of athletics; the equal employment opportunity officer; the university attorney; the director of planning and institutional research; and the executive assistant to the chancellor. The responsibilities of these officers and those reporting to them are described below.

A. Executive Assistant to the Chancellor

The executive assistant to the chancellor provides assistance in all facets of administration, governance, and communication. In assisting the chancellor in articulating the goals and polices of the university, this officer serves as assistant secretary to the East Carolina University Board of Trustees and supervises the office of News and Communications Services and the office of University Publications.

B. Assistant to the Chancellor for Constituent Relations

The assistant to the chancellor for constituent relations has as a primary responsibility the establishing of strong relationships with constituencies external to the university, including the General Assembly, state and local governments, community agencies, and regional groups with interest in or impact on ECU. In assisting the chancellor in this important endeavor, this officer will also act as liaison and staff for the East Carolina University Board of Visitors.

C. University Attorney

The office of the university attorney serves as liaison between the university and the office of the Attorney General and the General Administration of The University of North Carolina on legal matters including coordination with the office of the Attorney General on legal advisory opinions prepared by him or her. This office is the central repository for university file copies of documents pertaining to active, pending, or prospective lawsuits against the university. Upon request, the office of the university attorney furnishes legal advice and prepares written legal opinions for the chancellor, vice chancellors, academic deans, department chairpersons, and other administrative officials. In addition, the office prepares legal documents such as release forms, employment contracts, and other legal instruments as required by officials of the administration. The office supervises and periodically reviews hearing and disciplinary procedures administered by the various divisions and departments within the university. The office is responsible for maintaining a legal reference library on North Carolina coast constitutional and statutory provisions with respect to higher education and current subscriptions to specialized legal periodicals and journals dealing with legal problems of higher education generally. The office of the university attorney is assigned to and reports directly to the Chancellor.

Faculty, administrators, and committees may contact the ECU University Attorney's office at any time to obtain information regarding grievance procedures. Aggrieved administrators are entitled to legal counsel from the University Attorney's office, which acts on behalf of the University in such matters. Faculty bringing grievances against other faculty or administrators must seek outside counsel. To ask the University or UNC system to provide substantive advice is to ask same to assist in grieving against themselves. In the case of aggrieved administrators seeking advice, at such time that it becomes apparent that a grievance is pending in which the university attorney or his or her assistant may be involved as legal counsel to that administrator, the attorneys will refrain from discussion of the case in order to ensure that the chancellor can be advised freely in deciding the case. If the university attorneys perceive a potential conflict of interest in advising an administrator, faculty member, or committees, questions will be deferred to UNC system attorneys, or to the state attorney general's office.

D. Equal Employment Opportunity Officer

The equal employment opportunity officer, in consultation with the chief administrative officials of the university, takes appropriate measures to ensure the university's compliance with federal and state legal requirements respecting equal opportunity and affirmative action. See Appendix J, Informal Faculty Grievance Procedures for grievances involving sex discrimination and other equal employment opportunity complaints, and Part VI, Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action policy of East Carolina University.

E. Director of Athletics

Athletic goals of the university are established by the chancellor in coordination with the director of athletics. The director is administratively responsible to the chancellor for all facets of the department’s operation. The University Administrative Athletic Committee makes recommendations to the chancellor concerning the implementation and administration of polices and procedures pertaining to intercollegiate athletics at East Carolina University. Primary functions are oversight responsibility in the areas of academic integrity, compliance with NCAA rules and regulations, and the overall development of student athletes. The committee charge includes, but is not restricted to budget, conference matters, fund raising, and public relations. The committee, chaired by the NCAA Faculty Athletics Representative, consists of eight faculty members, one student member, and the following ex-officio: chair of the faculty, president of the alumni association, president of the Pirate Club, chancellor, director of athletics, assistant director of athletics for student development, and the president of the Student Government Association.

F. Director of Planning and Institutional Research

The director of planning and institutional research serves as staff to the chancellor and is responsible for facilitating and coordinating the development, implementation and evaluation of the ongoing strategic plan that covers all functions and major resources of the university. The director is also responsible for directing the institutional research function, which includes the design, development, and use of various data bases and management support systems necessary for institutional analysis, planning, budgeting, and internal and external reporting. All of the above activities are carried out via cooperation and coordination with faculty governance and the divisional vice chancellors.

G. Faculty Senate

The Faculty Senate is comprised of representatives from all academic faculty units on campus. It provides the means by which the faculty fulfill its function with respect to academic and educational policies and other affairs of the University. The office of the Faculty Senate oversees the East Carolina University Faculty Manual. See Appendix A, Faculty Constitution and By-Laws of ECU.