The Academic Unit Head (AUH) is a leader, an administrator, a manager and a teacher – someone who has to understand not only the AUH role, but also the views from above, below and within that role. The job isn’t an easy one, but it is an important one, for it is a role in which you can have an immediate, significant and positive impact on the day-to-day lives of faculty and students at JMU.

Among other things, the academic unit head must:

• Establish clear strategies and priorities for the unit
• Listen well and keep sensitive information confidential
• Fulfill the mission of the academic unit, college and university
• Recruit, assign responsibility, encourage and develop faculty members
• Manage support staff
• Communicate effectively with the administration, faculty and outside resources
• Coordinate the activities of the academic unit
• Supervise class schedules
• Plan for and manage the operations of the academic unit
• Prepare and implement the budget
• Evaluate the performance of faculty members
• Make promotion and tenure recommendations
• Report the annual achievements of the faculty and the unit
• Maintain teaching effectiveness, professional visibility and growth throughout scholarly effort and achievement, and a level of meaningful service to the university, the discipline and the community

Academic Affairs Policy #2, Academic Unit Heads outlines the following information in regards to your role as the AUH:

• Role and Responsibilities
• Term of Appointment
• Salary
• Faculty Status and Title
• Faculty Rank and Tenure
• Type of Appointment
• Workload
• Hiring
• Annual Evaluations
• Removal