Getting back to this series, until our next interruption. Section 5 is focused on how an institution is assembled and how the executive leadership is structured.
5.1 (Chief Executive Officer): Proscriptive. Each institution needs a CEO who’s primary duty is to further the mission and objectives of the institution. There is room for some creativity in the narrative, but the hard requirements are inflexible.
5.2.a (CEO Control): Proscriptive. Not only proscriptive, but this sequence of three standards focused on CEO control really should not be thee separate standards. 5.2.a looks at control of educational, administrative, and fiscal services. Why should control of intercollegiate athletics and control of fundraising (5.2.b and 5.2.c, respectively: both Proscriptive) each require their own narrative? I suppose putting all this in one narrative will make for a long-ish narrative, but the redundant information required to support three separate narratives makes the sum of the parts longer than one complete narrative would be, even with my minimalist approach to accreditation writing. If you are or have been one of my clients, you know…
5.4 (Qualified administrative/academic officers): Permissive. Surprised? This standard is focused on the qualifications and evaluation of a select group of people. Who makes it on the list? That is the permissive part. How does your institution define administrative/ academic officers?
5.5 (Personnel appointment and evaluation): Permissive. Perhaps this is also surprising. The proscriptive nature of this comes from your institution’s own policies. How restrictive are those? Does a Vice President have to form a committee to hire an executive assistant? Speaking from experience, what a ridiculous waste of time and effort. Do you have to go through three or four interviews for a $45K director position? Also a ridiculous waste of everybody’s time. Do you have a policy about personnel evaluations? Do you follow them? Do you really? As long as your policies are not outrageous and you follow them, you may proceed however you like with appointment and evaluation of personnel.