Board of Governors

The Board of Governors, by Charter and By-laws, has legal and fiduciary responsibilities for the quality and integrity of the institution. It selects a Chief Executive Officer (President), approves and monitors the implementation of the mission of the institution, oversees the establishment of broad institutional policies, and exercises oversight to ensure compliance with policies. The Board delegates to the President the responsibility to implement and administer these policies as well as the responsibility to carry out the mission of the institution.

President

The President reports directly to the Board of Governors and works collaboratively with the Board and the university community to articulate a vision for the university. The President, who is evaluated by the Board on an annual basis, provides strategic leadership through the definition of institutional goals, establishment of priorities, and the development of plans. Further, the President ensures that all university departments remain in compliance with university policies and remain dedicated to the school’s mission.

Five departments report directly to the President, two of them through Executive Vice Presidents, and three through Vice Presidents.

Executive Vice President of Academic Affairs

The Executive Vice President of Academic Affairs reports directly to the President. This Executive Vice President is responsible for the oversight, quality and overall operations of the Department of Academic Affairs. Duties include setting and maintaining academic quality and rigor in accordance with accreditation standards for both domestic and international programs. Academic Deans, who report directly to the Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs, supervise approximately eighty full-time Faculty who in turn appoint and interact with close to 1000 Adjunct Faculty members quarterly. Three domestic departmental Deans representing the three schools (Business and Management, Albright School of Education, and Human Services & Applied Behavioral Science), a Dean for European Programs, and a Dean of Library Services report to the Executive Vice-President for Academic Affairs.

Executive Vice President of Admissions and Administration

The Executive Vice President of Admissions and Administration reports directly to the President. This person is responsible for implementation of plans and policies for the effective operation of the university. This Executive Vice-President recommends appropriate annual operating budgets and ensures the efficient management of business affairs and the physical plant and property. Areas reporting to this position are the Business Office, Budget Office, Human Resources, Information Systems, Facilities, Business Development, Marketing, and Admissions and Student Affairs. All aspects of student services, including admissions and advising, are addressed in this department, as well as implementation of all marketing strategies.

Vice President for External Relations

The Vice President for External Relations serves as the institution’s Accreditation Liaison Officer, providing a communication link between the President and various accreditation agencies and other regulatory bodies with whom the university interacts. Other major responsibilities of this office are to aid the President in expanding the visibility of the university in the communities it serves or seeks to serve, governmental and political relations, and seeking government and corporate financial resources.

Vice President/Registrar

The Vice President/Registrar has primary responsibility for the administration and certification of student records, including admissions documents, transcript evaluation, transfer issues, grades and diplomas. The Registrar’s Office also takes primary responsibility for editing and updating the university catalog.

Vice President/Director of Academic and Institutional Assessment

The Vice President/Director of Academic and Institutional Assessment reports directly to the President. This Vice President/Director facilitates all assessment activities, both institutional and academic. This includes alumni surveys, faculty and staff surveys, and student surveys at the institutional level.

Faculty

The faculty remain at the core of the university’s educational mission. They oversee the various curricula offered by the school. The Curriculum Committee must approve new or revised curricula. In addition, all cross-departmental committees have faculty representation; these committees affect policy recommendations in many areas. The most visible of these is the Senior Management Group that implements institutional initiatives. Other examples are the Catalog Committee, Graduation Committee, Web Site Committee, Library Advisory Committee, and Scholastic Honesty Committee.

Any faculty member may impact policy or governance discussions and decisions by providing written and/or oral input through Senior Faculty or Program Directors, Deans, and the Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs.

Students

NCU is a student-centered institution of higher education. Every effort is made to elicit student input into the decision-making of the university. Professional Education Advisory Boards (PEAB’s) and other academic program advisory committees include students in their membership. Students may at any time provide feedback and suggestions through their advisors, suggestion boxes that are available at every site, or by taking advantage of an open-door policy of all faculty and administrators, including the President.