Dean’s Office Roles & Responsibilities

Overall Role & Responsibility

The Dean’s Office in all of our professional schools and the College, through the Associate Dean for Research or equivalent, provides school- or college-level review, approval, and support for sponsored activity. The Dean’s Office endorses proposals after departmental authorization, approves commitments that exceed departmental authority, administers school-specific research policies and resources — including start-ups, facilities, and renovations — and stewards the school’s share of research-salary and related funds.

For detailed lists of specific responsibilities, please click to expand the sections below.

Proposal Review and Approval

• Provide the school/college-level authorization in proposal routing, following departmental approval — including a second review of the budget for reasonableness and compliance (for the College, via the Office of the Dean of the College).
• Confirm that the proposed activity fits the school’s mission and that any school-level commitments are appropriate and supportable.

Resource Commitments and Research Support

• Approve and work with the Provost’s office (if applicable) to negotiate start-up packages, facilities, renovations, space, and other school-level research support and commitments referenced in proposals.
• Administer school-specific research policies and resources through the Associate Dean for Research or equivalent).

Course Releases and Faculty Salary

• Approve course-release (buyout) requests in writing after the Chair’s approval, assessing the impact on the school’s instructional mission.
• Administer the school’s share of liberated academic-year salary funds — including the portion returned to the Dean for non-formulaic research support — and related faculty salary matters.

Financial Oversight

• Support resolution of cost overruns and deficits in coordination with departments, PIs, GCMs, and central administration.

Renovations and Environmental Safety

• At the school or college level, the Dean’s Office sets priorities and commits the resources that make laboratory renovations and a safe research environment possible. Working with Facilities & Campus Services and the departments, the Dean’s Office approves and funds renovation and facilities projects — including start-up and new-faculty lab build-outs — weighing them against the school’s space, budget, and strategic priorities, and supports departments in carrying those projects from request through completion.
• The Dean’s Office also partners with Environmental Health & Safety to uphold a safe, compliant research environment across the school’s laboratories, ensuring that EHS requirements and findings are resourced and addressed and that renovated and newly assigned spaces meet safety and code standards before research begins.