Academic Program Directors

For the director of each major, minor, and certification program, the SACSCOC Principles of Accreditation require that the institution assign responsibility for program coordination, as well as for curriculum development and review, to persons academically qualified in the field. At the College of Charleston, these responsibilities are held by a department chair or academic program director who is appointed and serves in accordance with the divisional Policy on Academic Curricular Program Directors. This policy details the appointment and duties of academic curricular program directors. Credential guidelines for Academic Curricular Program Directors are outlined in the divisional Policy on Instructor of Record and Faculty Credentials (Section 5.2 and 5.3).

1. Appointment of an Academic Curricular Program Director

Requests for appointments and renewals of Academic Curricular Program Directors are submitted by the dean in writing to the Provost. The Office of the Provost issues the appointment/renewal letters to each chair/director (typically beginning on July 1 for a 12-month period). 

For each Academic Curricular Program Director, the dean should submit an Academic Curricular Program Director form to the Office of the Provost upon appointment. In some cases, a chair may initiate the form for a program within their department and submit it to the dean.

Prior to completing the Academic Curricular Program Director form, please confirm that the appointee has approved Faculty Credentials packet on file for all teaching disciplines in the program – OR – if the appointee is new to the College or new to any of the disciplines or course levels listed on on the Academic Curricular Program Director form, please first submit a credentials packet. If the appointee does not hold a terminal degree in all of the disciplines in the program, one of the following conditions must be met:

  • Alternative Qualifications: In rare cases, the director may not hold a terminal degree, and qualifications other than academic credentials are appropriate for this appointment. A narrative and any necessary additional documentation must be attached. Please contact the Office of the Provost for guidance on alternative qualifications for Academic Curricular Program Directors.
  • Lead Faculty Designated: In some interdisciplinary programs or a department housing two or more degree programs that are not strongly related, a program director might not be credentialed in each teaching discipline. In these cases, additional faculty, with approved credentials in the discipline, who play a lead role in the advising of students and the development and review of curriculum should be identified on the Academic Curricular Program Director form.

Please submit the completed Academic Curricular Program Director form and necessary attachments to the Office of the Provost through the Credentials SharePoint Site. If required, the Office of the Provost will obtain an approval signature from the Graduate School Dean/Associate Dean and/or the SACSCOC liaison. 

2. Onboarding of an Academic Curricular Program Director

Upon appointment, department chairs (and academic program directors of programs that house roster faculty) are invited to attend a series of orientation sessions hosted by the Office of the Provost. Additional sessions are offered periodically for other new and returning program directors. Additional training and guidance about any academic affairs processes and policies is available upon request. Please visit our Policies and Procedures webpage for detailed instructions and forms relevant to most divisional processes.

New chairs and directors should contact their dean's office for additional onboarding information, including guidance on completing necessary forms to gain access to financial, curricular, and faculty accounts and systems (noted below).