Assistant Director(s), Undergraduate Studies
Roles & Responsibilities

Undergraduate Student Affairs Team (SAT) & Directors of Undergraduate Studies (DUGS) Responsibilities

This document includes responsibilities that have been documented as historically expected of the DUGS (and in the past, Program Heads). As a means of streamlining SOD administration, these roles have shifted. For AY2024-25, the SOD will have two DUGS.

Responsibilities outlined in this document are in effect from Monday, August 12, 2024 through June 30, 2025.

Student Affairs Team (SAT)

The SAT is comprised of the DUGS and the Director. This group will work collaboratively on the following:

• Coordinating communication and messaging to the SOD community (in collaboration with SOD administration), including making recommendations to the Director on Faculty & Staff Meeting agenda items as needed

• Staying familiar with all SOD curriculum (all degrees) & fielding student questions

• Serving as a first point of contact for students

• Organizing and facilitating informal student awards processes (not scholarships)

• Supporting instructors in finding subs as needed (in collaboration with SOD Front Office)

• Providing input as relevant on decisions regarding various student requests, including for permission codes, curricular exceptions, reduction of credit, transfer credits, etc.

• Reviewing student requests for additional excused absences (Extenuating Circumstances Requests)

Director of Undergraduate Studies, Academic Affairs & Curriculum (Daniel Clifton)

• Academic Affairs

  • Staying familiar with all SOD curriculum and degree requirements and with all University and College curriculum guidance

  • Serving as a liaison between SOD and CFA Academic Advising Team

  • Serving as a first point of contact for transfer students and minors

  • Fielding requests for curricular and registration items (permission codes, reduction of credit, curricular exceptions, etc.)

• Curriculum

  • Serving as SOD Curriculum Committee Chair

  • Working with SOD Director to establish curricular priorities

  • Serving as primary point of contact for faculty recommendations for curricular changes & keeps record of recommendations

  • Overseeing curricular planning for the SOD, including meeting CFA and University deadlines and ensuring that SOD proposals and documentation are in order and submitted on time

  • Ushering all SOD curricular proposals through the approval process, including those that must go beyond the college-level of review

  • Verifying curriculum updates are accurately reflected in the catalog annually

• Serves as SOD representative on College Curriculum Committee

  • Attending all CFA Curriculum Committee trainings and meetings as requested

  • Representing SOD interests in CFA meetings

  • Reporting back to the SOD any updates from CFA meetings

Director of Undergraduate Studies, Event Planning & SAC (Sara Pickett)

• SAC

  • Serving as the faculty advisor for SAC (SOD Student Advisory Committee)

  • Ensuring SAC representatives are elected in a timely manner and names are shared with SOD Administration for website update

  • Ensuring SAC RPT training and reports are complete in compliance with University and College policies and deadlines (collaboratively with the SOD RPT Committee Chair)

  • Meeting regularly with SAC reps and report back to SAT

  • Coordinating with DOGS on any SAC issues that pertain to graduate students

  • Coordinating with the SOD Administrative Manager and SAC representatives on the FAF Grant process

  • Serving as the primary point of contact for students on the topics of SOD culture and reporting back to SAT and/or Director, as appropriate

  • Supporting communication between students and SOD administration (ensuring that weekly announcements include all pertinent information)

• Event Planning

  • Overseeing the planning of “extra” events such as guest master classes, end-of-semester faculty/student conferences, mixed technique days, Final Jam, ArtsBash, etc. (For guest artists affiliated with production, collaborate with the Associate Director for Production & Season Planning.)

  • Notifying Music Director of any shifts in musician scheduling due to extra events

  • Organizing mid-term and end-of-semester student conferences (lead instructors should collaborate, facilitate, & help plan)

Responsibilities outlined in this document are in effect as of Monday, August 12, 2024.