ALEX BUCKNAM
Editor In Chief
Dr. Stephen H. Kolison, Jr, University President Photo via Marketing and Communication
Fredonia will be getting rid of the “department chairs and deans” system and moving toward a new system created by the Academic Affairs Structural Realignment Working Group (AASRWG).
In an email to Fredonia faculty and staff, President Stephen Kolison said campus feedback showed the strongest interest in two of the proposed models.
“Among them, the six-division structure featuring two functional dean roles, a Dean of Faculty and a Dean of Curriculum, garnered the greatest level of support and interest,” Kolison wrote.
This would mean there would be six divisions with six different heads, with a number of Program Leads who would support the programs within each division.
This model will eliminate the department chair title, but it remains unclear whether the restructuring will affect faculty positions or result in retrenchments.
Under the new structure, Program Leads and Division Heads will have different responsibilities.
Program Leads will focus on the academic needs of individual programs, including curriculum, advising and learning outcomes, while Division Heads will oversee broader operations, including staffing, budgets, schedules and implementation of university policies.
Kolison appointed and charged the AASRWG in February 2026.
The restructuring team includes the chair, Todd Proffitt, and members Lisa Denton, Mike Jabot, Debra Karpinske-Keyser, Kathryn Kendall, Laura Koepke, Peter Reinelt, Mary Beth Sievens and Stephanie Teachman.
Kolison said the shift is intended to align Academic Affairs with financial needs, enrollment trends and long-term proficiency.
“Specifically, I asked the group to research and develop alternative organizational models that would improve operational efficiency, effectiveness, and reduce operational costs while positioning Academic Affairs to succeed in the following critical areas,” Kolison wrote.
It is unclear how much money the university will save within this new system.
According to a list of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) sent to faculty and staff, staff positions will not be moved until 2027, after the roles of the deans and Division Heads begin in Spring 2027.
The FAQs explain that the transition period will give current staff an understanding of their responsibilities under the new structure.
According to the FAQs, programs and departments’ academic integrity will not be affected and will be retained with this new structure.
The system would then focus on a two-dean system.
The Dean of Curriculum will focus on what the university teaches, including curriculum development, new programs, General Education, assessment and program review, academic scheduling strategy, accreditation, curriculum approval, academic portfolio review and interdisciplinary initiatives.
The Dean of Faculty will focus on who teaches and how faculty are supported, including faculty hiring and workforce planning, personnel processes, workload and faculty policies, evaluation and development, faculty scheduling, adjunct staffing, shared governance and faculty support.
The positions, other than the two deans, would be 12-month or 10-month appointments.
The Division Head will be a 12-month faculty appointment that provides day-to-day operational leadership for a division. The position would be able to keep the current privileges of being a department chair.
“The position will come from the faculty and could continue to teach one course while overseeing faculty and staff, budgets, staffing and schedules, student concerns, recruitment and retention, assessment and reporting and implementation of university policies,” the FAQs state.
The Program Lead will be a 10-month position and will serve the academic needs and success of individual programs.
According to the FAQs, Program Leads will focus on the academic needs and success of their programs, while Division Heads will focus on operations, supervision, budgets, staffing and schedules.