SILS is one of the six professional schools in Academic Affairs at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The university is justly proud of its reputation as a top tier research university and the university’s goal is to be the best public university in the nation. Over the years, the state legislature has invested heavily in Chapel Hill as the flagship campus in the UNC system.

The style of academic management at UNC-CH can best be described as decentralized. Most of the decision-making authority resides with the deans. This is intentional and reflects a commitment to decentralized decision making. The same autonomy is enjoyed by all of the UNC-CH professional school deans, including Dean Marshall. The dean of SILS must function under various trustee policies, the major one being the Trustee Policies and Regulations Governing Academic Tenure. The General Administration (GA) of the University of North Carolina system also exerts considerable oversight through its policies and reporting requirements.

The School operates in accordance with its own published Bylaws, Procedures and Policies (available on site). This document spells out the rights and responsibilities of the dean, the associate dean, faculty, staff and students. The dean is responsible for the overall functioning of the school and has the ultimate authority within the school over personnel and financial matters. The dean appoints faculty, staff and students to committees and makes final decisions within the school on actions to be taken. The associate dean, Helen Tibbo, is responsible for course scheduling, facilitating faculty meetings, administering the Ph.D. and ummer school programs, and representing the school and the dean at university and non-university functions.

The dean reports directly to the provost, and through the provost to the chancellor, in order to assure that all goals, policies and actions of the school are congruent with overall university policies and with those of the University of North Carolina system.

Each of the professional schools that report to the provost has an Administrative Board, appointed by the chancellor upon the recommendation of the dean. The Administrative Board of the School of Information and Library Science consists of seven members – four from the school’s faculty and three from the faculty of the university outside the school. The board meets once a semester to review and approve new programs and curricular changes and to advise the dean on administrative and educational policy matters. A list of Ccurrent members of the school’s Administrative Board is available in the on-site supporting documentation.

Support of the school from the university administration is strong. Resource support comes in the form of continuation budgets that have been fairly stable. Staffing levels have remained constant on the campus and salary levels are adjusted through state-level action. With the exception of pressing space needs, current resources are considered adequate for the current program. Resource needs will increase, however, as current planning initiatives are pursued. (Future plans are described in Chapter 10: Future Challenges and Direction for SILS)

The deans of the six professional schools that comprise the Academic Affairs Division serve on the Sub-Committee on Professional Schools (SCOPS). This committee meets monthly to review recommendations for tenure and promotion of professional school faculty. The Council of Deans, which includes all deans on campus (both Academic Affairs and Health Affairs Divisions), also meets monthly. Both committees are chaired by the provost. The council meeting provides an opportunity for the deans to discuss university-wide issues as a group.

In 1999, SILS was granted an elected representative position on the Faculty Council and Professor Barbara Moran was elected to this position. This will add to the ability of SILS’ faculty to contribute to university-wide discussion of key issues. As shown in their curriculum vitae, SILS faculty members serve on a variety of other campus decision-making and policy-setting bodies.

SILS students have been active members of the Graduate and Professional Students’ Federation on campus, as well as supporters of their own Information and Library Science Students Association (ILSSA). Recently, the SILS PhD students have formed their own organization. SILS alumni events also support student/practitioner interaction. Many students are involved in course-related projects or part-time employment throughout the university. Since most of our students are full-time, they tend to participate heavily in the life of the school and the university.

The chief administrator of SILS is the dean, Joanne Gard Marshall, who reports directly to the provost, Richard W. Richardson. During her career as a librarian, Dean Marshall held a number of management positions in libraries, including Head of Public Services in an academic library where she supervised a full and part-time staff of over 15 employees. As a faculty member at the University of Toronto, Dean Mrshall participated in and/or chaired a full range of committees within the school. She chaired the management committee of the Consumer Health Information Service at the Toronto Reference Library during the 18-month pilot project period. In this capacity she was responsible for all aspects of hiring, finance, staff and project evaluation and partnership development. Dean Marshall has also served in senior management positions on her own and other larger-scale research projects that involved partnerships with other investigators and departments within the university. She has served on the board of directors of the Canadian Health Libraries Association and the Medical Library Association; she is currently co-chair of the National Program Committee of the Medical Library Association annual meeting in 2000. In 1999, Dean Marshall was appointed to the Board of Scientific Counselors of the National Library of Medicine.

Deans are appointed by the chancellor of the University. Chancellor Michael Hooker appointed Dr. Marshall as dean of SILS in January 1999. She was appointed for a five-year term as dean and as a full professor with tenure. Barbara B. Moran, who served as dean from 1990-1998, has returned to teaching and research duties within the school. Two other former deans, Evelyn Daniel and Edward G. Holley, are also resident at SILS and continue to make fine contributions to the school. Professor Holley is a Kenan scholar.

Dean Marshall’s salary is comparable to that of the other deans of similar sized schools. A salary table is available in the supporting on-site documentation. The dean has had over 15 years of experience as a practicing librarian and 12 years as an academic researcher and teacher. As shown in the citation study that was conducted for this review, the dean is one of the most highly cited faculty members in the school. Her research on the value and impact of library and information services has positioned her as an effective advocate for SILS both on and off campus. Dean Marshall has also been very active in the Medical Library Association and the Special Libraries Association, and is well known for her work on the competencies of special librarians.

The intellectual climate at SILS is fostered through multiple events that include: faculty and doctoral student brown bag lunches for presentation and discussion of ongoing research; Alumni Day; the Faculty Planning Day; special guest lectures, such as the Henderson and Steinfirst Lectures; and other invited speakers. There are also a number of specialized discussion groups, such as Professor Carr's Reading Club that meets monthly and events sponsored by student associations. The SILS community members are active users of email and other electronic discussion methods. Many master's and doctoral students participate in faculty research projects.

An upcoming event, Digital Library Week at SILS (Oct. 18-22), will feature prominent professors and information science professionals from across the country (see the news release currently featured on the announcement page of the school's website.

The dean is an avid networker and in her first six months at Carolina visited with over 40 key faculty, student and staff leaders in their own offices on campus. Upon her arrival, the dean began a tradition of visiting classes at the beginning of term to welcome students and to encourage them to provide feedback to improve the School. Adjunct instructors have particularly appreciated this contact. The dean participated in the Tar Heel Bus Tour of the state in May 1999, making valuable contacts for the school. SILS faculty and students have an excellent reputation on campus for their interaction with other academic units. Socialization of students into the field is fostered through student and alumni activities; fieldwork experience; internships and other remunerated work experiences.

In response to a question about intellectual life at SILS, students provided many comments, most of them positive (six less so). For example, one said he/she was "disappointed at the lack of student interest in getting to know students from other cultures." On the other hand, four students commented on the nice range of student backgrounds. Six commented positively on the good discussion in and out of class. One IS student described the discussions as "smart people with attitudes enjoying discussing issues and ideas." See the Survey of Current Students, question 39.

The school is supported by a university administrative manager, Gerry Compton, and four directors in the areas of:

• Information Technology and Services, Jay Aikat;
• Instructional Technology, Scott Adams;
• Development and Alumni Affairs, Melissa Cain;
• Communications, David MacDonald.

Also reporting to the dean are:

• the Administrative Assistant to the Dean, Susan Thomas;
• the Office Assistant, Marcia Tauber, who provides support for the faculty;
• the Undergraduate Student Services Manager, Kirsten Donohoo, who provides half-time support for external affairs.

[Graduate] Student Services Manager, Lucia Zonn, and the Student Services Assistant (currently vacant) report to Associate Dean Helen Tibbo. Given the size of the school, this support is comparable to other academic units; however, the SILS staff must often perform more varied functions than is the case in other units.

Staff members are extremely supportive of the students and faculty and participate fully in the life of the school. They frequently serve on school committees and attend faculty meetings. The dean meets on a regular weekly basis with the associate dean, the university administrative manager and each of the directors, and on an as-needed basis at other times. Decisions are made on a consultative basis during the weekly meetings. The associate dean meets regularly with the students services manager. Annual performance evaluations take place according to university policies. Many staff member ideas for the improvement of services to students and faculty have been successfully implemented to the advantage of the School.

Budget and expenditure statements are available at the school and show that the university provides adequate financial support for SILS at its current level. The table below shows the steady increase in income from the various sources the School has received in the three years ending 1997-1998.

SILS - Income from Various Sources	95-96	96-97	97-98
Parent Institution	1,843,280	2,334,137	2,554,616
Federal Grants/Contracts	758,491	591,187	835,464
CE Activity	--	4,670	48,355
Endowment and Trust Funds	685,065	734,593	725,532
State Grants/Contracts	112,637	72,376	129,213
Other	54,000	45,000	45,000
Total Income	3,453,473	3,781,963	4,338,180

Salaries for faculty and staff of the school increased from $1.9 million to $2.2 million during this period. Computing laboratory expenses for 1997-98 were $271,144. SILS' library is fully supported by central university funds to include the collection budget, a professional librarian, full time assistant and graduate assistance. Although the school's financial resources are currently adequate, with the planned expansion of the school, additional faculty positions and facilities will be necessary. Currently a request to plan an undergraduate major has been submitted with an estimate of the additional resources required. This document is available on site.

For the current budget year, the university experienced a serious deficit due to a number of factors (cost overruns for a new law school facility, a tax penalty, and an accounting problem relative to an "extra" pay period for biweekly staff employers for which money had not been set aside). The bulk of the deficit was absorbed by campus support units; all academic units were told to take a 1.6% budget cut. This amount was subsequently reduced so that the School's budget reduction became less than $20,000 for the 1999/2000 academic year. This amount will be taken from operating funds for equipment and repair and renovation. No cuts in staffing or essential equipment or renovation were required as a result of the budget loss. Financial commitments made to the new dean in January 1999 have more than compensated for it. These commitments include $25,000 per year for additional administrative support, funds to make the Director of Development position full-time (previously three-quarter time), an additional .25 FTE to support external affairs activities; and a commitment for additional information technology support to be provided through central campus computing. The long term prospects for the SILS budget are that it will continue to increase as state and other revenues increase, a long-term pattern for the univeristy and the school.

Faculty compensation is generally an issue for universities since it is difficult to compete with the salaries offered for comparable expertise to these individuals in the private sector. This is particularly true for the informtion science area. Nevertheless, the salaries of the SILS dean and other faculty compare favorably with those of other top LIS schools at this time. In addition, Chapel Hill is considered a desireable place to live; proximity to the Research Triangle Park and many academic, school, and special libraries plus the intellectual atmosphere of the campus and the many cultural opportunities in the surrounding area make the environment attractive. Although SILS faculty are competitive within the LIS field, faculty salaries and benefits are currently a major issue on the UNC-CH campus, as recent increases have not kept pace with those of the institutions the university regards as its peers. We are optimistic that the university will regain its overall competitiveness in faculty compensation over time.

The dean's salary compares well with those of other LIS deans. Staff do not fare as favorably. Comparable positions in nearby Research Triangle Park pay considerably more and make it difficult to attract and retain a strong staff. The current vacancy for the student services assistant position has been difficult to fill due, in large part, to the low salary allocated for it.

The dean administers school funds for research projects and faculty professional development. A small grant fund (up to $100 for a project) is available to students for direct expenses connected with master's paper research. Faculty have been successful in garnering research funds for the school from the University, notably for junior faculty research grants and university technology application funds.

A formal policy for travel governs decisions on support for faculty travel. A recent revision of the policy guarantees each faculty member a minimum of $1200 per year for travel from SILS funds. Last year's travel funds from all sources provided an average of $2,401 per faculty member. Doctoral students may apply for limited travel funds for professional conference attendance and presentation.

Although the University of North Carolina system does not recognize the concept of sabbatical leaves, the school has a formal administrative leave policy. University policy encourages the school to grant a one-semester research leave to all junior faculty who have been re-appointed and are on a tenure path. Tenured faculty may also request research leaves and have been successful in receiving them on a rotational basis. It is customary for at least one faculty member to be on research leave during any given semester. Outside funding can support released-time for faculty as well. Grant-funded course releases are currently limited to two courses per year. School policy requires that all faculty members teach at least one course per year if they are not out of the country. SILS has a strong commitment to both research and teaching; faculty strive to keep the two in balance.

All current and prospective students at SILS are considered for financial aid on an equitable basis with merit as the major criteria for awards. Students routinely receive information about financial aid opportunities in the admission packet of the School. Various forms of aid are available -- fellowships, tuition awards, graduate assistantships, and paid internships with off-campus organizations. Last year the school reported providing $195,107 in scholarship and fellowship aid to 33 MSLS students, 10 MSIS students and 3 PhD students. Assistants in the amount of $393,758 were awarded to 44 MSLS students, 9 MSIS students and 16 PhD students. Amounts of financial support from outside organizations are not included here. For further information about financial aid policies are awards, see Chapter 7: Students.

In addition to the COA process, SILS is reviewed on a regular basis by the Graduate School. The latter review includes both external and internal reviewers and takes place at intervals of five to seven years. An additional review is conducted by the Univesity administration as part of the dean's review every five years. All reviews cover the School's administrative and fiscal policies as well as its financial support. Faculty, staff and students are involved in a variety of evaluation activities, both formal and informal. For example, the Personnel Committee, which considers faculty for appointment, promotion, tenure, and post-tenure review, includes student representatives from both the master's and Ph.D. programs, as do all other faculty committees in the School. Much of the planning and evaluation process takes place at SILS through its committee structure. A list of current committee assignments is found in Appendix AA.

Faculty members are routinely asked for appraisals of the performance of support staff as part of the review process. New dean Joanne Marshall initially met individually with each staff member and each faculty member as well as with student and alumni leaders. A group meeting was held with Ph.D. students. The questions covered in these sessions were evaluative in nature and focused on ways to improve the School. The interviews generated ideas for short and long term improvements. Since January 1999 improvements have been made in space use, signage, and security. Other building improvements, such as internal and external painting and repairs, have also been completed. New student lockers have been installed. The Dean plans to continue annual visits with these individuals and groups as a basis for continuous quality improvement.

Monthly faculty meetings provide a forum for ongoing business and for evaluation of SILS activities. These meetings are attended by regular, tenure track faculty as well as senior administrative staff, and student leaders. Adjunct faculty are invited although they rarely attend. Minutes of these meetings form part of the official record of the School. Professor Saye has recently completed a formal index to the minutes which is available on site, as are the minutes.

The annual Faculty Planning Day held early in the fall semester is an opportunity to review the School's mission, goals and objectives and to take a more intensive look at priorities for the future. The program for the Fall 1999 Planning Day is included in Appendix BB. The results of the day's deliberations have been incorporated into the discussion of future directions and challenges in Chapter 10.

The dean has initiated a systematic review of all formal evaluation activties through the Master's Committee to include collection and examination of all the evaluation forms used in classes plus other mechanisms for student feedback, such as suggestion boxes and electronic discussion groups. Evaluation forms for inclusion in SILS publications, such as the Newsletter, catalog, and annual report, are being designed by the Director of Communications.

The dean and faculty are committed to using ongoing evaluation from all sectors as a basis for future planning and development.