--- Forwarded Message from Samantha Earp <[log in to unmask]> ---
>Date: Fri, 8 Feb 2002 05:02:38 -0800 (PST)
>From: Samantha Earp <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: Re: #6509 Lab Director/Coordinator/pecking order? (long)
>To: Language Learning and Technology International Information Forum <[log in to unmask]>
>Cc: [log in to unmask], [log in to unmask]
>In-Reply-To: <[log in to unmask]>
------------------
Hello everyone,
My my. Isn't it interesting how often this topic
comes up? It seems that so many of us have to spend
large amounts of time at regular intervals to work out
this very issue.
There's a lot to say about this, but here are my
comments, for what they're worth.
1. Director vs Coordinator.
Generally speaking, in my mind a Director has more
responsibility, authority and autonomy than a
coordinator or a manager. Many of the people I know
of who do operate fairly independently and who report
to a higher level admnistrator like a dean have the
title of Director. In the Duke context, the
Coordinators -who have concrete daily operations
responsibilities for a particular facility or for
technical support- report to a Director, who has
overall administrative (planning, priority, budgetary)
and -in my case- pedagogical responsibilities.
2. Administrator vs. Faculty
I personally wish that the system of "Administrative
Faculty" that exists at UVA and perhaps other places
was more prevalent, because what many directors do
crosses this particular boundary and others as well.
I've been faculty before in previous directorships,
and found the tension between the annual review
process for "normal" faculty (not my word) and the
process needed for a language technology center
director to be very difficult. However, I've also
argued strongly for the need to such a position to be
accorded faculty status, given the pedagogical,
service and professional demands. That said, I'm
currently considered administrative staff, which fits
the Duke context much better.
3. Relationship with other campus IT units
One thing you didn't bring up, Donna, is the
relationship hierarchically with other campus IT
units. I would urge you to think *very* carefully
about the most productive way to interact with other
units of this type, including those that support
academic applications of technology, and then make a
strong argument in your proposal for what you want.
It seems that many of us end up spending large amounts
of time dealing with issues of dependence and autonomy
vis-a-vis other campus units, and if you could work
out some understanding of this on the front end, you
might not have to fight this battle as hard or as
frequently, at least until the next restructuring!
4. Reporting line & budget
You serve more than one division, on more than one
campus. Your mission is complementary to but distinct
from the divisions you serve. Do all you can to keep
your own budget and your direct reporting line to the
Dean.
Good luck!
Off soapbox,
Samantha
-----------------------------
Samantha Earp, Director
Foreign Language Technology Services
Editor-In-Chief, IALL Journal of
Language Learning Technologies
Duke University
919.660.5945
[log in to unmask]
http://www.duke.edu/~ssearp/
------------------------------
--- LLTI-Editor <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> --- Forwarded Message from "Donna Apgar"
> <[log in to unmask]> ---
>
> >Date: Wed, 06 Feb 2002 14:12:10 -0500
> >From: "Donna Apgar" <[log in to unmask]>
> >To: <[log in to unmask]>
> >Subject: Lab Director/Coordinator/pecking order?
>
> ------------------
> Dear Friends,
> Maybe you can help me or let me know where to look!
> My position is being re-evaluated due to some
> restructuring around here at CPCC. I was hired as
> French instructor/Lab Coordinator 5 years
> ago....faculty position. We have gone from 1 lab
> to 5 locations and from audio to digital etc. I
> have gone from teaching classes as well as running
> the Lab , to no classes. We service over 1000
> students who must do 27 lab hours per semester
> (flex. hrs lab). I service both FL and ESL however
> I now report to the newly formed Foreign Language
> Division Director. It would make more sense to me
> if I reported directly to the Dean as do the FL Div.
> Director and the ESL Div. Director, that I control
> my Lab budget, that my title change to Division
> Director of the Multicampus MM Lab not under either
> FL or ESL. What do you think? I am in the
> process of writing a proposal to this end.
> Will appreciate any and all
> input/suggestions/discussion.
>
> Do we have any statistics from our survey (or any
> other) re:
>
> 1. What is the most common position title for the
> person who runs a College or University Multimedia
> Language Learning Facility/Center/Lab?
> Are we mostly "Directors" or "Coordinators?"
> Are we mostly faculty or administrators (probably
> depends on size of Institution?)
> 2.If we do not teach any classes, are we on
> administrative contracts or faculty contracts?
> 3. Are we mostly on 10 month or 12 month contracts?
> 4. Do most of us report directly to a Dean
> or to a Division Director or Program Chair?
> What is the pecking
> order?
> 5. Do most of us have control of our Lab budget/lab
> fee money etc.?
>
> I did a search in the archives and checked the IALLT
> Management Manual (old edition I think) but didn't
> really find what I need.
> Thanks for your thoughts on this. Donna
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Donna Apgar
> Multimedia Language Learning Lab
> Coordinator
> French Instructor
> Central Piedmont Community College
> PO Box 35009
> Charlotte, NC 28235-5009
> 704-330-6167
> fax: 704-330-6130
> [log in to unmask]
> Website: http://www.cpcc.edu/langlab
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