1.6: University Structure

Various departments at PSU work together to provide quality services and instruction. This section provides a brief overview to demonstrate how the university works as a single educational entity to support all aspects of your enrollment. Administrative services, student services and academic units each fulfill a function that contributes to the vision, mission and values of the university and the student as an individual.

UNIVERSITY MISSION AND VALUES

Vision:

Portland State University leads the way to an equitable and sustainable future through academic excellence, urban engagement, and expanding opportunity for all.

Mission:

• We serve and sustain a vibrant urban region through our creativity, collective knowledge and expertise.
• We are dedicated to collaborative learning, innovative research, sustainability and community engagement.
• We educate a diverse community of lifelong learners.
• Our research and teaching have global impact.

Values:

• We promote access, inclusion and equity as pillars of excellence.
• We commit to curiosity, collaboration, stewardship and sustainability.
• We strive for excellence and innovation that solves problems.
• We believe everyone should be treated with integrity and respect.

Source: https://www.pdx.edu/portland-state-university-mission, December 21, 2017, © Portland State University 2018.

UNIVERSITY ORGANIZATION

• Office of Academic Affairs (OAA): Manages s curriculum, instruction, and all matters that relate to academics.
• Enrollment Management and Student Affairs (EMSA): Oversee the university’s services to students outside of the classroom.
• Finance and Administration (FADM): Represents departments that manage campus functions such as transportation, budgeting, campus facilities and campus safety.

The university’s current organizational chart can be found on the Finance and Administration (FADM) webpages. Here is a simplified visual of the major components of the university:

ACADEMIC AFFAIRS: BASIC STRUCTURE

Academic Affairs is the central administrative office, with responsibility for the institutional academic mission, programming and policy implementation, support programs for academic personnel and students, academic fiscal management, and collective bargaining with the American Association of University Professors (AAUP-PSU Chapter), and the Portland State University Faculty Association (PSUFA). Academic Affairs is guided by the Provost who serves as Chief Academic Officer of the university. Working with deans and other administrators, the Provost collaborates with the campus and external communities to achieve the academic mission and vision of the University.

Source: www.pdx.edu/academic-affairs/about-us, March 6, 2018, © Portland State University 2018.

Most universities are comprised of several schools or colleges, which house specific majors and programs of study. The highest administrative position in a school or college is a dean, and all deans possess an academic and teaching or research background and nearly always a doctoral degree. There may also be various associate and assistant deans within a school or college, depending on its size. All faculty within a school/college report to the dean. All deans report to the provost of the university. The provost is normally the highest position within academic affairs and reports directly to the president. This general structure is typical of most colleges and universities within the American higher education system, though specific position names may vary according to the institution.

SCHOOLS AND COLLEGE OFFERING UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAMS AT PORTLAND STATE UNIVERSITY:

College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (CLAS)
College of the Arts (COTA)
College of Urban and Public Affairs (CUPA)
Maseeh College of Engineering and Computer Science (MCECS)
OHSU-PSU School of Public Health
School of Business Administration (SBA)
School of Social Work (SSW)

SCHOOLS OFFERING ONLY GRADUATE PROGRAMS:

Graduate School of Education (GSE)
Graduate School of Social Work (GSSW)

Within the American system of higher education, many university instructors are also referred to as professors and hold terminal degrees in their field of study. For most areas of study, a doctoral degree is the terminal degree. One exception to this general rule is the Master of Fine Arts degree (MFA).
When beginning their teaching or research careers, most professors begin as an assistant professor, then progress to associate professor and finally to full professor as they build their teaching and research portfolios and gain tenure. Teaching professionals who do not hold a doctoral degree are often categorized as instructors and are not formally addressed by the title of professor. There may be different ranks of instructor, depending upon the college or university’s policies and procedures.
Assistant, associate and full professors generally teach and/or research full-time.
Non-tenured teaching faculty (NTTF) may hold degrees at any level (doctoral, master’s, bachelor’s) and most often teach full-time. NTTF are not eligible for tenure.
Adjunct professors and instructors are typically engaged to teach on a part-time basis.

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