Editor's Note: This is the first in a seven-part series examining the evaluations of Ohio University's deans. Seven of the 10 Athens campus deans were evaluated this year.
The dean of Ohio University's College of Arts and Sciences received the highest faculty approval rating of any dean evaluated this year, improving in weaker areas from previous years but facing some criticism concerning his management of severe budget cuts.
Ben Ogles received a 91 percent overall approval rating from faculty and 100 percent approval ratings in every category from his staff. This year, 28 percent of faculty responded, and 31 percent of staff responded. The faculty response rate was up from 15 percent last year although the staff rate dropped from 82 percent.
Ogles said he was pleased with the results of the evaluation but worried it did not represent the whole college given the response rates.
I'm really pleased to see the (faculty) response rate doubled. It's still lower than I wish it were
he said.
Ogles earned $190,000 in base salary this year.
The faculty committee charged with reviewing survey data summarized the comments into four general areas where they said Ogles could be more proactive: protecting college funding, reworking college language requirements, adjusting Tier II requirements and protecting the college's best programs if budget cuts continue.
Ogles said those comments were very helpful, but added some of the changes will take a lot of discussion.
That takes a longer wider broader conversation
he said, referring to curricular and requirement adjustments. Then you're talking about what does a B.A. really mean.
The dean received his lowest approval rating - 87 percent - in fiscal management. Some of the written comments referred to larger university cuts, but others questioned whether Ogles was strategic enough in budgeting.
Ogles said he could empathize with departments who felt they should see less of a cut, but much of the financial decision-making in the college is decentralized.
I think there are some people who think both the process and outcomes of the cuts were not as strategic as they wanted them to be
he said. I can see that point of view ... but I didn't make that decision by myself.
The dean said one of the accomplishments he is most proud of this year was getting $400,000 of support for General Education instruction built into the base budget. The provost maintains control of the funding, but Ogles said he was pleased to move it away from a year-to-year system.
For the past two years, Ogles' lowest scores have been in communication. He raised those approval ratings this year from 87 percent to 91 percent, but the dean said that could be a fluke, and he still thinks he needs to communicate better.
Executive Vice President and Provost Pam Benoit joined Ogles' faculty and staff in giving him a positive review, praising his efforts to promote his college and asking for his continued help as the university looks toward further budget cuts and a transition to semesters.
1
News
Emily Grannis
31866a.gif
