Delegation of decision-making authority under the phrase “Dean or Dean’s designate”
Dean of the College of Law
Key Contacts
If you have any questions, please contact the Dean of the College of Law.
Policy Purpose and Description
This policy establishes and documents the specific delegation of decision-making authority for various academic and administrative determinations outlined in the College of Law's Academic Policies and Procedures (AP&P). The policy ensures clarity, accountability, and consistency in administrative decisions by formally identifying the responsible officers.
Policy
Delegation of Decision-Making Authority
Effective today, and consistent with the practice of making delegations of these sorts, I am delegating several important responsibilities regarding matters affecting individual students to particular designees as shown below.
College of Law policy allows me to delegate several matters to other officials in the law school administration, particularly related to matters involving students. The authority for the delegation and the specific policies involved appear below.
Authority. The College of Law Faculty Policies provide:
When a faculty policy identifies the decision-maker by the phrase the “Dean or the Dean’s designate,” any decision-making authority granted to the Dean under the faculty policy may be delegated by the Dean to another person at the College of Law. The Dean may not delegate decision-making authority when a faculty policy identifies the decision-maker as the “Dean,” unless otherwise required to do so by law or University policy. Delegations of routine decision-making authority shall be published in an open and conspicuous manner. In the event of a delegation, appeal of the designate’s decision may be made to the Dean who may in the Dean’s discretion review the decision. If no delegation is made, initial decision-making authority remains with the Dean.
College of Law Faculty Policies Section (III)(B) (adopted December 14, 2017).
Designations. Pursuant to that policy, I designate the following persons as the “Dean’s designate” for purposes of routine decision-making authority. Appeal of any decisions made by the designate may be made, in the first instance, to me, and I will use my discretion whether or not to review the decision.
References are to the College of Law Academic Policies and Procedures (AP&P) or the College of Law Faculty Policies (FP).
| Policy Reference | Delegated Authority |
|---|---|
| AP&P (II)(B)(3): Deciding whether to permit a particular student to count more than 6 credits toward graduation for independent studies, supplementary writing, and directed writing and research | Associate Dean for Academic Affairs (current incumbent Bethany Berger) |
| AP&P (II)(B)(4): Deciding whether to permit a particular student to count more than 9 (up to 14) credits toward graduation for field placements | Field Placement Program Director (current incumbent June Tai) |
| AP&P (II)(B)(9): Deciding whether to permit a particular student to transfer credits from a non-ABA law school in the United States | Associate Dean for Academic Affairs |
| AP&P (II)(B)(10) and (II)(H)(4): Deciding whether to approve a student’s request to count a non-law course toward the J.D. degree | Associate Dean for Student Affairs (current incumbent Carin Crain) |
| AP&P (II)(H)(2)(a): Determining whether the College of Law would have granted credit towards satisfaction of J.D. degree requirements if a course taken at a law school outside the United States had been taken at the College of Law | Associate Dean for Academic Affairs |
| AP&P (II)(H)(2)(b): Deciding whether to permit a particular student to count credit for courses taken as a visitor at another law school | Associate Dean for Academic Affairs |
| AP&P (II)(H)(2)(b): Deciding whether to permit a particular student to visit at a law school outside the United States | Associate Dean for Student Affairs |
| AP&P (III)(D)(2)(b): Deciding whether to grant an exception to the rule that no student shall be enrolled in a field placement or clinical course unless that student has first received a passing grade in all of the required first-year courses and experiences | Field Placement Program Director or relevant member of Clinic faculty, in consultation with Associate Dean for Student Affairs |
| AP&P (III)(E): Deciding whether to allow an increase, from 16 to 17, in the number of credits a particular student may enroll in at any one time. See Graduation Requirements, AP&P (II)(B)(11). | Associate Dean for Student Affairs |
| AP&P (III)(F): Increasing from 12 to 13 the number of credits a particular student may enroll in during the summer session | Associate Dean for Student Affairs |
| AP&P (III)(N): Making hardship determinations under the Course Dropping Policy | Associate Dean for Student Affairs |
| AP&P (IV)(B)(3): Ensuring that the instructor(s) of each course confirm that the course complies with Standard 310 on the amount of work required per credit | Associate Dean for Academic Affairs |
| AP&P (IV)(B)(4)(g): Determining whether distance courses taken by a particular student may count toward the J.D. degree. See Graduation Requirements, AP&P (II)(B)(6). | Associate Dean for Academic Affairs |
| AP&P (IV)(G)(2)(c): Deciding whether to allow an instructor to permit students to submit final course work after the regular exam period or intersession week, for purposes of the Timeliness of Grading Policy | Associate Dean for Academic Affairs |
| AP&P (VII)(N): Making determinations on requests for exam accommodations for students with limited English proficiency, and informing the faculty annually of the number of students who received such accommodations | Associate Dean for Student Affairs |
| AP&P (X): Deciding whether to approve a student’s request to be classified as a combined degree candidate | Associate Dean for Student Affairs |
| AP&P (XII)(B)(2)(c): Ruling on a student’s appeal from a non-reinstatement decision under the Retention Rules | (No delegation at this time) |
| AP&P (XII)(B)(3): Determining whether to extend the effective date of the student’s disenrollment for up to thirty days after the date of the final resolution of a non-retention decision under the Retention Rules | (No delegation at this time) |
| AP&P (XII)(D): Making the final decision on a student’s reinstatement appeal under the Retention Rules | (No delegation at this time) |
| AP&P (XIV): Exercising powers and fulfilling responsibilities allocated to the Dean or Dean’s designate under the Policy on Accommodations for Students with Disabilities (see footnote 68) | Associate Dean for Student Affairs |
| AP&P (XVII)(C): Consolidating references to administrator primarily responsible for student affairs | Associate Dean for Student Affairs |
| FP (IV)(H)(2)(c) and (e): Arranging for the teaching of adjuncts to be reviewed, and rating an adjunct’s teaching performance, under the Review of Adjunct Teaching Policy | Associate Dean for Academic Affairs |
LAST DATE REVISED: December 11, 2025