It is the policy of the provost to conduct a review of deans and senior administrators prior to taking action on reappointment.

Dorrie Fontaine, dean of the School of Nursing, is in the fifth year of her deanship. Provost John D. Simon has appointed a committee chaired by Linda Bullock, the Jeanette Lancaster Alumni Professor of Nursing, to conduct the reappointment review for Dean Fontaine.

Other members of the review committee are Randy Jones, Elizabeth Epstein, Connie Lee, Lorna Facteau, Monika Criman, Donna Schminkey, Shelley Boyce, Patricia Woodard, Renee Breeden, and Jeff Legro.

An important part of the review process is the gathering of opinion from the University’s many constituencies. As such, the review committee is seeking comments about Dean Fontaine’s performance from members of the U.Va. community. All responses will be treated to preserve anonymity. No comments or observations will be attributed to any individual in any report of the committee. Anonymous comments will not be accepted.

The committee invites U.Va. community members to share their thoughts, preferably by email or letter. Communication should include the nature of the community member’s interactions with Dean Fontaine so that the committee can understand the context of the comments as fully as possible. The committee will discuss responses, and a summary will be included in the written report to the provost.

The charge to the committee poses several questions to be considered as part of the review, including assessments of the following:

-- strategic leadership of the school, including setting priorities for faculty recruitment, retention, and promotion; curricular innovation; and international ventures;

-- demonstrated commitment to diversity;

-- effectiveness in fostering both disciplinary and interdisciplinary research and education;

-- effectiveness of communication with faculty and students;

-- administrative competencies, including budgetary development and oversight;

-- relationships with other schools and administrative offices of the University; and

-- effectiveness in fundraising, including more general development activities such as donor and alumni relations.

Send letters or comments by May 17 to:

Linda Bullock (lcb2u@virginia.edu), School of Nursing, 202 Jeanette Lancaster Way,
Charlottesville, VA 22903-3388

or

Raj Seneviratne (nursingdeanreview@virginia.edu), Office of the Executive Vice President and Provost, P.O. Box 400308, Charlottesville, VA 22904.