The chief executive officer provides leadership through the definition of institutional goals, establishment of priorities, and the development of plans. The administration and staff are organized to support the teaching and learning environment which results in the achievement of the institution's mission and goals.

• OUS Internal Management Directive on Duties of University Presidents

Reporting to the president are the provost (chief academic officer), the vice president for finance and administration (chief financial officer), and the vice president for university relations (responsible for institutional advancement). Six vice provosts report to the provost, each leading administrative units important to the day-to-day management of the University, involving (a) student affairs, (b) international affairs, (c) graduate studies and research and sponsored projects, (d) extended studies, (e) academic personnel and budget, and (f) curriculum and undergraduate studies. The University’s management and administration is guided by Oregon Administrative Rules, referenced above (6A). The duties and responsibilities of administrators are included in position announcements.

• Portland State Organization Chart
• Portland State Internal Management Directives
• Administrator position announcements - Available in hard copy

Policies and procedures covering ethical conduct codes for administrators are publicly available on the Portland State website.

• Portland State Policies, Contracts & Employee Relations
• Ethics Guide for Public Employees(informed by Oregon laws)
• Portland State Professional Standards of Conduct
• Drug-free Workplace
• Consensual relationship policies
• Alcohol and Tobacco

Academic programs are organized into three colleges and four schools each headed by a dean. Six of the seven deans have been appointed since the last accreditation visit; only the dean of the college of liberal arts and sciences held his position during the last visit. The president appoints the deans after national searches that involve extensive faculty, community and alumni participation and input. Organizational structures vary within the academic units, but most are divided into academic departments, whose chairpersons are recommended to the president based upon an election by the faculty.

Two important organizational structures are in place to facilitate the cooperation, coordination, and communication between units that is critical to providing timely, effective, and efficient decision making and goal attainment: the Executive Committee, and the Council of Academic Deans. The Executive Committee meets weekly, comprising the president, provost, vice president for finance and administration, vice president for university relations, vice provost for student affairs, assistant to the president, assistant to the president for government relations, and director of marketing and communications. The committee advises the president on major issues affecting the University and coordinates institutional activities. The Council of Academic Deans (CADS) consists of the provost, the deans of the seven colleges and schools, the vice provosts for graduate studies and research, curriculum and undergraduate studies, and extended studies, director of the library, and the executive assistant to the provost. The Council advises the president and provost on academic matters and coordinates academic programs. An additional CADS meeting is held at least once per quarter (called CADS+) that includes the other vice provosts, the director of the office of institutional research and planning, and the director of the center for academic excellence.

OSBHE conducts an annual evaluation of the president. In turn, the president evaluates the University’s senior administrators. The provost evaluates the vice provosts and deans by asking them to identify annual goals and report on progress on the previous year’s goals.

• Procedures for evaluation of the President

All incumbents in administrative leadership positions at Portland State were appointed since the last accreditation visit in 1995. All but two administrators were appointed after a national search process. The vice provost for graduate studies and research, and the vice provost for academic personnel and budget, were appointed after internal searches. Searches follow the procedures promulgated by the Office of Affirmative Action. All of the administrators bring strong credentials and experience to their positions. According to the 2003-2004. Administrative Compensation Survey by the College and University Professional Association for Human Resources (CUPA), the compensation and benefits of leading Portland State administrators are generally lower than their counterparts at institutions with comparable budgets (over $203 million).

• Search procedures

In May 2004, the provost resigned her position in order to return to the faculty and concentrate on her research agenda; and the vice president for finance and administration resigned in order to accept a position at another university. President Bernstine appointed Michael Reardon, Portland State Provost Emeritus, as interim provost. In addition, he appointed Cathy Dyck, Associate Vice President for Finance and Administration, as the interim vice president. President Bernstine appointed committees with representation from faculty, students, the community, and alumni to conduct national searches for the two positions. The new provost, Roy Koch, assumed his position on July 1, 2005. The new vice president for finance and administration will assume her position in late fall 2005.

As described in Standard One, President Bernstine has initiated a series of presidential initiatives. The University has also engaged in institutional planning, described in Standard One, resulting in a vision statement and seven institutional priorities:

1. Attract and retain a faculty of distinction.
2. Attract and retain a student body that is excellent and diverse.
3. Provide national leadership in student learning and talent development.
4. Increase financial security and resources through diversified and enhanced revenue streams.
5. Develop our research and creative capacity consistent with Portland State’s central role in knowledge creation and community engagement.
6. Provide leadership to create a nexus of educational institutions that enhance the community and contribute to economic development and sustainability.
7. Develop an academic and administrative support structure that furthers all of these priorities.

The Office of Institutional Research and Planning (OIRP) played a central role in developing the presidential initiatives, and in the planning and priority-setting process. With a designated mission to collect, preserve, interpret, and disseminate information, OIRP is the central repository of statistical information about the University and its students. Data are easily accessible on the OIRP website, and in the electronic institutional portfolio. Going beyond the function of information suppliers, the vision for institutional research at Portland State embraces the challenges posed in the literature to fulfill the role of “information architects, change agents, and consultants of choice.”

• Office of Institutional Research and Planning