Find out about the move to a new four Faculty structure at Sussex.
Overview
What Faculties are: Faculties are part of a common structural model for universities, where Schools are organised into larger units known as Faculties.
Benefits: All four faculties will be represented on the University Executive Board (formerly University Executive Team) from September. Previously, four out of ten schools were fully represented. The move to Faculties will improve representation and the overall interests of each School.
Why it’s better for the University: The Faculty model will allow us to build on our pioneering history of interdisciplinary research and education, strengthen academic leadership, and enhance the resilience and agility of each academic unit, improving University-wide knowledge sharing.
When it’s happening: Starting in August 2024 and fully set up by September 2025.
How it will launch: For those in the areas who are newly organised into Faculties, you will start seeing changes as Schools begin to work together more closely under a Faculty structure.
Our vision
The move to four Faculties aims to:
- support academic leadership through enhanced knowledge sharing
- improve the quality of teaching and learning by providing whole-School leadership
- provide greater resilience, agility, and capacity for strategic planning
- enable better support for interdisciplinary research and teaching.
Our aims
We will assess academic governance through a review of Senate and its sub-committees, focusing on effective governance, clear lines of reporting and decision-making.
This means that:
- Faculties will be embedded as the default academic unit of representation
- all Senate sub-committees will have a majority academic membership in line with Senate’s function and responsibilities, with PS staff providing strategic advice and guidance
- there will be a reduced workload and burden on Senate and its sub-committee members
- we will have a consistent and transparent approach to identifying membership, including Chairs of sub-committees
- there will be appropriate and accountable representation
- we will have consistency in language, terms of reference, and composition of sub-committees
- there will be improved management of teaching, learning, student experience, and research matters within the academic governance structure, ensuring Senate receives the information required to fulfil its role as the senior academic body
- we will have a comprehensive academic committee structure to provide clarity on the management of academic matters.
Faculty academic structures
Faculty of Media, Arts and Humanities, comprising 13 subjects.
Executive Dean: Professor Cornel Sandvoss
University of Sussex Business School, comprising 5 departments.
Executive Dean: Professor Debbie Keeling (interim)
Faculty of Science, Engineering and Medicine
Executive Dean: Professor Luc Moreau
Brings together five Schools:
- Brighton and Sussex Medical School
- Engineering and Informatics
- Life Sciences
- Psychology
- Mathematics and Physical Sciences
Faculty of Social Sciences
Executive Dean: Professor Rosie Cox
Brings together three Schools:
- Law, Politics and Sociology
- Global Studies
- Education and Social Work
Faculty leadership
Leadership teams will be determined by each Faculty. Associate Deans will work with colleagues with leadership responsibilities in each Faculty to coordinate and amplify activity. This will include Directors of Teaching and Learning, Directors of Student Experience, and Directors of Research and Knowledge Exchange.
How we will move to a full Faculty structure
- New Executive Deans join Sussex
- Review policies (IT, Finance, HR, etc.)
- Review University regulations
- Amend websites and physical signs
- Review operational and governance changes
- Evaluate and improve.