About Us

The Biological Sciences Division's (BSD) Office of Academic Affairs (OAA) is part of the BSD Office of the Dean. OAA provides human resource services to academic units and administrative staff on a wide range of topics related to academic personnel management within the BSD. OAA's web site is intended to be an information link for accessing definitive information regarding processes, procedures, and policies associated with, among other topics, academic appointment, reappointment, and promotion within the Biological Science Division. OAA works closely with other administrative units on campus such as the Office of the Provost, Office of Legal Counsel, Staff Benefits, Payroll Office, Medical Staff Office, etc., to provide timely and complete information about BSD academic human resource management.

Since January 2014, the Dean for Academic Affairs focuses on appointment, reappointment, promotion, and tenure recommendations, interpretation of academic criteria, and academic policy development. Faculty development is the focus of the Office of Faculty Affairs, and diversity and inclusion issues are the focus of the Office of Diversity and Inclusion. These and other offices collaborate extensively, and can direct any queries to the appropriate office.

C. 'Sola Olopade, MD, MPH, Dean for Academic Affairs
Academic appointment: Professor of Medicine (Section of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine) and Family Medicine
Telephone: (773) 795-5402
Office: O-115 (Map/directions to office)
E-mail: solopade@bsd.uchicago.edu

Edwin (Chip) Ferguson, PhD, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs
Academic Appointment: Professor of Molecular Genetics and Cell Biology
Telephone: (773) 702-8942 
E-mail: elfergus@uchicago.edu 

This office works with the Office of Academic Affairs, the BSD departments, and the Dean in several areas:

• New appointments of BSD faculty and other academic appointees
• Reappointment of assistant professors in BSD
• Promotion of BSD faculty to the ranks of associate professor and professor
• Committee on Appointments and Promotions (COAP)
• Committee on Reappointment of Assistant Professors (COROAP)
• Academic policy development
• Providing a faculty perspective to the operations of the Office of Academic Affairs

 

Contact BSD OAA Staff

Offices are located in the medical center complex 
AMB Rooms O-132, O-134, and O-136 (map) and Mail Code is MC1000 
Main number is (773) 702-6504