Policy Number: 103 (Replaces #100)
Policy: Establishment and Periodic Review of Academic
Institutes, Bureaus, Centers, Stations, Labs, and Other
Similar Entities
Date Adopted: 11/01
Revision Date: 02/05
References:
Approved By: George M. Dennison, President
I. Scope
This policy governs the establishment and review of academic institutes, bureaus,
centers, stations, laboratories, and other similar entities at The University of Montana Missoula.
A. Purposes
Such entities exist to provide instruction, scholarship, or service to the University, State,
region, or world by:
Focusing attention on an area of strength and/or addressing a critical
issue; or
Facilitating collaborative, multi-disciplinary endeavors to combine
resources from several programs or institutions to address issues of
common interest.
Typically, such entities organize scattered or scarce resources in response to identified
needs and opportunities to develop new knowledge or serve society.
B. Titles
The nomenclature of these entities have evolved informally.
Institute : A multi-disciplinary entity with responsibility for a variety of independent but
related educational, research, and/or creative projects, as opposed to a "program"
institute, i.e., an assembly of scholars and students focusing on a unified topic for a
limited period of time. An institute subject to this Policy has an indefinite duration.
Bureau : An entity with primarily service functions which may include applied research
focused on service.
Center : A major entity with a broad portfolio that includes promoting instruction,
community service, and research and/or creative activity.
Station : A legislatively or Regentally established research entity with multi-disciplinary
and broad research responsibilities.
Laboratory: A multi-disciplinary entity focused on one specific research/creative topic.
Every entity described above and every academic entity which includes one of the
following terms - "center," "laboratory," "institute," "station," or "bureau" - in its name,
is subject to this Policy.
For subsequent reference in this Policy, the term "Center" includes all entities described
in the preceding sentence.
II. Approval of New Academic Centers
A. Proposal Format
A proposal for the creation of a new Center may originate from one or more
faculty members, Departments, Deans, the Provost, the President, or a source
outside the University. The written proposal must:
Identify the Center's purpose;
State the Center's objectives;
Describe the Center's anticipated activities and expectations of
productivity;
Expectations of productivity for Center personnel with
departmental affiliations will be the unit standards of the
respective academic unit.
Expectations of productivity for Center personnel without a
departmental affiliation should be based on the unit standards
of the most relevant academic unit, which should be identified
in the proposal.
Identify all agencies, organizations, and institutions involved, including
advisory council information;
Identify the organization's reporting line within the University;
Describe the relationship to the institutional mission, including the Departments involved, and
indicate how the Center will contribute to the academic programs of the University with
respect to teaching, research, and service, whichever apply.
Describe any similar programs in Montana and the surrounding region;
and
Budget for first five years (use the Center Review Budget Form);
a. Identify the faculty and staff requirements, including:
The names of current faculty involved with the Center and the
percentage of their professional time devoted to the Center;
The need and cost for new faculty during the first five years of the
Center's existence, including special qualifications and training;
and
The need and cost for support personnel and any other personnel
(i.e., graduate assistants);
b.
Identify the Center's library needs, telecommunication and computing
needs, other equipment needs, and facility and space needs; and
c.
Identify the sources of funding to support the Center for the first five years
of its operations. Centers should be substantially self-funded. Centers
may require support from the University in the initial years of operation.
Funding agencies often require matching contributions from the University.
Centers need to seek outside funding and should not exist if they cannot
obtain funding.
B. Review and Approval Process
A new proposal initially goes to the Provost who, in turn, shall submit copies to the
President, appropriate administrators, and organizations for review and comment,
including:
C. The Dean or Deans of the College and Schools most affected by the proposed
Center, other Academic Officers, the Associate Vice President for Information
Technology, Dean of Libraries, and others as appropriate in the opinion of the
Provost, and
D. The Faculty Senate through its Chair, who in turn shall distribute it to ECOS and
other committees, and approve or disapprove the proposal by a vote of the
Senate.
The Provost shall provide a written rationale for a recommendation of approval or
disapproval of the proposed Center to the President, referencing the vote of the
Senate.
The President shall consider all recommendations and provide a written
explanation of the decision to the Provost and the Faculty Senate.
If the President approves, the proposal will go to the Board of Regents for final
authorization. (See Montana Board of Regents Policy and Procedure Manual, 208,
Institutional Organizations).
E.
Existing Academic Centers
Centers established prior to the date of this policy become subject to periodic
review.
III. Periodic Review of Centers
A. Written Report
Every five years, the Director (or other appropriate lead manager) of every Center
will prepare and submit a written report on the current operations of the Center
addressing the following items:
Identify the Center's purpose;
State the Center's objectives;
Describe the Center's anticipated activities;
Identify all agencies, organizations, and institutions involved, including
advisory council information;
Identify the Center's reporting line within the University;
Describe the relationship to the institutional mission, including the
Departments on campus involved and how the Center contributes to the
academic programs of the University;
Describe the relationship between Center personnel and the academic
units to which they are connected with respect to teaching, research, and
service, whichever apply.
Describe the center’s productivity in comparison to the research
performance of the most relevant academic unit.
Describe mechanism for performance review and salary calculations of
personnel, if different from University procedures.
Describe other similar programs in Montana and the surrounding region; and
Budget (include completed budget form);
a.
Identify the faculty and staff requirements, including:
The names of current faculty involved with the Center and the
percentage of their professional time devoted to the Center;
The need and cost for new faculty over the next five years of the
Center's existence, including special qualifications and training; and
The cost for support personnel or other personnel and the anticipated
personnel expenditures for the next five years.
b.
Identify the Center's library needs, telecommunication and computing
needs, other equipment needs, and facility and space needs, including the
anticipated costs to satisfy those needs for the next five years; and
c.
Identify the sources of funding to support the Center currently and the
anticipated sources of funding for the next five years.
If no changes have been made in the preceding areas since the creation of the
Center or since the Center's most recent report, the report can simply indicate "no
change."
B. Review and Approval Process
The Center Director (or other appropriate lead manager) shall submit the report to
the Provost who, in turn, shall submit copies to the President and the following
people and organizations for review and comment:
1. The Dean or Deans of the College and Schools most affected by the
Center, other Academic Officers, the Associate Vice President for
Information Technology, Dean of Libraries, and a review team consisting
of three faculty not affiliated with the Center and the Graduate Dean, and
2. The Faculty Senate through its Chair, who in turn shall distribute it to
ECOS and other committees, and recommend continuance or
discontinuance by a vote of the Senate.
The Provost shall provide a written recommendation for continuance or
discontinuance of the Center to the President, referencing the vote of the Senate.
The President shall consider all recommendations and provide a written explanation
of the final decision to the Provost and the Faculty Senate for implementation.
No Applicable Procedure