This policy specifies the criteria the University Academic Planning Council utilizes in the establishment, reorganization, or discontinuation of academic units.
A group of faculty who are not all in the same department but who share responsibilities for departmental functions. This unit exercises a broad range of functions and duties in relation to faculty academic life, and generally houses at least one academic program (degree/major or certificate) or subject listing. A department-like academic unit usually does not serve as a tenure home. When a department-like academic unit is approved to serve as a tenure home, each faculty member's tenure home will be approved on a case-by-case basis by the University Committee.
An academic organization that has department-like status and serves as a faculty tenure home, sometimes with restrictions, is approved as such by the University Academic Planning Council and the University Committee per UW-805, Faculty Policies and Procedures Chapter 5.
Structure for organizing groups of courses in a related subject area or topic that represent a coherent area of study.
Note that for administrative purposes, all school/college dean's offices also function as departments in terms of approving and administering academic programs and subjects. In addition, some division-level schools are structured as a single department with the dean serving in the chair role (in addition to their dean role) and thus have a functionally equivalent role to departments under this policy.
The University Academic Planning Council and faculty of schools/colleges seeking to establish, reorganize, or discontinue academic units.
The University Academic Planning Council uses the following criteria, which includes definitions, privileges and responsibilities, when considering proposals for the establishment, reorganization, or discontinuation of academic units.
| Criteria for Academic Units | Department | Department-Like Unit with Tenure | Department-Like Unit without Tenure |
|---|---|---|---|
| Common Use |
Serves as a tenure home. Supports the scholarly work of faculty. Houses academic programs and subjects (courses) for enrolling students. Supports the research/scholarship and outreach/public service missions of the university. Maintains sufficient number of faculty and infrastructure to support faculty mentoring and development. |
Exists as an academic unit at a level equivalent to a department (not a subdepartment). May serve as a tenure home; assignment of faculty to the unit as a tenure home requires University Committee approval. Houses academic programs and subjects (courses) for enrolling students. Supports the research/scholarship and outreach missions of the university. Maintains adequate governance structures to support participating faculty and staff, and enrolled students. |
Exists as an academic unit at a level equivalent to a department (not a subdepartment). Does NOT serve as a tenure home. Houses academic programs subjects (courses) for enrolling students. Supports the research/scholarship and outreach/public service missions of the university. Maintains adequate governance structures to support participating faculty and staff, and enrolled students. |
| Faculty Tenure Home | Yes |
Yes University Committee approves the assignment of any faculty member to this kind of unit as a tenure home. |
No |
| Approval Path | School/College > University Academic Planning Council > (University Committee) > Faculty Senate (reading only) | School/College > University Academic Planning Council > (University Committee) > Faculty Senate (reading only) |
School/College > University Academic Planning Council Follows same path as academic program or subject |
| Faculty Leadership; selected per UW-805 | Chair (appointed as chair in Human Resources System with tenure in the department) or Academic Program Director with tenure or joint executive appointment in the department. | Academic Program Director, including those with 0% appointment, with tenure home or joint executive appointment in the academic unit. | Academic Program Director, including those with 0% appointment, with joint executive appointment in the academic unit. |
| Governance and Faculty Oversight | Executive Committee comprised of tenured faculty and joint executive appointees (UW-805) | Faculty with joint executive appointments and Academic Staff (Category B Instructional) as defined by the unit’s governance documents approved by the University Academic Planning Council and the University Committee, and consistent with UW-805, as applicable. | Faculty with joint executive appointments and Academic Staff (Category B Instructional) as defined by the unit’s governance documents approved by the University Academic Planning Council and the University Committee, and consistent with UW-805, as applicable. |
| Tenured faculty may have joint executive appointments (UW-805) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Faculty and academic staff may have joint department appointments (UW-805) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Faculty and academic staff may have affiliate appointments (UW-805) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Research mission | Expected | Expected | Dependent on mission |
| Outreach/public service mission | Expected | Expected | Dependent on mission |
| Teaching/ instructional mission | Expected | Expected | Expected |
| Home for academic degree/major or certificate programs | Allowed | Allowed | Allowed |
| Home for Subjects (courses) | Allowed | Allowed | Allowed |
| Responsible to maintain necessary records required by the university in regard to teaching, research, and public service | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Follows requirements set by school/college, university or external agencies with respect to teaching, research and public service | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Name Format |
Department of . . . School/College of . . . |
Center of/for . . . . . . Program “Department” is not used. |
Center of/for . . . . . . Program “Department” is not used. |
| Identified by Department ID – UDDS | Yes | Yes | Yes |
02-19-2020, 06-30-2023
