The establishment of new academic, research, service, and administrative units, including but not limited to, departments, divisions, schools, colleges, centers, and institutes, must be submitted for review and approval to the Chancellor and the Board of Trustees. Any new academic unit must have the support/approval from the new unit’s dean, chair (if applicable) and financial director.
Definitions
- Department: An instructional unit encompassing a discrete branch of study, usually located within a division and/or a school or college. A department is typically a smaller unit than a division, although this may vary.
- Division: An instructional unit that typically includes two or more academic departments representing allied fields of study.
Example: A Division of Natural Sciences might include departments of biology, chemistry, physics, and geology.
A division is usually a more prominent entity than a department, though in some institutions, departments may encompass several divisions. - School: An instructional unit within a higher education institution that typically encompasses a professional discipline (e.g., medicine, engineering, education) and may include several academic divisions and/or departments. A school is usually administered by a dean or director and is often, though not always, less inclusive than a college.
- College: An instructional unit within a university that typically includes several academic divisions and/or departments and is administered by a dean. A college is often more inclusive than a school.
Note: The term “college” here does not refer to separate institutions such as community or technical colleges.
Criteria for New Academic Units
A proposed new academic unit must meet the following three criteria and be submitted to the President, then to the Chancellor, and finally to the Board of Trustees:
- Purpose: A clearly defined purpose directly related to the campus’s role, scope, and instructional, research, and/or service programs.
- Resources: A five-year budget showing sources of funds, along with evidence of sufficient human, fiscal, and physical resources (e.g., classroom/office space, lab space) to achieve the unit’s purpose.
- Organization: The proposed unit must identify an administrative head, define internal reporting relationships, and have a structure that enables it to effectively achieve its purpose.
Process
- Submission to Board Liaison
The appropriate Dean’s office and/or Office of the Provost should provide submission package to the Board Liaison, that includes the following documents:
Board Agenda Item Recommendation Form (must include approval signatures from the Chair and Dean)- Resolution (sent electronically as a Word document; should include the name and title of the Division Director or Department Chair if selected, or indicate that one will be appointed following a search)
- Dean’s Letter of Recommendation (addressed to the Provost)
- Department Chair’s Letter of Support (addressed to the appropriate Dean)
- Proposal outlining:
- Defined purpose of the new division
- Resources (annual budget showing sources of funds, human/physical resources, etc.)
- Organizational structure (see Criteria section)
- Organizational Chart showing the new division within the current organizational structure
- Financial Resources (five-year budget projection)
- Curriculum Vitae of the Division Director or Department Chair (sent electronically)
- Internal Approvals
The Board Liaison will secure letters of support from the Vice President for Finance, the Provost, and the President. - System Office Submission
The Board Liaison will obtain final approval from the President and Legal Counsel before submitting the complete package to the UA System Office for consideration by the Board of Trustees. - Final Notification
The Board Liaison will receive the final approval notification from the UA System Office and distribute the information to the Provost, Deans, and Vice Presidents.
Submission Timeline
Requests for new departments, divisions, schools, or colleges must be submitted by the second Academic Affairs deadline listed on the Board Liaison calendar.
