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Procedures: Departments and Department-Like Academic Units
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Policy
Departments and Department-Like Academic Units
Policy Number
UW-1047Responsible Office
Data, Academic Planning & Institutional ResearchType
University PolicyRationale/Purpose
This policy specifies the criteria the University Academic Planning Council utilizes in the establishment, reorganization, or discontinuation of academic units.
Policy
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 |
Related UW–Madison Documents, Web Pages, or Other Resources
External References
Approval Authority
Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic AffairsPolicy Manager
Vice Provost for Data, Academic Planning & Institutional ResearchContact
Associate Director, Data, Academic Planning & Institutional Research -- Michelle Young, MEYOUNG@WISC.EDU, (608) 262-2143Effective Date
08-30-2019Source: View policy UW-1047 in the UW-Madison Policy Library
Procedures
Context
Academic departments are defined in Chapter 5 of Faculty Policies and Procedures (FPP). FPP Chapter 5 sets out guidelines for formal departments, and “other groups as equivalent to departments.” FPP Ch 5 also specifies that departments and other groups equivalent to departments are governed in consultation with the University Academic Planning Council (UAPC), which is chaired by the provost (FPP Ch 6.52). This policy fills a gap by specifying the criteria that the UAPC will use in considering department creation, restructuring or discontinuation, and also the creation, restructuring, or discontinuation of department-like units.
Definitions and Key Features of Departments and Department-like Academic Units
FPP Ch 5 defines the academic department and makes allowance for “other groups equivalent to departments.”
This policy names “other groups equivalent to departments” as “department-like academic units.”
This policy specifies that a unit that supports enrollment of students in for-credit courses or academic programs is required to be approved as a department or as an academic unit that meets standards for supporting students.
Table 1. Features of Departments and Department-Like Academic Units
| Feature | Department | Department-Like academic unit; can be a faculty tenure home | Department-Like academic unit; NOT a faculty tenure home |
| Common Use | Department 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. Has sufficient numbers of faculty and infrastructure to support the faculty mentoring and development. |
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 UC approval. Houses academic programs and subjects (courses) for enrolling students. Supports the research/scholarship and outreach missions of the university. Like a department, has adequate governance structures to support participating faculty and staff, and enrolled students. |
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. Like a department, has adequate governance structures to support participating faculty and staff, and enrolled students. |
| Faculty Tenure Home |
Yes | Yes. UC approves the assignment of any faculty member to this kind of unit as a tenure home. |
No |
| Approval Path | S/C -> UAPC-> (UC) -> Faculty Senate Faculty Senate is reading only |
S/C -> UAPC -> (UC) -> Faculty Senate Faculty Senate is reading only |
S/C -> UAPC Follows same path as academic program or subject |
| Faculty Leadership; selected as per FPP Ch 5.30 | CHAIR (tenured faculty in the department; appointed as chair in HRS) or ACADEMIC PROGRAM DIRECTOR (holds tenure or joint exec appointment). |
Academic Program Director, at least 0%. Has tenure home in the academic unit or, in a department and holds joint executive appointment in the academic unit. | Academic Program Director, at least 0%. Holds joint executive appointment in the academic unit. |
| Governance and Faculty Oversight | EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE - Tenured faculty (FPP 5.20.) and joint executive appointees (FPP 5.12.) | Faculty with Joint Executive appointments and Instructional Academic Staff (Cat B Instructional) as defined by the unit’s governance documents approved by UAPC and UC, and consistent with FPP Chapter 5, as applicable. |
Faculty with Joint Executive appointments and Instructional Academic Staff (Cat B Instructional) as defined by the unit’s governance documents approved by UAPC and UC, and consistent with FPP Chapter 5, as applicable. |
| Tenured faculty may have joint executive app’ts (FPP 5.12.) |
Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Faculty and academic staff may have joint dept app’ts (FPP 5.12.) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Faculty and academic staff may have affiliate app’ts (FPP 5.13.) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Research mission |
Expected | Expected | Depends on mission |
| Outreach/ public service mission |
Expected | Expected | Depends 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 |
| Follow any 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 of --- (within a College) |
Center of/for --- --- Program (does not use word “Department”) |
Center of/for --- --- Program (does not use word “Department”) |
| Identified by Department ID – UDD |
Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Note: The focus of FPP is primarily on faculty roles and responsibilities and the governance of academic units; UAPC practice and policy is more focused on academic programs and on structures and standards related to student success. FPP 5.40. (“Department-like Bodies”) is understood to apply to ALL academic units that are not departments, some of which may not be included above. The main example of units subject to FPP 5.40 but not listed here would be research centers; they are not included because they do not serve students through academic programs or subjects/courses. Governance approval is required for a department or other unit to serve the functions listed here. |
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After UAPC approval and Faculty Senate consideration, the department or its parent school/college will be reminded to contact the Office of Human Resources and Business Services with information about the approved change as part of implementation.