Topics Map > Structures > Departments/Department-Like Academic Units
Procedures: Departments and Department-Like Academic Units
- Policy
- Procedures
- Implementation: Considerations for the Office of Human Resources and Business Services
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
Academic departments are defined in Chapter 5 of Faculty Policies and Procedures (FPP) as consisting of a group of faculty members recognized by the faculty and chancellor, and the Board of Regents, as dealing with a common field of knowledge or as having common or closely related scholarly interests. FPP also sets out guidelines for formal departments and “other groups as equivalent to departments,” and 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.
For step-by-step instructions on how to fill out the Lumen Structures form, see the Lumen Structures: How to Submit Department or Department-Like Unit Proposals KB.
Establishing a New Department
Given the current breadth of the university's academic enterprise, it is a relatively rare occurrence to propose a new department, though it does happen. When proposing a new department, the proposal's focus should be on detailing and establishing that the new department will have the resources and support necessary to fulfill all the expectations and requirements of a department. This includes academic programs; faculty; the capacity to carry out teaching, research, and public service; an executive committee; a chair; etc. The university does not have a template proposal for a new department, but proposers should reference to FPP Chapter 5 and address all considerations and requirements for departments. All new departments go into effect based on fiscal years, so with the summer term.
Proposals must include:
- justification for the new department;
- an analysis of the impact on students, faculty, and staff; and
- any details on impacts to the budget.
Note: If the intention is to establish a new academic/curricular subject listing as part of the new department, the department must be established first and then a subsequent proposal can be submitted to establish the subject listing.
"Merging" Departments
If individual departments wish to come together as one, a "merger" is not possible. The new department must be established (see process outlined above) and the existing departments must be discontinued (see process below). Following are notes and considerations:
- Faculty tenure home is an important consideration here, and programs should consult with the Secretary of the Faculty to understand that process and requirements.
- Lumen Structures proposal(s) are also needed to move any related curricular subject listings, and Lumen Program proposal(s) are needed to move any academic programs into the new department.
- Additional Lumen Structures proposals are needed to eliminate the existing departments once all pieces of the academic structure owned by the existing departments and the faculty have been moved.
Changing an Existing Department
Common changes to a department include renaming the department or restructuring the department (e.g., moving a department from one school or college to another).
Renaming a Department
Following are notes and considerations related to changing the name of a department:
- Students in the department do not need to be consulted on the name change.
- Changes to a department name often come with associated changes to the curricular subject listing(s) and/or academic program name(s).
- It is most efficient and thus advised that proposals for associated department, subject, and program name changes come through governance together as a set.
- The University Academic Planning Council (UAPC) ultimately approves the name change, but the proposal also gets a reading at the Faculty Senate.
- All departmental name changes go into effect based on fiscal years, so with the summer term.
Proposals must include:
- justification of the name change,
- an analysis of the impact on students, faculty, and staff; and
- any details on impacts to the budget.
- evidence of faculty engagement in the renaming process, ideally with 100 percent support from the faculty, and approval from the school/college Academic Planning Council and/or Dean.
Restructuring a Department
When a department restructuring takes place, it generally consists of a move from one school/college to another.
Proposals must include:
- a summary of the justification of the move/restructuring;
- an analysis of the impact on students, faculty, and staff; and
- any details on impacts to the budget.
- evidence of faculty engagement in the process, ideally with 100 percent support from the faculty, and approval from the current and proposed school/college Academic Planning Councils and/or Deans.
Eliminating a Department
Though also rare, departments are on occasion eliminated. The most common scenario is the elimination of a standalone department following its "merger" into a new department. Following are considerations when eliminating a department:
- When discontinuing a department, all items housed within the department (e.g., faculty, academic programs, subject listings) must either be moved to a new academic home or discontinued. The proposal should clearly indicate the plans for all existing components of the department.
- The University Academic Planning Council (UAPC) ultimately approves the elimination, but the proposal also gets a reading at the Faculty Senate.
Proposals must include:
- cover the justification;
- an analysis of the impact on students, faculty, and staff; and
- any details on impacts to the budget.
- include evidence of faculty engagement in the process, ideally with 100 percent support from the faculty, and approval from the school/college Academic Planning Council and/or Dean.
Implementation: Considerations for the Office of Human Resources and Business Services
For all of the above actions related to departments, following 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. This includes the completion of the following forms: