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Lumen Structures: How to Submit Department or Department-Like Unit Proposals

Instructions on how to fill out the proposals for departments or department-like entities.

Policy

Departments and Department-Like Academic Units

Policy Number

UW-1047

Responsible Office

Data, Academic Planning & Institutional Research

Type

University Policy

Rationale/​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.

Research Centers are excluded here 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.

 

Table 1. Features of Departments and Department-Like 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 Affairs

Policy Manager

Vice Provost for Data, Academic Planning & Institutional Research

Contact

Associate Director, Data, Academic Planning & Institutional Research -- Michelle Young, MEYOUNG@WISC.EDU, (608) 262-2143

Effective Date

08-30-2019
Source: View policy UW-1047 in the UW-Madison Policy Library

Academic planning help

Departmental changes only occur for a future-dated effective summer term, which coincides with the start of the fiscal year. DAPIR assigns the effective date once approved through Governance.

For additional resources, consult:

Form instructions

New Department

Instructions for how to fill out the Lumen Structures form.
Field in the form Action
Request type Select "New Department"
Home department Select the School/College who will own department.
School/College This defaults to the School/College the department is housed in. This is not editable.
Title Consult the policy for the appropriate name. e.x. Department of [name]; Center of [name]
Request details

Provide a justification of the need and demonstrate/explain how the unit can support the expectations of a department as defined by the policy and Faculty Policies and Procedures Chapter 5.

Document approvals in this section.

Upload form Upload a proposal as explained in FP&P Chapter 5; there is no official form to fill out.
Supporting documents Include any supporting documentation in this field.

Change a Department

Instructions for how to fill out the Lumen Structures form.
Field in the form Action
Request type Select "Change Department"
Home department Select the School/College who owns the department. If the department is moving to another school or college, select the current school/college and contact DAPIR.
School/College This defaults to the School/College the department is housed in. This is not editable.
Title Consult the policy for the appropriate name. e.x. Department of [name]; Center of [name]
Request details

Provide a justification of the need and demonstrate/explain how the unit can support the expectations of a department as defined by the policy and Faculty Policies and Procedures Chapter 5.

Document approvals in this section.

Upload form Upload a proposal as explained in FP&P Chapter 5; there is no official form to fill out.
Supporting documents Include any supporting documentation in this field.

Workflow

If moving a department from one school or college to another, consult Data, Academic Planning & Institutional Research (lumen@provost.wisc.edu) to add the appropriate steps in workflow once submitted.

"Merging" Departments

If two or more departments want to merge into a single entity, there are two ways to accomplish this:

  1. Select a department that will continue with their current academic org code (UDDS). Revise the department name. Discontinue the other department(s).
  2. Create a new department and discontinue the old department(s).

Discontinue a Department

A department owning any subjects or programs must move everything before Governance will review/consider approval of the discontinuation proposal.

Instructions for how to fill out the Lumen Structures form.
Field in the form Action
Request type Select "New Department"
Home department Select the School/College who will own department.
School/College This defaults to the School/College the department is housed in. This is not editable.
Title Consult the policy for the appropriate name. e.x. Department of [name]; Center of [name]
Request details

Provide a justification of the need and demonstrate/explain how the unit can support the expectations of a department as defined by the policy and Faculty Policies and Procedures Chapter 5.

Document approvals in this section.

Upload form Upload a proposal as explained in FP&P Chapter 5; there is no official form to fill out.
Supporting documents Include any supporting documentation in this field.

Workflow Steps

  1. Department(s) (default)
  2. School/College(s) (default)
  3. APIR Admin (default)
  4. UAPC Approver
  5. APIR-Hold (Faculty Senate)
  6. Registrar


Keywordsdepartment, department-like, academic department, lumen structures, lumen   Doc ID138456
OwnerMelissa S.GroupLumen and Guide
Created2024-07-16 14:57:34Updated2024-07-17 16:28:59
SitesLumen and Guide
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