ACADEMIC SENATE POLICY #F11-190

(FORMERLY #S94-190)

 

POLICY ON THE DESIGNATION OF COLLEGES AND

THE DEFINITION OF SCHOOLS AND DEPARTMENTS

All academic programs will be organized into a set of colleges. A dean, who reports to the Provost/Vice-president for Academic Affairs, will lead each college. Colleges may be comprised of departments and schools. A college dean may establish organizational subunits within a college, appropriately named to enhance administration, collaboration, or other desired benefits. Such subunits do not accrue financial or other entitlements except as specifically provided by the dean.

 

B.  Characteristics of a Department/School

 

1.      Departments and schools are considered equivalent units for purposes of university policies and the collective bargaining agreement.

2.      A department/school is part of a college. Neither of these two organizational units may include other departments or schools as sub-units.

3.      A department/school offers a major, minor, and/or credential, and may offer a certificate.

4.      A department/school has faculty with tenure rights and normally has a minimum staffing of four (4.0) full-time equivalent faculty.

5.      A department/school elects a peer review committee that recommends hiring faculty members and performs evaluation functions for re-appointment, retention, tenure, and promotion of faculty.  In order to fulfill its personal functions, there must be enough faculty in the department/school and/or cognate disciplines to serve on the required committees.

6.      Whether called a chair or a director, the head of a department or a school is selected according to the University Policy for Selection of Department Chairs (currently #S00-145) and reports to the dean of a college.

7.      Considerations that will normally apply in designating a unit a school include professional accreditation, licensing or certification requirements for graduates, seize of the unit and common practice in higher education of administratively referring to the discipline as a school.

8.      Requests for change in sub-college unit titles originate with the unit faculty, are recommended by the college dean, and are approved by the Vice President for Academic Affairs.

 

C.  Characteristics of a Program

1.      A program offers a major, minor, credential, and/or certificate.

2.      A program may be a stand-alone unit within a college or may be a subunit of a department/school. Such programs do not accrue financial or other entitlements except as specifically provided by the department/school chair/director or the college dean.

 

***Approved by the Academic Senate at its meeting on December 6, 2011***

 

***Approved by President Corrigan on December 16, 2011***