Establishing New Academic Units & Programs

Academic Affairs Division
Establishment of New Academic Units & Programs

I. Policy Statement:

The establishment of a new academic unit shall include review by the Provost, the affected academic units, Deans, and the faculty at large.

II. Purpose:

Board of Trustees Statement of University Governance (Doc. T73-098/ Section II.D.3): Provides the procedure for the development, review, and approval of a new academic unit.

III. Definitions:

An academic unit is defined as a college, school or academic department, including those that result from merger or splitting of existing academic units.

IV. Procedures:

UMass Dartmouth and Academic Affairs are committed to the principles of shared governance when creating new academic units (defined as a college, school, or academic department) or revising existing academic units (including mergers and divisions of existing academic units).

This policy ensures that various campus stakeholders, including impacted academic units, Chairs, Deans, the Provost, and the faculty, have an opportunity to review relevant proposals and provide feedback.

A. Proposal to Establish a New Academic Unit

Faculty member(s) or administrator(s), either independently or jointly, may prepare a proposal to establish a new academic unit. The proposer of the new academic unit should consult with the Provost’s office and the Faculty Senate President prior to launching the proposal. The proposer should also solicit informal feedback on the proposal's substance from the departments, programs, and/or colleges directly impacted by the proposal and from the relevant Chairs, Program Directors, Dean(s), and Provost before submission.

The proposal shall include the following sections (The complexity of the proposed change will determine the length of the proposal):

1. Executive Summary: Presents a short summary of the proposal.
2. Purpose, description, and goals of the academic unit: Provides sufficient descriptive and contextual information about the proposed academic unit(s) so that campus and University officials can make an informed judgment about whether the proposal has sufficient merit.
3. Justification for the unit: Clearly articulates the current limitations/challenges this unit/change will help address. Provides a summary of documented review that addresses whether there is a need for the unit that is not currently being met by other units. Includes quantitative and qualitative assessments of needs, benefits, and impacts on existing academic units.
4. Administration and operation: Includes reporting structure and oversight.
5. Resource implications: Addresses whether the resources to establish the unit currently exist, need to be reallocated from other units, or will be generated from other sources. This includes faculty and staff (new positions, transfers), operating budget requirements, the sources of these funds, library resources, facilities (office and lab space), and equipment. Documents the sustainability of the new unit(s).
6. Relationship to the mission of the University: Explains the ways in which the proposed unit is consistent with and serves to advance the stated mission and goals of the University.

B. Procedures for Review

All proposals should be submitted to the Provost and the Faculty Senate President. The Provost shall circulate the proposal to all Deans, who will then share it with their appropriate Department Chairs and Program Directors. Any academic units may convey their views to the Provost with a copy to the Faculty Senate President by a deadline established by the Provost, in consultation with the Faculty Senate President, which shall be no less than 15 business days after circulation of the proposal. The feedback should focus on if/how the proposal will impact their unit(s). In consultation with the Faculty Senate President, the Provost shall determine whether the proposal follows process C1 or C2 outlined below.

C: Procedures for Recommendations

The Provost, in consultation with the Faculty Senate President, shall establish an appropriate schedule for conducting reviews and making recommendations. At each stage of the review process, the proposer shall have the opportunity to respond to any suggested changes or modifications. If there is ambiguity as to which process the proposal should follow, the Provost shall make the final decision, in consultation with the Faculty Senate President.

 C1. Review of Proposals Internal to a College/School

When a proposal to create a new academic unit or revise an existing academic unit falls within a college or school and does not impact academic units outside of the college or school, the primary reviewers shall be the faculty internal to the school or college and the administration.

The appropriate College Academic Council(s) (CAC) and the Dean shall review the proposal and any feedback provided and make a recommendation on the proposal.

If the respective CAC(s) and the Dean agree in their assessment of the proposal, the recommendations of the CAC(s) and the Dean should be submitted to the Provost, with a copy to the Faculty Senate President.

If the recommendations of the Dean and the CAC(s) differ, the University Curriculum Committee (UCC) shall serve as the appeal body. The UCC will review the proposal and convey its recommendation to the Provost, with a copy to the Faculty Senate President.

C2. Review of Proposals That Impact More Than One College/School

When a proposal impacts multiple schools/colleges, the primary reviewers shall be the University Curriculum Committee and the administration.

The University Curriculum Committee shall review the proposal and any feedback provided. The dean of the colleges/schools impacted by the proposal, in consultation with their CAC(s), shall communicate their feedback on the proposal in writing to the UCC, with a copy to the Provost and the Faculty Senate President. The feedback should specify how the proposal will impact their unit(s). The UCC shall convey its recommendation in writing to the Provost, with a copy to the Faculty Senate President.

D. Presentation of Proposals to Faculty Senate

The Provost will present the proposal along with input and recommendations from previous levels of review to the Faculty Senate. The Faculty Senate President shall also have the discretion to invite the proposers, other units, and/or reviewers to speak on the proposal. The Faculty Senate President shall collect input from the Faculty Senate and submit this input to the Provost within 15 business days of the presentation of the proposal. The Provost shall prepare his/her recommendation and forward all prior levels' reviews, recommendations, and input to the Chancellor.

E. Approval of the Proposal

The Chancellor shall follow the procedures in Section II.D.3 of the Board of Trustees Statement of University Governance (Doc. T73-098) when deciding whether or not to approve the establishment of a new academic unit.

The establishment of some new academic units (defined as a college, school, or academic department), including those that result from the merger or splitting of existing academic units, may significantly affect the nature of the institution, its mission and objectives, its educational program, and the allocation of its resources and, therefore, may require review by the New England Commission on Higher Education (NECHE). Other changes, although important to the campus, do not impact accreditation; rather, they fall within the nature and scope of the institution. The Chancellor shall notify the NECHE as appropriate.

V. Responsibility: Office of the Provost