UPPS 08.01.03 - Establishment and Review of Centers, Institutes, and Academies

POLICY STATEMENT

Texas State University is committed to establishing and reviewing centers, institutes, and academies to help guide and shape excellence in teaching, research, service, and practice consistent with the university mission and values.

1. SCOPE

   1. Centers, institutes, and academies are special purpose units created to provide a focal point within Texas State University for research, educational, or service programs. These structures allow faculty and students from the same or different disciplines to work on common projects. These endeavors have as goals one or more of the following:

      1. to facilitate or conduct research;

      2. to educate students at the graduate, undergraduate, or continuing professional levels; and

      3. to provide or enhance service to the community.

   2. Centers, institutes, and academies may be identified with one or several disciplines. Their support may come from state appropriations or outside foundations, agencies, companies, or organizations, or be self-generated. The key to the establishment of a center, institute, or academy is the demonstration of a clear need for the long-term association of faculty and students on a certain project or program. Further, they must advance the strategic plan of Texas State and be consistent with the mission of the university and the administrative units to which they report.

2. ESTABLISHMENT PROCEDURES

   1. In order to establish a center, institute, or academy under the sponsorship of Texas State, application for approval must be made by a memorandum to the provost and executive vice president for Academic Affairs (provost) via the appropriate administrative channels. After determining that the center, institute, or academy should be established, the provost will inform the president, who will decide whether notification of, or approval by, the Texas State University System Board of Regents is appropriate. The application will include:

      1. the need for the organizational unit, including a statement of why the attainment of organizational goals, cannot be met by the present structure;

      2. the goals and objectives and a brief plan, including a statement of how this entity advances the strategic plan of Texas State, how it is included in the strategic plan of the department or college, and how its mission is consistent with that of the university and its sponsoring administrative unit;

      3. the proposed administrative structure, including reporting lines and potential staffing considerations;

      4. a three-year budget to include the financial support required and the source of this support;

      5. the space or facility needs and a plan for needs not within existing resources;

      6. the significance of the center, institute, or academy for education;

      7. endorsement and recognition of need by affected chairs, directors, deans, and others in the administrative reporting line; and

      8. the impact the center might have on revised or existing curriculum.

   2. Following approval by the provost and based upon recommendations by the appropriate chairs and deans, the director of the unit will be appointed by the provost.

3. ORGANIZATION

   1. While the normal reporting line for centers, institutes, and academies is to the provost, if most projects in the unit are of narrower focus within a single college or department, the provost may authorize reporting to the dean or chair, respectively. The provost may withdraw approval for a center, institute, or academy and terminate its operations at any time. A decision to terminate or modify a center, institute, or academy will be made in consultation with key stakeholders including but not limited to the director, department chairs, and deans.

4. OPERATIONS

   1. All centers, institutes, and academies will submit an annual report (not to exceed 10 pages) of the previous year’s activities by November 1 to the vice president for Research (VPR) who will then forward to the provost by November 15. The report will cover both technical and financial aspects and should include information about current and anticipated staffing levels and operational budget, any needed or anticipated changes to space or facilities requirements, outstanding accomplishments, and amount of external funding, including endowment funding, obtained and anticipated by the entity. The administrator receiving the report will review and make a determination as to the continuing operation of the center, institute, or academy. A recommendation for termination of the center, institute, or academy should be forwarded to the provost within 30 days of receipt of the annual report and should include an explanation supporting the recommendation.

   2. At the discretion of the provost, the annual report will be reviewed by a committee appointed by the provost, and a recommendation will be made as to whether the center, institute, or academy should continue to exist.

   3. If, in a two-year period, a report has not been received from a center, institute, or academy, the provost will consider the entity to be defunct and will withdraw university recognition.

   4. All proposals from centers, institutes, and academies for external funding will proceed through usual channels, including the Division of Research, for approval of budget, and certification of mandated state and federal compliance regulations. Signature approval includes the normal approval process of the director of the center, institute, or academy, department chair or school director (as applicable) or dean, and VPR. In cases where the director reports at the level of the vice president or associate vice president, the dean’s signature is not required.

   5. The VPR will be responsible for an electronic listing of all approved centers, institutes, and academies.

5. REVIEWERS OF THIS PPS

   1. Reviewer of this PPS includes the following:

      Position	Date
      Vice President for Research	September 1 E3Y

6. CERTIFICATION STATEMENT

   This UPPS has been approved by the following individuals in their official capacities and represents Texas State policy and procedure from the date of this document until superseded.

   Vice President for Research; senior reviewer of this PPS

   President