Utah Valley University
Policies and Procedures
| Title | Special Purpose Organizational Units | Number | 106 |
| Section | Governance, Organization, and General Information | Approval Date | Jun 15,2006 |
| Subsection | Governance and Organization | Effective Date | Jun 15,2006 |
I. Purpose
- UVU recognizes the value of special purpose organizational units designed to carry out a particular area of research, instruction/training or provide some type of valuable service. Having such units provides an avenue where faculty and staff with a breadth of training, knowledge, and experience can explore particular challenges or interests with colleagues, students and the community. Because these units may span conventional reporting lines and/or derive significant financial support from sources outside of the institution such as grants, endowments, contracts, and gifts, they should be governed by an institution-wide policy.
II. Terms
- Center: A special purpose organizational unit which may extend beyond any one department but usually remains within a single school or division. Buildings and physical locations which contain the word "center" are not affected by this policy (i.e. McKay Center or Digital Learning Center).
- Division: A group of functional units organized under a vice president..
- Institute: Special purpose organizational unit of complex structure which crosses disciplinary, department, and school or divisional boundaries. Institutes often have a public or community component.
- Institutional effectiveness: Measures the progress toward goals and reports the outcomes.
- Laboratory: Special purpose organizational unit usually equipped to support specialized research, experimentation, testing, and/or analysis. Laboratories produce new knowledge, develop solutions to specified problems, or provide training or instruction in advanced techniques or technologies.
- Organizational model: The management structure for a special unit based on its size and scope.
- Originator(s): Individual(s) who write the proposal to establish a special unit.
- School: A group of academic departments and/or academic functional units organized under a dean
- Special unit: A special purpose organizational unit which provides a conceptual focus and brings together resources. Special units focus on specific problems; promote research and scholarly works; creative activities; or specialized services for defined organizational or community challenges. Special units include, but are not limited to, laboratories, centers or institutes.
- Sponsoring Unit: A department, school, or division to which the supervisor of the special unit will report.
- Supervisor: A person appointed to supervise the special unit by the sponsoring unit.
III. Policy
- Policy Organization
and Structure
- Special units may be organized to fulfill focused goals for research, scholarly or creative activities, service, and/or training. There must be a clear benefit (such as external funding or focus) for creating a special purpose organizational unit rather than organizing within an already existing structure.
- The choice of the organizational structure, whether Laboratory, Center, or Institute, will generally depend on the size, purpose, focus, or complexity of the unit. The originator must justify which special unit structure is most appropriate.
- The proposal for the organization of a special unit must be reviewed by and receive the recommendation of the following: 1) supervisor(s); 2) administrator of sponsoring unit or school; and 3) administrator of division. A proposal recommended by the division vice president, will be taken to President's Council for approval or disapproval. Board of Trustees and Board of Regents approval will be sought by the Office of the President when special unit proposals have an academic dimension and/or annual financial commitments of over $500,000.
- Special units, involving more than one sponsoring unit, are administered by a supervisor who may have multiple reporting lines. The sponsoring unit(s) shall keep the appropriate vice president(s) informed of special unit activities, of any major evaluation, and of changes in the special unit's activities. The special unit shall provide a two-year cycle plan and report based on outcomes assessments to sponsoring unit(s) and the supervising vice president. Based on that report, the special unit may or may not be continued.
- Special units may have advisory boards.
- In such instances where a special unit
desires to sponsor courses for academic credit, the curriculum and faculty must
remain under an academic department and school's oversight. Special units may
not offer degrees or majors.
- Support
and Funding
- Sponsoring units will be involved in all phases of the special unit's financial reporting and support. Contributions may be in the form of space, facilities, equipment, faculty time, basic budgetary funds, clerical or technical assistance, etc.
- Without violating existing policy concerning financial support, special units are permitted to seek funding external to the institution. They are permitted to have diverse support and funding sources or strategies, including but not limited to: grants, endowments, contracts for specific projects or gift.
- Start-Up Funding: There may be a need for initial, one-time, allocations of funding to establish the special unit until external resources can be obtained. These resources may come from institutional sources, grants or external donors.
- As may be allowed by law, special units may engage in income producing activities.
- Special units will comply with all financial procedures and policies of the college.
IV. Procedures
- Proposal
- The originator of a special unit
shall develop a proposal which identifies: a) the primary focus of the special
unit; b) the training, scholarly activities, creative activities or service
functions to be provided; c) the relationship to its supervising unit(s); and
d) the individuals involved. The proposal should contain the following
sections:
- Title page: Include the signatures of the: a) supervisor(s); b) administrator of sponsoring unit; and c) supervising vice president to which the proposed special unit will report.
- Proposal summary: Provide a description of an unmet need of the institution or community that will be met by the special unit. Describe how the special unit is qualified to meet the need. Identify any faculty or staff involved and their units.
- Goals: Describe the long-term and short term goals of the special unit. Describe the relationship of the goals to the sponsoring unit(s) and UVU's mission and strategic directions.
- Organizational model: Specify the management structure for the special unit, including the administrative responsibilities of the supervisor(s). Each special unit must identify a single individual in the organizational model who will be responsible for the overall performance.
- Resource needs: Describe immediate and long-term requirements including, space, equipment, marketing, personnel, contributions of each sponsoring unit, and resources to be provided by central administration or outside funding agencies. The section must indicate support by any sponsoring units whose resources are affected.
- Budget narrative: Provide an operating budget which must include all costs for unit operation, start-up costs, sources of funding, and total amount of funding requested. Identify which sponsoring unit(s) will financially support the special unit.
- Outcomes-based
Assessment Plan: Describe the plan that will be used
to determine the effectiveness of the special unit. Indicate the criteria to be
used to determine the continuance or discontinuance of the special unit.
- Institutional Management
- The President's Office, or office so designated, shall maintain a listing of all university special units to assist in the oversight, business, and management of such units.