IUPUI Center/Institute Guidelines

Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis

GUIDELINES ON CAMPUS-WIDE CENTERS

Although discipline-based departments have and will continue to be the foundation of IUPUI, interdisciplinary programs provide a means to develop innovative programs. Some centers are created as a result of external funding opportunities, and other centers originate in response to a group of faculty interested in formally working together. This policy is intended to help foster the creation, operation, and evaluation of those centers that originate within IUPUI.

Section 1 - Criteria for the Creation of a Specific Center

The center's activities and goals shall contribute to IUPUI's overall mission, and they shall be consistent with established academic priorities.

The center shall build on existing strengths and resources in programs of IUPUI related to the objectives of the proposed center, and demonstrate commitment on the part of the involved faculty, professional staff, and administrators to sustain the activities of the center.

Establishment of the center will provide enhanced visibility to an existing program(s) and increase the potential for greater extramural funding.

The creation of a center should enable its activities to be accomplished in a more efficient manner, in terms of personal and fiscal effort, than would be feasible through other University programs.

The center shall address a well-defined area of activity that would be more difficult to implement if the unit did not exist.

Where appropriate, creation of the center should facilitate the assemblage of appropriate individuals to work cooperatively to address emerging areas that can best be implemented through interdisciplinary activities.

Section II - Procedures for Establishing a Center

Authority for approving the establishment of a new center (research center, public service unit, institute, etc.) whether funded with extramural funds or not, rests with the President who consults with the Academic Policies and Procedures Committee. The President may delegate approval authority to the Chancellor. In determining whether or not to forward a proposal to the President, the Chancellor will consider factors such as the designation "Center" or "Institute," appointment of an administrative head such as a director, and a budget distinct from the budget of the unit to which the project reports. Each such center or institute must ordinarily have a clear administrative reporting line through a degree-granting school.

Requests for approval to establish a new center are to follow the approval sequence below.

Forward a written request accompanied by a signed Route Sheet to the Vice Chancellor for Research and Graduate Education. Review of proposals for centers that are primarily related to research or graduate education will be coordinated by the Vice Chancellor for Research and Graduate Education. Proposals that are primarily related to undergraduate education or service will be coordinated by the Executive Vice Chancellor and Dean of the Faculties.

Upon approval by the Vice Chancellors listed above, the proposal and review analysis will be forwarded to the Chancellor, and upon review and campus approval, through the appropriate University approval procedure, the center will be approved or denied.

Notification of University approval or denial will be forwarded to the requesting unit.

If external funds are involved, approval for establishing a new center must have been received prior to the University's acceptance of an award to fund the center. In no case should the center or institute become operational without administrative approval.

Each request must address the items referenced on the request specifications.

Section III - Organizational Structure

Once a center is authorized to be formed, operating guidelines should be developed, approved by the members of the center, and submitted to the appropriate administrator for approval. The following elements should be included in the guidelines: internal governance, membership criteria, and identification of an appropriate internal and/or external advisory group (usually chaired by the responsible administrator to whom the center reports). An internal advisory group is advisable to oversee operational matters; an external advisory committee is desirable when outside constituencies have an interest in the activities of a center.

The center shall not be the tenure home for participating faculty; rather it is an umbrella to draw upon faculty expertise from multiple disciplinary homes/locations of the respective faculty members.

The University, through the responsible administrator, may allocate resources to the center for support of its research programs. It will be the responsibility of participating faculty, with review/approval by administrators and the internal advisory committee to allocate these resources to proposed projects and activities of the highest priority and quality within the center's mission. The recurring allocation of these internal resources to the center is subject to annual approval by the appropriate administrator(s).

Center's Life Span/Disestablishment:

A center is not intended to have an indefinite institutional life. It should be oriented to solving problems and should then be closed when it has solved the problems (or because it is no longer able to do so). The following guidelines are to ensure that a center does not outlive its useful purpose:

Within three years of its establishment, a center and its director should undergo a meaningful internal review. Every seven years there should be an external review of the center and its director by a team with a majority of its members from outside the University. The review report should include a recommendation on whether or not to continue the center. The final decision to continue the center will be made by the responsible administrator(s), subject to approval by the Academic Cluster (and Cabinet in the case of cross-campus centers).

After the initial review cycle, the center is subject to reviews at the same intervals, though administration has the right to initiate a review at any time.

A center will exist only as long as it is deemed to be performing the function for which it was established, and it may be disbanded at any time when it ceases to accomplish its objectives, it has fulfilled its objectives, the objectives can be met more appropriately and effectively in some other way, or there is no longer an appropriate amount of funding from internal and external sources. Other reasons to disestablish the center may include the loss of key members, outdated technology relative to the center's activities, or loss of external support (for more than two years). Deliberation on continued University funding will be based upon these guidelines.

The term "Center" is intended to be generic and applies to interdisciplinary programs that have chosen to use other descriptors such as "Institute".