NUMBER:   ACAF 2.01



SECTION:  Academic Affairs    



SUBJECT:  Establishment of Centers or Institutes    

                           

DATE:     September 10, 2002

                

Policy for:     All Campuses

Procedure for:  All Campuses

Authorized by:  Jerome D. Odom

Issued by:      Provost's Office



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I. Policy

Traditional academic departments, and even colleges, may not have sufficient diversity in their faculty or adequate facilities and resources to enable programs to reach their full potential because of increased complexity or interdisciplinary nature of many instructional, service, research, and creative programs. Under these circumstances, it will be the policy of the University to establish centers and institutes to facilitate the management and development of these programs, providing they fulfill the following criteria:

• The center or institute must be driven by research opportunities, and may also facilitate research and/or creative activities, instructional, and service that contribute to the University’s overall mission, but that are not academic degree or credit granting activities.
• The center or institute must represent a well-defined area of research, and/or creativity instruction, and service that would be more difficult to undertake and carry out if the unit did not exist.
• The University must have existing strengths and resources in the programs and a demonstrated commitment on the part of the involved faculty, professional staff, and administration to participate actively in the center or institute.
• The center or institute must produce high-quality research, instruction, service, and/or creative activities in reasonable proportion to its human and financial resources, and must enhance USC’s national and international reputation.
• Establishment of a center or institute should provide the focus needed to increase and maintain extramural funding.

II. Procedure

Normally, the activities of a center or institute will be funded from extramural funds sought for that purpose. The University appreciates the importance of extramurally funded activities, but also recognizes the desirability of providing University support in certain instances for the cost of administering center or institute activities. The University particularly seeks to provide such support for those centers and institutes:

• that express a major priority of the University
• stipulated by line-item state appropriations,
• whose funding source(s) require matching support, or
• that are broadly interdisciplinary.

• A justification must be presented in a concise manner, stating the need for, statement of purpose, and proposed activities of the center or institute. The value added to the University as a result of the establishment of the center or institute must be defined. The justification must include an explanation for the designation of the program as a center or institute.
• A list of the individuals who will participate in the activities of the center or institute must be included. Current curriculum vitae (two page maximum length) for each individual listed as well as an explanation of how each individual will add value to the proposed center or institute must be attached.
• An estimate of the resources necessary by broad category (i.e., personnel, facilities, equipment, library) should be presented as outlined on the attached budget form.
• Sources of financing of the center or institute must be presented as outlined on the attached budget form. Any financing described as “reallocation of existing funds” must be explained and the unit should be able to document the reallocation. The relationship of the proposed center or institute (1) to the University ’s mission and (2) to other established centers or institutes or other University academic units should be described.
• A list of ten names of recognized scholars with expertise that would allow them to evaluate the center or institute proposal must be included. Please note that the suggested reviewers should not have a conflict of interest with the proposed center or institute. As the external review may require a substantial investment in funds, the letter of intent must specify how costs for external review will be paid.
• Centers and institutes will be approved for a three-year period only. Along with the proposed date of implementation, an assessment plan should be included that clearly outlines the criteria to be used to determine the success of the proposed center or institute at the end of three years. At the end of three years, the center or institute will be evaluated to determine if continuation is justified. Failure to demonstrate success by external peer review will result in automatic termination of the center or institute. The center or institute will be reviewed in a similar manner every three years thereafter.

Step 3: Following a positive review, the appropriate Notification of Change forms must be completed for transmittal to the SC Commission on Higher Education.

NOTE: If new state appropriations will be required or requested for the proposed center or institute, a program planning summary must be submitted to the Office of the Provost for subsequent submission to the Commission on Higher Education. The program planning summary requests Commission approval to proceed with the development of a full proposal. Guidelines for program approval are available on the CHE website or by contacting the Office of the Provost. The full proposal must then be submitted to the Provost for review and, if approved, for subsequent submission to the President, the Board of Trustees, and the CHE.

NEW COSTS TO ESTABLISH CENTER OR INSTITUTE

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