Approval of Academic Units

This Administrative Policy Statement (APS) was adopted following revisions to regent law and policy effective January 2018.

The Board of Regents shall approve all new academic units.  As defined in Article 4, Part A of the Laws of the Regents, academic units are schools, colleges, and departments that roster tenured and/or tenure-track faculty and offer at least one degree program.  This APS articulates the approval process and provides guidelines for the development of proposals for new academic units.  Each campus shall develop processes to implement this policy.

1. New Academic Unit Approval Process
   1. Campus Review Process
      
      The campus shall have a process for developing, reviewing, and obtaining campus administrative approval of proposals for new academic units. 
       
   2. System Review Process
      
      The vice president for academic affairs shall review the proposal and associated documents before the proposal is forwarded to the Board of Regents.  A record of campus reviews and approvals shall be included with the proposals.
       
   3. Review and Action by the Board of Regents
      
      Following board protocol, the vice president for academic affairs shall place the proposal on the agenda of the next appropriate meeting, and ultimately, on the board agenda for final approval.
       
2. Proposal Guidelines for New Academic Units
   1. Unit description (including educational mission or programmatic focus, research/service mission)
       
   2. Justification for creating a new unit
       
   3. For schools and colleges, academic structure (divisions and/or departments); existing and proposed
       
      1. If an academic unit is created based on the reorganization of degree programs and this reorganization results in an existing academic unit (department, school, or college) having no degree program offerings, the proposal for the new academic unit shall address the need for the administrative discontinuance of the existing academic unit.
          
   4. Degree programs
       
      1. List degree programs currently offered by an existing academic unit that will be offered by the new unit.  For schools/colleges, list by division and/or department.
          
      2. List proposed degree programs.¹  For schools/colleges, list by division and/or department.  Include timeline for implementation.
          
   5. Academic unit accreditation requirements (if relevant)
       
   6. Administrative structure and leadership
       
   7. Faculty
       
      1. Indicate the number of tenured/tenure track and IRC faculty that will initially be rostered in the unit.
      2. Explain how faculty will be reassigned or recruited to the new unit.
          
   8. Space/facility and/or equipment needs
       
   9. Budget model
      1. Budget narrative (e.g., sources of revenue, indirect cost recovery distribution model, major expenditure categories)
          
      2. Revenue estimates
         1. Tuition and fees
         2. Other
             
      3. Expense estimates
         1. Administrative costs
         2. Academic/Instructional costs
         3. Space acquisition and/or renovation and equipment
         4. Other

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¹Proposals for new degree programs shall follow the process outlined in APS 1038 – New Degree Program Approval.

• Approved:  January 1, 2018.
• Revised:  July 1, 2025.
• Last Reviewed:  July 1, 2025.