Board of Trustees | The Ohio State University

3335-3-36 Academic centers.

(A) An academic center is a non-degree granting educational unit of the university engaged in research, instruction, or related service which crosses department, division, school, or college boundaries. An academic center is defined by its mission and scope, not its title, and may be described as a center, institute, laboratory, or similar term. Use of "center" or "institute" in the names of proposed units of the university shall be limited to academic centers, unless approved by the council on academic affairs.

(B) Academic centers shall be established or abolished by the board of trustees upon the recommendation of the university senate and the council on academic affairs. Faculties of existing educational units that would commit or receive resources shall be consulted in the creation or abolishment of an academic center. If the academic center has a research or graduate education component, the research and graduate council shall be consulted.

The office of academic affairs shall maintain a register of all academic centers and appropriate records concerning each one.

(C) Reporting lines for academic centers shall be specified by the executive vice president and provost on the recommendation of the council on academic affairs and, where appropriate, the research and graduate council.

An academic center shall be administered by a director who shall be appointed by and report to the dean of the pertinent college or, where there is no single pertinent college, to a dean, governing board of deans, or vice president, as determined by the nature, purposes, and special circumstances of the academic center.

(D) Each academic center shall have an oversight committee nominated by the person or board to whom the director reports and approved by the faculty of the center. The majority of the oversight committee shall consist of regular faculty from the academic units involved in the academic center. The director shall consult regularly with the oversight committee.

(E) Although academic centers may not establish independent course offerings and degree programs, they may participate in cooperative programs involving course offerings and degree programs within existing academic units. With the approval of the council on academic affairs, the faculty of a school or college may delegate to an academic center the authority to offer courses or degree programs established under the auspices of that school or college. Proposals for any such courses or programs must be forwarded to the office of academic affairs with the signature approval of the appropriate school or college which must retain ultimate authority and responsibility for the courses or degree programs.

(F) University faculty and staff may affiliate with an academic center under procedures approved by its oversight committee. Academic centers shall not serve as tenure initiating units.

(G) The director of each academic center shall develop in conjunction with the oversight committee a pattern of administration for the center.

The director of each academic center shall submit an annual report to the oversight committee; to the dean, governing board of deans, or vice president to whom the director reports; and to the office of academic affairs, as part of the annual budget-review process of the university. The director shall consult with the oversight committee during preparation of the annual report.

(H) Separate fiscal units shall be established and maintained only for authorized academic centers.

(I) Every four years the office of academic affairs shall request from the director of an academic center, its oversight committee, and the dean, governing board of deans, or vice president to whom the director reports, recommendations concerning reporting lines, governance, performance and effectiveness, and the continuation of the academic center. (B/T 9/8/61, B/T/ 6/4/93, B/T 8/1/97, B/T 12/4/98, B/T 6/7/2005)

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