Humboldt State University - Academic Affairs

2004 Report on Centers and Institutes

UNIVERSITY MANAGEMENT LETTER 98-1
November 1998
POLICY ON FORMATION OF OR AFFILIATION WITH INSTITUTES
(Supercedes UML 89-1)

From time to time it may be desirable to form or affiliate with an association of individuals, faculty, staff, and others who may wish to encourage or pursue activities (including research and creative activities) that are consistent with the mission and character of the University. The following policy and procedures provide for the recognition and chartering of such associations, formerly called institutes, centers, projects, or programs, but hereinafter known as "institutes". These are to be distinguished from "centers", which identify a physical place and/or location of an indicated activity (e.g. Multicultural Center, Children's Center, etc.).

Conditions

The conditions for the chartering of an institute will be: (1) its purpose; (2) the composition of its governing board; (3) the regulations of the institute; (4) its relationship to the University and to the administrative structure thereof. The charter shall be approved and published (see below). Unless otherwise specified, establishment of an institute shall be a purely nominative act and shall not, in-and-of-itself, commit the University to specific activities that the institute may pursue. It shall not involve or imply the expenditure or commitment of the budgetary or space resources of the University unless otherwise specified. Activities of the chartered institutes are subject to relevant policies of the University and must be coordinated with activities of other affected offices, such as Public Affairs, University Advancement, the HSU Foundation, and the Office for Research and Graduate Studies. Institutes shall be established on the basis of the procedure outlined below.

Procedure

An Institute of the University (or of a lesser organizational entity thereof) for some (named) activity may be established by recommendation of a College Dean and approval of the Vice President of Academic Affairs 9or designee) with the advice of appropriate consultative bodies. The recommending authority shall be responsible for overseeing the activities of the institute and insuring its compliance with relevant policies and procedures of the University.

An institute shall be established and approved on the basis of a charter that shall express:

the title of the institute, which shall normally include three elements:
- the term "institute"
- identification of the organizational affiliation of the institute
- designation of the purpose or type of areas of envisioned activity; for example as in "Institution of the College of Professional Studies for Recreation Research";
the purposes of the institute and the way in which its activities support the mission and character of the University;
the regulations of the institute, including qualifications for membership, and the means of self-regulation through responsible individuals, boards, or committees;
the relationship of the institute to the administrative structure of the University and the nature and extent of any University commitment to the support of the activities of the institute;
the contribution(s) of the institute to an academic or administrative program(s) of the University, which might take the form of a course(s) offered on a regular basis; and
the name(s) of the lead person(s) of the institute must be indicated, one of whom must be a tenure-track or permanent employee of the University.

With regard to charters, brevity may be regarded as a virtue. one or two pages should normally suffice.

Copies of the charter and approval of an institute shall be disseminated to Public Affairs, University Advancement, the HSU Foundation, and the Office of Research and Graduate Studies. The life of an institute shall normally be five years, at which time recognition shall be withdrawn unless renewed by the approving authority. Approval for renewal requires that the institute request renewal, including providing a summary of the activities of the institute during the previous five year period. This summary shall include, at minimum, a list of participants nd their accomplishments in the form of publications or creative projects, courses taught, and a list of any institutional funding awarded to the institute.