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2 - 03.1

Administrative policy and procedures regarding academic administrative structures

  1. Purpose. The university recognizes and designates several types of academic administrative structures that serve to facilitate its academic mission. Academic administrative structures exist to coalesce disciplinary expertise, to provide administrative support, to enhance the possibility of obtaining financial resources or extramural funding, and to increase the possibilities for educational or community outreach.
  2. Policy implementation.
    1. Regional campus.
      1. A regional campus may be created to provide instruction, outreach, and research for a geographical service area distinct from the Kent campus.
      2. Each regional campus provides on-site academic and administrative services and generally maintains its own physical plant.
      3. Regional campus faculty set degree requirements for associate degree programs through cognate committees with the approval of the provost, the regional campuses curriculum committee, the college curriculum committee, and the educational policies council and the faculty senate.
      4. The regional campus is a unit of analysis for student headcount, credit hour generation, faculty appointments, academic staff, and budgetary support.
      5. A regional campus shall be established or eliminated by the Ohio board of regents and the KSU board of trustees upon the recommendation of the president and the provost.  Prior to recommending the establishment or elimination of a regional campus, or the substantial modification of the academic structures of an existing campus, the president and provost shall consider the recommendation of the vice president for regional development and the executive dean for regional campuses.  The president and provost also shall consider a recommendation from the appropriate curricular and governance bodies, including the regional campuses FAC and curricular committee, the educational policies council and the faculty senate.
      6. A regional campus shall be headed by a dean who shall have a dual reporting line to the provost and to the vice president for regional development.
    2. College.
      1. A college may be created to align more effectively academic departments, schools, and programs that share a common mission, similar instructional goals, and related scholarly programs.  Typically, the component units of a college shall represent disciplinary or professional specialties that have a close affinity with one another.
      2. The primary rationale for a college is to facilitate cooperation and collaboration among its various academic components while at the same time providing enhanced visibility and stature for these units within the university and with external publics.
      3. A college is also expected to yield substantial benefits for faculty, students, and staff, as well as external constituent groups.
      4. A college shall be established or eliminated by the board of trustees upon the recommendation of the president and the provost.  Prior to recommending the establishment or elimination of a college, or the substantial modification of the structures of an existing college, the provost shall consider the recommendation of the appropriate curricular and governance bodies, including the educational policies council and the faculty senate.
      5. A college shall be headed by a dean who shall report directly to the chief academic officer of the university (i.e., provost) and who shall have primary responsibility for all curricular, budgetary, and personnel actions of the college.  The dean shall be appointed by the provost upon the recommendation of the appropriate advisory body and approval of the board of trustees.
    3. Departments and dependent schools.
      1. A department or dependent school may be created to house one or more academic programs with associated faculty, degree programs, and students.
      2. The primary rationale for a department or dependent school is to provide instruction in a professional discipline, an academic area or field.  Each department has a resident faculty that offers instruction in one or more academic disciplines or fields.  Each dependent school has a resident faculty that offers instruction in one or more professional disciplines, academic areas or fields.
      3. Department and dependent school faculty set degree requirements for unit major programs, with the approval of the college curriculum committee and the educational policies council.
      4. The department or dependent school is a unit of analysis for student headcount, credit hour generation, faculty appointments, academic staff, and budgetary support.
      5. Other purposes of departments and dependent schools are to focus scholarly and disciplinary activities of the faculty and to provide professional services in the areas(s) of departmental expertise.
      6. A department or dependent school shall be established or eliminated by the board of trustees upon the recommendation of the president, the provost, and the dean.  Prior to recommending the establishment or elimination of a department or dependent school, or the substantial modification of the structure of an existing department(s) or dependent school(s), the provost shall consider the recommendations of the appropriate curricular and governance bodies, including the college curriculum committee, educational policies council and the faculty senate.
      7. A department or dependent school shall be headed by a chair or director who shall have primary responsibility for all curricular, budgetary, and personnel actions of the unit.  The chair/director shall be appointed by the dean in consultation with the provost upon the recommendation of the appropriate faculty advisory body and approval of the board of trustees.
    4. Independent school or graduate school.
      1. An independent school or graduate school may be created to house one or more academic programs with associated faculty, degree programs, and students.
      2. The primary rationale for an independent school or graduate school is to provide instruction in a professional field.  Each independent school has a resident faculty that offers instruction in one or more professional disciplines or fields.
      3. Independent school or graduate school faculty set degree requirements for the school’s major programs, with the approval of the educational policies council.
      4. The independent school or graduate school is a unit of analysis for student headcount, credit hour generation, faculty appointments, academic staff, and budgetary support.
      5. Other purposes of independent schools and graduate schools are to focus scholarly and professional activities of the faculty and to provide professional services in the area(s) of the school’s expertise.
      6. An independent school or graduate school shall be established or eliminated by the board of trustees upon the recommendation of the president, the provost, and the dean.  Prior to recommending the establishment or elimination of an independent school or graduate school, or the substantial modification of the structure of an existing independent school(s) or graduate school, the provost shall consider the recommendations of the appropriate curricular and governance bodies, including the educational policies council and the faculty senate.
      7. An independent school or graduate school shall be headed by a dean who shall report directly to the chief academic officer of the university (i.e., provost) and who shall have primary responsibility for all curricular, budgetary, and personnel actions of the school.  The dean shall be appointed by the provost in consultation with the appropriate advisory body and approval of the board of trustees.
    5. Divisions.
      Divisions within academic affairs exist to provide services beyond those offered by colleges, department and dependent schools, or independent schools and graduate schools.  These services include, for instance, advising, fundraising, instruction in library use and in research methods, management of the library’s collections and databases, and planning and installation of classroom technology, and/or technology support.  Current divisions include:
      1. libraries and media services;
      2. research and graduate studies;
      3. undergraduate studies.
    6. Institute. Institutes established as an academic administrative structure shall be governed by rule 3342-2-03.2 of the Administrative Code.
    7. Center. Centers established as an academic administrative structure shall be governed by rule 3342-2-03.3 of the Administrative Code.
    8. Supplemental academic administrative structures. Supplemental academic administrative structures receiving, or eligible to receive, institutional recognition and support may be established by the appropriate dean with teh approval of the provost. These structures are designed to align with a unit's strategic mission, but do not meet the requirements of a center or institute.
      1. Prior to recommending the establishment of a supplemental academic administrative structure to the provost, the dean will consider the recommendations of the department faculty advisory committee and/or the regional campus faculty advisory committee.
      2. The minimum requirements and procedures for establishing such supplemental academic administrative structures shall be established and maintained by the provost.
Policy Effective Date:
Jul 01, 2022
Policy Prior Effective Dates: 
11/4/1977, 8/31/1979, 4/30/982, 10/5/1988, 10/24/1988, 5/1/1995, 3/7/2000, 8/13/2007, 3/1/2015
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