Printed on: 12/05/2024. Please go to policy.umn.edu for the most current version of the document.
University of Minnesota  Administrative Policy

Creating and Evaluating Centers

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Policy Statement

Centers may be created at the University of Minnesota to support and advance strategic research, education, or public engagement initiatives. Centers are categorized based on their strategic intent and scope, and the breadth of their membership. These categories are described below:

  • University-wide: Center includes members from different colleges and/or campuses; is aligned with the University’s strategic priorities; must be authorized by the President, the Executive Vice President and Provost, and the Vice President for Research and Innovation; and reports to the Executive Vice President and Provost, or one of the Vice Presidents, or designee.
  • Intercollegiate: Center includes members from different colleges and/or campuses; is aligned with the school’s strategic priorities; must be authorized jointly by the deans of the colleges; and reports jointly to the deans, or designee(s).
  • Collegiate: Center includes mostly members from the same college, although the work could be of an interdisciplinary nature; is aligned with the school’s strategic priorities; must be authorized by the dean(s) of the colleges; and reports to the dean(s), or designee(s).

Procedure to Request New Center:

  • University-wide: Please review Administrative Procedure: University-wide Centers: Establishing, Operating and Evaluating for guidance. A University-wide Center may only be established by the President, the Executive Vice President and Provost, and the Vice President for Research and Innovation.
  • Intercollegiate or Collegiate: Please review Administrative Procedure: Collegiate and Intercollegiate Centers: Establishing, Operating and Evaluating for guidance. Faculty or staff seeking to create an intercollegiate or collegiate center must follow the policies established by their colleges. They will submit a request to the appropriate senior leader (e.g., dean(s), vice president, provost, etc.) for approval. If approved, the dean(s) will then seek the appropriate executive approval(s) prior to establishing the center (see applicable procedures for the appropriate type of center).

Annual Reporting Requirements:

All center directors (e.g., University-wide, intercollegiate, collegiate) must submit an annual report to the senior leader to whom they report. All centers are encouraged to follow the same guidelines for annual reports and established reviews. All center directors must update information annually in the University’s database of centers and institutes.

Term and Renewal:

Authorization for University-wide, intercollegiate, and collegiate centers is for a specified period of time, determined at the time the center is established. Prior to potential renewal, a formal review and assessment must be performed.

Reason for Policy

This policy defines the purpose and process to establish a center in support of the strategic priorities of the University, its campuses, and collegiate units. It delineates the different types of centers and the review and approval processes required for each. Through this policy and the associated procedures, uniform methods of creating, ensuring the quality of, and measuring the effectiveness of centers are provided for all collegiate units and faculty.

Procedures

Forms/Instructions

There are no forms associated with this policy.

Appendices

There are no appendices associated with this policy.

Frequently Asked Questions

  1. How do I add or update Center information in the University’s database?

    Information can be submitted to [email protected].

  2. Why do I need to submit information to the database?

    Experts@Minnesota brings together a listing of all centers in a single place. It can help you track publications, demonstrate impact, and enhance findability. See case studies for more detail, contact [email protected] for assistance.

Contacts

SubjectContactPhoneEmail
Primary Contact(s)Anne Barnes [email protected]
Responsible Individuals
Responsible Officer Policy Owner Primary Contact
  • Executive Vice President and Provost
  • Executive Vice President and Provost
  • Anne Barnes
    Assistant to the Provost, Office of the Executive Vice President and Provost

Definitions

Center

Centers are programs, consortia, or initiatives organized on a specific theme or topic, that are established to support and advance research, education, or public engagement and involve multi-departmental collaboration.

They may involve faculty from within the same school or faculty from across different schools.

University-wide Center

An entity authorized by the President, the Executive Vice President and Provost, and the Vice President for Research and Innovation to support and advance research, education, or public engagement initiatives aligned with key University strategic priorities.

Intercollegiate Center

An entity established to support and advance research, education, or public engagement that includes members from different colleges and/or campuses.

Collegiate Center

An entity established to support and advance research, education, or public engagement that includes mostly members from the same college, and from across numerous departments within the college.

Interdisciplinary Center

An organizational unit within the University that is formed to promote interdisciplinary studies or initiatives. Most centers or institutes will be interdisciplinary. These centers may also be known as consortia, institutes, initiatives, programs, etc. This policy uses the term "centers" to refer to all of these alternatives.

Responsibilities

President

Authorize designation of University-wide Center.

Executive Vice President and Provost

Authorize designation of University-wide Center.

Vice President for Research and Innovation

 

Authorize designation of University-wide Center.

Deans

Approve the creation of intercollegiate and collegiate centers; conduct periodic reviews of centers under their jurisdiction.

Faculty

Prepare proposal, business plan, and other documents to establish a center and perform work of the center.

Center Director

Follow operating guidelines for centers. Facilitate continuous progress toward the academic objectives cited in the center’s authorization request and demonstrate its ability to offer competitive or educational advantage. Document how it measurably contributes to the University's or college’s strategic goals. Provide an annual update to the University's centers-and-institutes database and to the senior leader to whom they report.

Related Information

There is no related information associated with this policy.

History

Amended:

May 2024 - Comprehensive review. Updates include a reorganization of the presented material for hierarchical consistency and to create some new headers within sections, updates/clarifications of language (ex. remove "interdisciplinary" from the policy title, as not all centers are such, addition of FAQ, and an expanded definitions section for clarity in roles/responsibilities.

Amended:

February 2009 - Provided better definitions and clarity for the policy.

Amended:

June 2007 - Established University-wide Centers and added a procedure for them. Changed procedures to reflect the three types of centers. Changed reporting lines for the policy to Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost.

Amended:

June 2005 - Removed obsolete forms section. Clarified that type 1 and 2 centers don't require EVPP approval, but rather should just contact the VP of Research to get approval for the use of the name to avoid name duplication. Procedure for Establishing Type 1 or Type 2 Centers added.

Amended:

February 2003 - Removed obsolete references in Related Information and Forms sections. Updated Preproposal Procedure to have people submit proposals to the Dean of the Graduate School after having consulted with the relevant college Dean(s).

Effective:

January 2000