INTERDISCIPLINARY PROGRAMS: ESTABLISHMENT, ADMINISTRATIVE STRUCTURE, FACULTY APPOINTMENTS AND PROCESSES THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA AT GREENSBORO

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1 INTERDISCIPLINARY PROGRAMS: ESTABLISHMENT, ADMINISTRATIVE STRUCTURE, FACULTY APPOINTMENTS AND PROCESSES THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA AT GREENSBORO Approved by the Provost, April 5, I. Mission and Role in Academic Affairs Programs are clusters of courses and/or groupings of teaching and research faculty organized by academic interest. An interdisciplinary program is one in which the subject matter and faculty expertise is broader than any single discipline, and in which the core curriculum integrates knowledge from multiple fields. This discipline mix is typically reflected in curricula that emphasize upper division course work from several departments or programs and interdepartmental faculty collaboration. While most research is conducted within the established boundaries of a given discipline, interdisciplinary programs provide the opportunity for scholarly research to cross disciplinary lines and connect disciplines. They promote academic collaboration and the dissemination of knowledge by integrating curriculum and research across discipline and department boundaries. Interdisciplinary programs create communities of scholars across disciplines and are a catalyst for innovative research. Interdisciplinary programs provide a flexible structure in order to: Foster communication, collaboration and problem solving across departments. Allow students and faculty to explore and create knowledge that extends beyond the traditional discipline boundaries Respond to student interests and learning needs demonstrated through repeated individual studies or general studies curricula, Create programs that respond to areas of societal need, or Unify related smaller areas of academic excellence or faculty interest. II. Program Establishment Interdisciplinary programs may reside in the academic unit in which the preponderance of instruction is situated or they may be administered by the Graduate School. The Provost, in consultation with the leadership of the academic units involved in the program instruction, will determine the residence of a program. The formation of new interdisciplinary programs falls under the Program Development and Approval guidelines in the UNCG Curriculum Guide with modifications needed to recognize that the program will generally need approval from more than one academic unit. When a new interdisciplinary program is under consideration, a multidisciplinary faculty advisory committee 1 The adoption of this document is pending approval of certain amendments to the Regulations on Academic Freedom, Tenure, and Due Process by the Board of Trustees in the Fall of These amendments, related to tenured faculty appointments in Interdisciplinary Programs, were approved by the General Faculty on April 5, 2006.

2 should be established to perform the curricular and administrative tasks of designing the program, seeking curricular approval, and preparing the Notification of Intent to Plan and Request for Authorization to Establish a New Degree Program applications. At the undergraduate level, the advisory committee members will be appointed by the deans of academic units with participating faculty. At the graduate level, the advisory committee members will be appointed by the Dean of The Graduate School after seeking the recommendations of deans of academic units with participating faculty. Each participating department and academic unit will conduct a review of the proposed interdisciplinary program as part of the curricular review process. III. Program Structure A. Governance Each program will establish a governance document. The governance document will: 1. Define the mission and objectives of the program. 2. Establish residence of the program. 3. Address issues particular to the administration of each program in the context of this policy as needed, such as criteria for promotion and tenure. 2 The governance document will be reviewed for currency on a periodic basis as needed. B. Interdisciplinary Program Faculty 1. Program Faculty a) Current Departmental Faculty Current departmental faculty members of UNCG who teach in the interdisciplinary program are eligible to become program faculty. This can occur in either of two ways: (1) The dean may appoint a department faculty member to a program on the recommendation of the program director. The program director must justify the appointment in terms of significant teaching, research, or administrative responsibilities for that faculty member within the program. In such cases, the faculty member s home remains his or her original department. (2) A faculty member may move from an academic department to an interdisciplinary program. Before a tenure track faculty member moves from a department to a program, the program must have in place a governance document that includes a description of criteria for tenure and promotion, as required by the Regulations on Academic Freedom, Tenure, and Due Process. 2 Normally, a tenure track line will be allocated to an interdisciplinary program only after that program has exhibited a record of stability and productivity.

3 The faculty member who moves from an academic department to an interdisciplinary program will no longer have faculty rights and privileges in the former academic department but will have those rights and privileges in the interdisciplinary program. A tenured faculty member transferring to an interdisciplinary program will retain tenure. Should the faculty member who transfers eventually wish to return to the original academic department, a position in the former department is not guaranteed, even if the reason for wanting to return is the elimination of the interdisciplinary program. A return would be possible only if an open position exists in that department and upon a vote of the appropriate faculty in keeping with existing appointment procedures. It is possible for the faculty member to remain connected to the former department through a joint appointment, which would be subject to the requirements of the Guidelines on Joint Faculty Appointments. b) New Faculty Appointments The interests of the University may at times be best served by having faculty directly appointed to an interdisciplinary program. Before a tenure track search is approved for a program, the program must have in place a governance document that includes a description of criteria for tenure and promotion, as required by the Regulations on Academic Freedom, Tenure, and Due Process. The search follows the normal unit procedures with the program committee (or equivalent faculty group providing direction and oversight for the program) functioning as the department faculty and the program director functioning as the department head, with the dean involved in the usual way. Typically, the dean appoints a search committee from among the program faculty (with an outside member if possible) at the recommendation of the program director. The director and the dean select candidates for campus interviews and the director recommends the terms of appointment to the dean. c) Joint Faculty Appointments It may, at times, be appropriate for an interdisciplinary program to participate jointly in the hiring of a faculty member with an academic department. Faculty hired through such a process would have appointments in both the department and the interdisciplinary program. Such appointments are subject to the requirements of the Guidelines on Joint Faculty Appointments. Current departmental faculty may also enter into a joint appointment with an interdisciplinary program subject to the requirements of the aforementioned guidelines (See Section III.B.2.). d) Annual Review After an appointment to an interdisciplinary program is confirmed, and no later than the end of the faculty member s first year in the program, the dean, after conferring with the program director, the tenured program faculty, and the appointee, will appoint a review committee of at least three tenured faculty of appropriate rank. The review committee, when possible, will consist of other faculty in the interdisciplinary

4 program or faculty from related academic disciplines. The review committee will be responsible for reviewing the candidate s progress and making recommendations to the director (and to the full program committee, if appropriate) on annual evaluation, merit salary increase, reappointment, and tenure/promotion. If a member of the committee becomes unavailable to serve, the director will recommend to the dean the appointment of a replacement (either temporary or permanent). e) Tenure and Promotion Review Tenure and promotion review of program faculty will be carried out according to the procedures established by the governance document of the program, the unit guidelines, Regulations on Academic Freedom, Tenure, and Due Process and the University Promotion and Tenure Guidelines,, with the program director assuming the responsibilities of the department head 3 and the tenured program faculty (and any other review committee members as described in Section III.B.d. above, if applicable) assuming the responsibilities of the tenured department faculty. f) Post Tenure Review Post tenure review of tenured program faculty will be conducted in accordance with the Policy on Post Tenure Review, with the program director assuming the responsibilities of the department head 4 and the program review committee, as described in Section III.B.d. above, assuming the responsibilities of the department review committee. g) If a program does not reside in the academic unit in which the preponderance of the instruction is situated (as described in Section II), then the Provost will designate the dean and academic unit having the responsibilities relating to appointment, annual review, promotion and tenure review, post tenure review, and due process for program faculty. 2. Adjunct Faculty Any other faculty who wish to request membership on the basis of (1) scholarship, instruction or service activities and interests relevant to the interdisciplinary program, or (2) as otherwise stipulated by an interdisciplinary program in its governance document, may be eligible to participate in program instruction. The dean has final authority over these requests. Adjunct faculty members do not vote. C. Program Director 1. Eligibility, selection, and term of service: Appointments and review of program directors follow the same guidelines as appointments and review of department heads. (See Administrative Guidelines for Creation of Academic Departments. ) Program directors report to the dean of the college/school of program residence. 3 This presupposes that the program director is tenured. If the program director is not tenured, then he or she will not participate in the promotion and tenure review. Instead, the dean will appoint a current or former tenured member of the program to assume the responsibilities of the department head in promotion and tenure review. 4 Procedures parallel to those outlined in footnote 3 apply in post tenure review as well.

5 2. Duties: The duties of the program director include: Monitor currency of program charter and propose amendments as needed; Oversight of curriculum and assessment; Strategic planning; Program budget planning and oversight; Student recruitment, assignment of advisors, and approval of course of study; Program review; Course scheduling and site coordination with cognizant department chairs; Faculty recruitment and negotiation with department chairs and deans to fulfill staffing needs; Serves as a liaison and advocate to other academic administrators; Other duties as specified in the program charter; and Other duties as assigned by the dean of the college/school where the program resides.