Executive Policy 5.215 Executive Policy 5.215

Establishment and Review of Centers

Executive Policy Chapter 5, Academic Affairs
Executive Policy EP 5.215, Establishment and Review of Centers
Effective Date:  October 2014
Dates Amended:  July 2000
Responsible Office: Office of the Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs
Governing Board of Regents Policy:  RP 5.201, Instructional Programs
Review Date:  August 2018

To define centers and provide a consistent structure for their approval and review, this policy is established to implement Board of Regents Bylaws and Policies

Centers are umbrella organizational entities that focus efforts, usually multi-disciplinary in nature, to meet special needs or deal with current issues. Often centers serve as focal points to emphasize a strategic thrust of a college, school, or department.

Centers covered by this policy operate at an organizational level below that of a school or college. This policy does not apply to the establishment of organized research units (see EP 5.213), University Centers for distance education (see EP 5.204), or academic programs involving conferral of academic credentials  (see EP 5.201), all of which are governed by other Board of Regents’ policies.

The University of Hawai‘i has evolved numerous institutes, centers, offices, non- instructional programs and similar entities. Their purposes and characteristics vary considerably, ranging from small “letterhead” groups that give identity to an interdisciplinary purpose to large enterprises that involve major staffing and space commitments. In order to define centers and provide a consistent structure for their approval and review, this policy is established to implement Board of Regents Bylaws and Policies, RP 5.206.

For the remainder of this document, the term “center” will be used to designate these entities.

A. Types of centers. Based on their primary purpose, centers fall into one of the following general categories.

    1. Instruction or research centers have as a major focus activities related to the instruction of students or the conduct of research.

    2. Public service centers have as a major focus patient care or activities related to the dissemination of information or the provision of service to the community.

    3. Administrative service centers have as a major focus provision of student or institutional support services designed to carry out the administration and management of campuses and/or the system as a whole.

B. Authorization to Establish Centers. As established in Board of Regents’ policy RP 5.206, instructional, research, administrative or public service centers require Board of Regents approval when: (1) the center requires significant current or future commitments of institutional funding, personnel or physical resources, a substantive change in program mission, and/or involve major institutional liability; (2) the proposed center involves Board or Presidential agreements with external governmental or private entities; or (3) the proposed center involves an honorific name in the designation of the center.

Authorization for centers that do not meet the above criteria is delegated to each, Vice President, Chancellor, System-wide Director, and the State Director for Career and Technical Education within their respective units or offices. This authorization may be further delegated.

All centers affiliated with or operating under the auspices of the University of Hawai‘i are subject to the authorization requirements of this policy. Centers that house permanent positions may also be subject to the requirements of Administrative Procedures A3.101 University of Hawai‘i Organizational and Functional Changes.

C. Authorization to Discontinue Centers. Those centers established by the Board of Regents may be discontinued only by action of the Board of Regents. Other centers may be discontinued at the level at which they are approved. Centers that appear on an organizational chart must follow the procedures of Administrative Policy A3.101.

There is no policy specific delegation of authority.

Office of the Vice President for Academic Planning and Policy
Telephone: (808) 956-6897
Email: ovpaa@hawaii.edu

    A. Link to superseded Executive Policies in old format https://www.hawaii.edu/policy/archives/ep/

    B. Link to Administrative Procedures in old format https://www.hawaii.edu/policy/archives/apm/sysap.php

No Exhibits and Appendices found

    President