Institutional Research and Academic Planning

Term

Definition

Academic Assembly

The Assembly of the Academic Senate represents the faculty in the governance of the University as mandated by the Standing Orders of the Regents. The Assembly is authorized to consider any and all matters of concern to the Senate as a whole, has the power to take final action on all legislation substantially affecting more than one Division, and is ready at all times to advise the President. The Assembly consists of the following members: The President of the University; the Chair and Vice Chair of the Assembly; all members of the Academic Council; and forty Divisional Representatives chosen from other than chancellors, vice chancellors, deans, chief administrative officers of colleges and schools, and members of the University Committee on Rules and Jurisdiction.

Academic Council

The Academic Council is the administrative arm of the Assembly of the Academic Senate and acts in lieu of the Assembly on non- legislative matters.  It advises the President on behalf of the Assembly and has the continuing responsibility to request committees of the Senate to investigate and report to the Council or to the Assembly on matters of systemwide concern.  The Council may act on behalf of the Assembly in approving the establishment of new graduate degree titles. The Academic Council consists of a Chair and Vice Chair, the Chairs of the ten Divisional Senates, and the Chairs of eight systemwide Senate committees: the Board of Admissions and Relations with Schools (BOARS); the Coordinating Committee on Graduate Affairs (CCGA); and the University Committees on Affirmative Action and Diversity (UCAAD), Academic Personnel (UCAP), Educational Policy (UCEP), Faculty Welfare (UCFW), Planning and Budget (UCPB), and Research Policy (UCRP).

Academic Planning Council

This systemwide Administration-Senate committee consists of the Provost (Chair); Academic Council Chair (Vice Chair); Academic Council Vice Chair; Chairs of CCGA, UCPB, UCEP, and UCORP; a Divisional Senate representative; an Executive Vice Chancellor; a Vice Chancellor for Research, a Vice Chancellor for Planning and Budget, and a Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs; a Graduate Dean and an Undergraduate Dean; a graduate student representative and an undergraduate student representative; and select UCOP administrators. APC provides systemwide guidance on academic and strategic planning, coordinates systemwide academic planning activities, reviews Five-Year Planning Perspectives, and guides innovation and redirection of academic efforts within UC as a whole.

CCGA

The Coordinating Committee on Graduate Affairs (CCGA), an Academic Senate committee, consists of the President, one representative from each Divisional Graduate Council, and two at large members, one serving as Chair and the other as Vice Chair. CCGA reviews and approves proposals for new programs for established graduate degrees, and recommends approval for new graduate degree titles. It also comments on proposed actions involving schools and colleges and MRUs, as well as the proposed actions in the Five-Year Planning Perspective, particularly those involving graduate degree programs. CCGA advises the President of the University and all agencies of the Senate regarding the promotion of research and learning related to graduate affairs.

Chancellor

Chancellor of a UC campus or his or her designee. In most Compendium actions, the Academic Vice Chancellor or Executive Vice Chancellor acts as designee. The Chancellor approves proposals involving departments, schools and colleges, ORUs, and MRUs, and favorably reviews proposals involving undergraduate and graduate degree programs.

College

A college is an academic unit typically comprising one or more departments offering academic degree programs. A college is headed by a dean or provost. The Faculty of the college is established by the Academic Senate. A “college” is distinguished from a “School” in that it does not house units that offer professional degrees (e.g., Law, MBA), but only “academic” degrees (e.g., PhD, MA, MS). A variation on this categorization is in place at UCSC and UCSD, where colleges denote academic communities for undergraduates. Although these colleges can offer courses, they cannot offer degrees.

Consolidation

For the purposes of a reconstitution of an academic unit or program, a consolidation entails combining two or more programs or units to form a new unified program or unit.

(Academic) Council Chair

The Council Chair is the Chair of the Academic Council and Assembly of the Academic Senate. The Council Chair is elected as Vice Chair by the General Assembly, serves one year as Vice Chair, and then one year as Chair. He or she organizes Council consideration of committee reactions to proposals involving schools and colleges and MRUs, manages Senate commentary on the Five- Year Planning Perspective, and provides leadership as needed in the systemwide review processes.

Degree Program

A degree program is an approved set of coursework, examination, and other requirements within a discipline (or across disciplines) which leads to a degree, commonly referred to as a “major” at the undergraduate level. The names of degree programs are posted on transcripts and diplomas.

Degree Title

A degree title is the type of degree associated with the academic program. Examples include B.A., B.S., M.A., M.F.A., M.S., Ed.D, and PhD. When a new degree title is introduced on a campus, specific review procedures must be followed.

Department

A department is an academic unit that typically offers baccalaureate, master’s, and doctoral degree programs, headed by a chair. A department typically represents a field of knowledge that is well established. Departments usually exist within the framework of a college or school.¹⁵ Actions involving departments are carried out on the campuses, and do not involve system-level review.

¹⁵ Exceptions to this rule include UCI’s Department of Education (which stands alone from any school or college). UC Merced is organized into schools which do not contain individual departments.

Discontinuance

Elimination of an academic program. (Does not refer to academic units.)

Disestablishment

Elimination of an academic unit or research unit. (Does not refer to academic programs.)

Division

For the purposes of the Compendium, a division is an academic unit comprising a portion of a college or school. A division typically is headed by a dean. In rare instances, when there is a distinct delineation within the discipline, a department may be divided into administrative components called divisions. Many campuses also use the term “division” to group graduate education programs (i.e., a Graduate Division). While headed by a Graduate Dean, this configuration is an administrative, rather than academic, structure.¹⁶

¹⁶ In lieu of an administrative “division”, some campuses use the term “Office of …”.

Divisional Senate(s)

The ten Campus Divisions of the Academic Senate. Under authority from the Regents, faculty belong to an Academic Senate that is organized into divisional Senates, one for each campus, and a systemwide Senate. On each campus, review processes for academic programs, academic units, and research units are similar to those used at the system level, with committees of the divisional Senate variously approving and favorably reviewing proposed actions in these three areas. Divisional Senate committees also have the opportunity to review the UC Five-Year Planning Perspective. Divisional Senates are sometimes called “Divisions”, but should not be confused with administrative divisions.

Emphasis

An emphasis is a focused area of study that may be offered as a track within a department’s degree program, or as an optional interdisciplinary addition to an existing graduate degree program in one or more departments. An emphasis is noted on transcripts but does not appear on the official diploma.

Graduate Academic Certificates

A graduate academic certificate (GAC) program is an approved set of courses and other requirements in a specific area of inquiry, not covered by a degree program, which leads to a formal certificate of completion of graduate studies. Senate Regulation (SR) 735 authorizes Graduate Divisions to grant certificates of completion of graduate curricula. The Compendium requires that these certificate programs be approved by both the local Graduate Council and by CCGA. Certificates offered by University Extension are not covered by SR 735. A GAC is defined as a certificate program that: a) does not require its students to be enrolled in another graduate program; b) is not offered solely through a UC Extension Program; c) has an independent admissions process, which requires at least a Bachelor’s degree for admission; and d) carries a minimum of 3 quarters (or 2 semesters) of full-time resident study.

Hybrid Undergraduate/ Graduate Degree Programs

Undergraduate/Graduate hybrid degree programs allow students to complete an undergraduate and graduate curriculum simultaneously.

Interdisciplinary Group or Graduate Group

An Interdisciplinary Group is headed by a chair, is composed of a number of participating faculty from various departments, and offers at least one interdisciplinary degree program. The Group is governed by an advisory committee and has no permanent faculty. The area of study offered by a Group typically represents a new direction in teaching and scholarship. CCGA requires that all interdepartmental graduate program (IDP) or graduate group proposals include a set of governance bylaws as well as other information about campus commitment to the proposed program (e.g., teaching-assistantships, library resources, courses planned, etc.).

Interdisciplinary Program

An Interdisciplinary Program is an academic unit offering at least one degree program drawing on multiple academic disciplines. It is headed by a chair and has permanent faculty. The interdisciplinary area of study offered by a program is of a more established nature than that of an interdisciplinary group.

Joint Graduate Degree Program

Joint graduate degree programs combine the intellectual and physical resources of UC and CSU. In particular, Joint Doctoral Programs (JDPs) are designed to be beneficial to campuses from both systems and to meet a need not currently addressed within the University.

Students enrolled in such programs take advantage of the combined resources and disciplinary expertise. It is expected that the research interests and program strengths of the proposing academic departments complement one another in synergistic fashion rather than duplicate existing offerings.  These partnerships broaden the base for program development and provide greater depth of curricular and faculty resources.  Final review and approval of all JDPs rests with the Joint Graduate Board (JGB).

Minor

A minor is a set of courses that taken together provide a systematic understanding of a subject or some specified part of it, but provide less depth and breadth than a degree (major) program. Minors are posted on transcripts and on diplomas.

MRU

Multicampus Research Unit - A research unit established by UC to provide an infrastructure for long-term research and/or creative work being carried out on at least two campuses or at least at least one campus and one national lab.

ORGS

The Office of Research and Graduate Studies, UCOP

President

The President of the University of California. With respect to Compendium processes, the President approves establishment and disestablishment of MRUs; under a delegation from the Board of Regents, approves the creation of a new graduate degree titles; and recommends to the Board of Regents approval of the establishment and disestablishment of a school or college. Per Senate Bylaw 10, the President is ex-officio President of the Academic Senate and a member of the Assembly of each Division and Faculty.

Provost

The Provost reports directly to the President and is responsible for all system-level engagement with UC academic life. Many system-level administrative review processes are managed by the Provost who frequently acts as the President’s designee.

The Regents

The University of California is governed by the Board of Regents, which under Article IX, Section 9 of the California Constitution has "full powers of organization and governance" subject only to very specific areas of legislative control. The article states that "the university shall be entirely independent of all political and sectarian influence and kept free therefrom in the appointment of its Regents and in the administration of its affairs." The Regents consist of seven ex officio members (Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Speaker of the Assembly, Superintendent of Public Instruction, President and Vice President of UC Alumni Association, and UC President), 18 members appointed to 12-year terms, and one student member appointed for one year. Two alumni regents designate, two faculty representatives (the Chair and Vice Chair of the systemwide Academic Senate), and two staff advisors also participate in meetings of the Board of Regents. Many Regental responsibilities have been delegated to the President, Chancellors, other administrators, and the faculty.  In the Compendium processes, the Regents approve the establishment and disestablishment of schools and colleges.

School

A school is an academic unit typically comprising one or more departments that also offer one or more professional degree programs.¹⁷ A school is headed by a dean or provost. The Faculty of the school is established by the Academic Senate. A school is distinguished from a college in that it typically offers professional degrees (e.g., JD, MBA) rather than “academic” degrees (e.g., PhD, MA, MS). On some campuses, however, a school will include both professional and academic programs.¹⁸ For some campuses, a school represents a naming opportunity and is a source of philanthropic giving.  Finally, there is at least one precedent for maintaining a school within a school. This occurs at UCLA, where the UCLA Herb Albert School of Music is housed within the School of Arts and Architecture.

¹⁷ UC Merced organizes itself along Schools, which do not contain individual departments.

¹⁸ Examples of schools that offer both academic and professional degrees include UCI’s School of Biological Sciences, Donald Bren School of Information & Computer Sciences, and School of Social Sciences; UCM’s School of Engineering, School of Natural Sciences, and School of Social Sciences, Humanities, and Arts; and UCSD’s School of International Relations and Pacific Studies, and Skaggs School of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences.

Senate

The systemwide Academic Senate. Under authority from the Regents, faculty members belong to an Academic Senate that is organized into Divisional Senates—one for each campus—and a systemwide Senate. In the Compendium, the term Senate refers to this formal faculty structure. The Senate has approval authority for various actions involving academic degree programs and consults on actions involving academic units and research units.

System-level review

System-level review is review at the level of the Office of the President and/or the Academic Council.

Systemwide

Systemwide means by or for the entire UC system. For example, systemwide review is review by all UC campuses and locations (campus review typically includes consideration by both campus administrations and by the Divisional Senates); systemwide Academic Senate is the body to which faculty belong and which enjoys shared governance; systemwide committees include the Academic Planning Council and the committees of the Academic Senate (e.g., CCGA, UCEP, UCORP).

TCDD

Transfer, Consolidation, Discontinuance, and Disestablishment. These four processes substantially transform academic programs, academic units, and/or research units, and may occur together as “reconstitutions.” Transfer is moving a program or unit into another one that subsumes it; consolidation is bringing together two or more programs or units to form a new unified program or unit; discontinuance is elimination of an academic program; and disestablishment is elimination of an academic unit or research unit.

Transfer

Moving a program or unit into another one that subsumes it.

UC

University of California. UC refers to the University as a whole and to any of its parts — students, faculty, staff, and administrators on the ten campuses, and systemwide, etc.

UCEP

University Committee on Educational Policy—a committee of the systemwide Academic Senate. UCEP consists of a Chair, a Vice Chair, the Assembly Chair, and a representative from each Divisional Committee on Educational Policy.  UCEP initiates appropriate studies and reports on the establishment or disestablishment of curricula and academic units, and on legislation or administrative policies involving educational policy. In the Compendium processes, it comments on and recommends approval of proposed actions involving schools and colleges. UCEP also analyzes the Five-Year Planning Perspectives, particularly those involving undergraduate degree programs.

UCOP

University of California, Office of the President. UCOP refers to the system-level administrative arm of the University, including senior administrators and staff.

UCORP

University Committee on Research Policy—a committee of the systemwide Academic Senate. UCORP consists of a Chair and a representative from each Divisional Senate, one of whom is Vice Chair. UCORP considers matters pertaining to fostering research, general research policies, and procedures. In the Compendium processes, UCORP comments on and recommends approval of proposed actions involving MRUs. UCORP also analyzes the ORU and MRU proposed actions included in the Five-Year Planning Perspectives.

UCPB

University Committee on Planning and Budget—a committee of the systemwide Academic Senate. UCPB consists of a Chair, a Vice Chair, the Assembly Vice Chair, the UCORP Chair, and a representative from each Divisional Committee on Planning and Budget (or equivalent). UCPB advises university administration on policy regarding planning and budget matters and resource allocations. In the Compendium processes, UCPB comments on and recommends approval of proposed actions involving schools and colleges and MRUs. UCPB also analyzes the Five-Year Planning Perspectives.

WASC

 The Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) is one of six regional accrediting bodies in the US. It accredits elementary, secondary, adult, postsecondary, and supplementary education programs and institutions in California. WASC citations in the Compendium refer to the Senior Commission which accredits higher education institutions. WASC accredits individual UC campuses, not the system as a whole.  It also conducts substantive change reviews.