Policy 6-001: Academic Units and Academic Governance - Roles of Faculties, Committees, and Councils

1. Shared Governance Structures
2. Overview of Academic Units
3. Faculties of the University - Composition, Roles, and Authority
4. Committees and Councils of Academic Departments or Equivalent, Academic Colleges, University Libraries, Interdisciplinary Programs, and University Academic Centers and Institutes (UACIs)
5. University Committees
6. Councils of the University

Purpose and Scope‌

1. Purpose.

   This policy describes the types of Academic Units and faculties through which the academic missions of the university are carried out; describes the faculties of the Faculty-appointing Units and of the university as a whole; acknowledges the role of the faculty in academic decision-making; and describes a system of academic decision-making structures including various committees and councils.

2. Scope.

   This policy applies to all of the university's faculty members, all of its Academic Units, and all of its academic administrative officers.

   For related information, refer to:

   1. Policy 2-004, which establishes the faculties and Academic Units of the university.

   2. Policy 2-005, which establishes general duties of the officers assigned to administer the various types of Academic Units.

   3. Policy 6-002, which governs the authority, structure, functions, and procedures of the Academic Senate and Senate committees.

   4. Policies 6-300 and 6-310, which describe the various categories and ranks of members of the faculty, including general voting rights for academic recommendations and decision-making.

‌Definitions‌

The following definitions apply for the limited purposes of this policy and any associated regulations.

1. “Academic Unit” means, as described in Policy 2-004, a free-standing division; school; department; academic college or library; and interdisciplinary programs, centers, and institutes as described below.

2. “Course-offering Unit” is defined in Policy 6-100.

3. “Faculty-appointing Unit” means an Academic Unit authorized by the cognizant executive vice president to make appointments of faculty members.

   1. Such authorization may be for limited authority, allowing only for appointments of faculty members in certain specified categories, or full authority; allowing for appointments of faculty members in all categories. See Policy 6-300 for a description of faculty categories. See below for a description of free-standing divisions, departments, schools, and libraries as authorized Faculty-appointing Units.

   2. The authorization of a unit to make any appointment to a tenure-line faculty position includes authorization for establishing tenure for that position within that unit.

   3. Any unit with either limited or full faculty-appointing authorization is also authorized to hire individuals in non-faculty academic personnel positions described in Policy 6-309.

   4. “Single-department College” means an academic college that is structured without any formal internal departmental-level academic subdivisions, and with the scope of the single-department and the college being coextensive.

   5. “University Faculty” is defined in Policy 6-300.

‌Policy‌

1. ‌Shared Governance Structures‌

   1. As further described below, academic activities furthering the academic missions of the university are carried out primarily by the members of the University Faculty, supported and assisted in various ways by non-faculty academic personnel, students, and staff employees, working cooperatively within shared-governance academic decision-making structures.

   2. The work of the faculty, and those assisting and supporting the faculty, is organized through various Academic Units, each administered by an administrative officer of the university (e.g., department chair, dean), reporting to a cognizant executive vice president and ultimately to the university president.

   3. The responsibilities of the administrative heads of Academic Units, as officers of the university (college deans, department chairs, and others), are governed by Policy 2-005.

2. ‌Overview of Academic Units‌

   1. Policy 2-004 provides a descriptive overview of the Academic Units of free-standing division, department, school, college, and library within the university’s overall academic organizational structure.

   2. All academic departments or the equivalent units of freestanding divisions and schools and also Single-department Colleges are authorized as Course-offering Units and as Faculty-appointing Units with full authority for appointments of faculty in all categories, as well as to conduct academic research activities.

   3. The university libraries are not ordinarily authorized as Course-offering Units, but each library is a fully authorized Faculty-appointing Unit and is authorized to conduct academic research activities.

   4. The procedures for initially establishing, significantly modifying, and when appropriate discontinuing a free-standing division, a department, a school, a college, or a library are governed by Rule R6-001A.

   5. The process for periodically reviewing the performance of the Academic Units of free-standing division, department, school, college, and library is governed by Rule R6-001B [forthcoming].

   6. The process for initially establishing, significantly modifying, when appropriate discontinuing, and periodically reviewing an interdisciplinary program is governed by Rule R6-001C [forthcoming].

   7. Internal Subdivisions

      1. Internal subdivisions that are not free-standing may also be established, typically within an academic department, or equivalent, including within a Single-department College. These internal subdivisions may serve various purposes, including conducting academic research, but are not authorized as Faculty-appointing Units and ordinarily will not be authorized as Course-offering Units.

         The administrative head of an internal subdivision most commonly has the title of director, but may be given the title of chair, chief, or area head, as determined appropriate by the cognizant executive vice president.

   8. Interdisciplinary Academic Programs

      1. In specific circumstances in which academic activities to be conducted are of an interdisciplinary character such that they cannot be effectively conducted either entirely within the ordinary structure of a single academic department or equivalent unit within an academic college, or entirely through cooperative arrangements among academic departments or colleges, an interdisciplinary academic program may be established for that purpose, with the following limited authority.

         1. Such units ordinarily may conduct academic research.

         2. As determined appropriate by the cognizant executive vice president, an interdisciplinary academic program may be authorized as a Course-offering Unit, and if so authorized, the program may hire and assign non-faculty academic personnel to teach such courses.

         3. Interdisciplinary programs are not authorized Faculty-appointing Units. Under the terms of a specific formal agreement made between the program and another cooperating Academic Unit that has faculty appointing authority (ordinarily an academic department or equivalent) and approved by the cognizant executive vice president, an interdisciplinary program may be granted limited authority to participate in a shared-appointment agreement, through which some portion of the work (described in the agreement as a percentage of full-time equivalent) of a faculty member whose formal faculty appointment is in that cooperating Academic Unit, is shared with the interdisciplinary program.

         4. A course-offering interdisciplinary program that is an approved Qualified Interdisciplinary Teaching program (See Policy 6-310) may also be given limited authority to make direct appointments of instructional faculty directly within the interdisciplinary program (ordinarily in the Lecturer career-line category only).

      2. The names of and administrative reporting structures for such interdisciplinary programs may vary, as appropriate for their interdisciplinary character and selected functions. They are ordinarily called a program, but some are given other names.

      3. The administrative head of an interdisciplinary program ordinarily has the title of director, but other titles may be used. The administrative head of an interdisciplinary program reports to the cognizant executive vice president or designee, often an academic dean. The cognizant executive vice president or designee fulfills the role of an academic dean in these circumstances.

   9. Centers and Institutes

      1. The university authorizes certain types of academic activities to be conducted through other types of units, ordinarily University Academic Centers or University Academic Institutes (UACIs).

      2. These UACI units typically are authorized by the cognizant executive vice president to conduct academic research activities.

      3. UACIs are not authorized Faculty-appointing Units. Under the terms of a specific formal agreement made between the UACI and another cooperating Faculty-Appointing Unit (ordinarily an academic department or equivalent) and approved by the cognizant executive vice president, a UACI may be granted limited authority to participate in a shared-appointment agreement, through which some portion of the work (described in the agreement as a percentage of full-time equivalent) of a faculty member whose formal faculty appointment in that cooperating Faculty-appointing Unit, is shared with the UACI.

      4. Any direct faculty-appointing authority may only be extended to such a unit through the process of approval of the unit as a Qualified Interdisciplinary Teaching Program per Rule R6-310 and Rule R6-001C (forthcoming). UACIs are not authorized as Course-offering Units, and ordinarily they participate in course activities only through an arrangement in which a course with which the unit has some association is formally offered through and administered by an academic department or other authorized Course-offering Unit.

      5. The procedures for creation, significant modification, review, and discontinuance of UACIs are described in Rule R6-001UACI and UACI Guidance.

   10. The Curriculum Management Process and Plan shall be implemented through Rule R6-001CMP and CMP Guidance.

3. ‌Faculties of the University – Composition, Roles, and Authority.‌

   1. Composition, Rights, and Responsibilities of Faculties.

      1. To carry out their individual and collective responsibilities as the primary academic workforce of the university, the individuals holding faculty appointments (as defined in Policy 6-300) within the university are organized into various faculties (groups).

      2. Within each of the faculties of which they are a member, each individual has the responsibilities and rights of a faculty member as described in Policy 6-316 and Policy 6-300, supplemented by the statement applicable for career-line faculty of a particular Academic Unit pursuant to Policy 6-310, and supplemented by relevant college charters pursuant to Policy 6-003.

      3. For faculty members appointed to academic departments or other Faculty-appointing Units, each individual is at minimum a member of:

         1. the faculty of the academic department or other Faculty-appointing Units in which the individual’s primary faculty appointment is made;

         2. the faculty of the college in which the academic department or other Faculty-appointing Unit is situated; and

         3. the faculty of the university overall.

      4. When an individual holds joint appointments in two academic departments or other Faculty-appointing Units (see Policy 6-319); or a shared appointment between an academic department or other Faculty-appointing Unit and an interdisciplinary program, center; or institute, or both a primary appointment in one academic department or other Faculty-appointing Unit and any adjunct appointment in any other academic department or other Faculty-appointing Unit, the individual is a member of the faculties of those multiple units, with the rights and responsibilities in each as appropriate to the type of appointment.

      5. Shared governance-equivalent committees for non-appointing units.

         1. For Academic Units that do not appoint faculty, but through which substantial academic activities are carried out by affiliated faculty members (e.g., centers, institutes, and interdisciplinary programs), special-purpose committees are established and assigned responsibilities approximating as nearly as practically possible the roles of faculties in the shared governance of academic departments, colleges, or other Faculty-appointing Units (e.g., decision-making power on curricular matters). Such committees consist of a majority of voting-qualified members of the University Faculty (as defined in Policy 6-300).

      6. College faculties

         1. An academic college faculty shall consist of the college dean and members of departments, schools, freestanding divisions, and any other Faculty-appointing Units within the college.

         2. The university president shall be a nonvoting ex-officio member of all college faculties.

         3. If a department or other Faculty-appointing Unit serves more than one college, the department chair or equivalent may designate a member to represent the department or other Faculty-appointing Unit at meetings of the faculties of colleges other than that to which the department or other Faculty-appointing Unit is assigned for administrative purposes. Other members of the department or other Faculty-appointing Unit may also participate and vote in the meetings of such faculties.

      7. University Faculty

         1. The University Faculty shall consist of the university president, executive vice presidents, deans, directors of libraries, and the categories of faculty described in Policy 6-300.

         2. The university president is the chair of the University Faculty. In the university president's absence, the executive vice president for academic affairs shall preside.

         3. The University Faculty shall have a secretary, who need not be a member of the faculty, appointed by the president at the beginning of each fall semester for the academic year. The University Faculty secretary shall be an ex officio member of the Academic Senate. The University Faculty secretary shall record all action of the University Faculty and the Academic Senate (see Policy 6-002) and preserve all records in a form convenient for reference.

   2. Authority of the Faculties

      1. Authority of Faculties of Academic Departments or other Faculty-appointing Units, Colleges, and other Academic Units.

         1. The faculty of each academic department or other Faculty-appointing Unit, academic college, or other Academic Unit has a right to a meaningful role in the governance of the unit, and shall have, subject to the approval of the Academic Senate and appeal to the University Faculty, jurisdiction over the academic requirements for admission, degrees, and certificates; and course curriculum and instruction affecting that Academic Unit.

         2. Majors shall be authorized by the college faculty concerned, but the content of the major shall be determined by the Academic Unit in which it is given. Creation, significant modification, discontinuance, and review of majors and their content is described in Policy 6-500.

         3. A statement of the initial proposed action taken upon the academic requirements for admission, degrees, and certificates; and course curriculum and instruction by any Academic Unit faculty shall be presented to the Undergraduate Council and/or Graduate Council (as relevant), the cognizant executive vice president, the Academic Senate, the Board of Trustees, and the president for consideration and action thereon as described in Policy 6-500.

      2. Authority of the University Faculty.

         1. The University Faculty shall have authority, as relevant, to:

            1. review the academic requirements for admission, degrees, and certificates; and course curriculum and instruction; and

            2. to decide upon curricula and new courses of study involving relations between colleges or departments.

         2. The University Faculty has a right to a meaningful role in the governance of the university including primary responsibility for the academic requirements for admission, degrees, and certificates; and course curriculum and instruction.

         3. The University Faculty may participate in discussions regarding the general academic operations of the university, which may include discussions related to budget decisions and administrative appointments.

         4. In all matters of the academic requirements for admission, degrees, and certificates; and course curriculum and instruction, the faculty shall have initial jurisdiction. See Policy 6-500. The authority of the University Faculty collectively will normally be exercised by the faculty through their representatives in the Academic Senate, the colleges, and the Graduate and Undergraduate Councils. The members of the University Faculty with voting rights (determined as described in Policy 6-300 and Policy 6-310), however, shall have the appellate power to review all actions affecting the academic requirements for admission, degrees, and certificates; and course curriculum and instruction, including matters enacted by the Academic Senate, whenever an appeal is made from the Academic Senate to the University Faculty as described in Policy 6-002.

         5. The authority of the University Faculty and of the Academic Senate is based on state law, the regulations of the Utah Board of Higher Education, and university regulations. Whatever in this document is in conflict with these is of no effect.

4. ‌Committees and Councils of Academic Departments or Equivalent, Academic Colleges, University Libraries, Interdisciplinary Programs, and University Academic Centers and Institutes (UACIs).‌

   1. Departmental Committees or Equivalent.

      1. Each academic department or equivalent shall establish such committees as appropriate to carry out the academic functions of the unit and as required by pertinent university regulations. As authorized Course-offering Units, these will include curriculum oversight committees (consistent with Rule 6-001CMP and Policy 6-500); and in Faculty-appointing Units, these will include faculty appointments committees (per Policy 6-302) and faculty review committees (per Policies 6-303, 6-310, and 6-321). Such committees shall be composed in keeping with the fundamental principle of the authority of the faculty of the unit over academic requirements for admission, degrees, and certificates; and course curriculum and instruction, as well as the role of the faculty to participate in discussions and decisions regarding other academic matters.

   2. College and Library Councils and Committees within Academic Colleges and Libraries.

      1. College Councils

         1. In accord with Policy 6-003 college or library councils are created by the academic colleges and libraries of the university with compositions defined by the colleges and libraries involved and described in council charters.

         2. College and library councils may serve more than one college or library where appropriate.

         3. Such college and library councils shall have decision-making authority, as stated in Policy 6-003 and authorized by other university regulations.

      2. College and Library Committees.

         1. Academic colleges and libraries shall establish such standing committees as appropriate to carry out their functions and as required by university regulations, and these standing committees shall be described in the council charters (See Policy 6-003).

   3. Committees Interdisciplinary Academic Programs and Centers and Institutes—UACIs.

      1. Interdisciplinary Academic Programs shall establish such committees as are appropriate to carry out their functions, consistent with university regulations.

      2. UACIs shall establish such committees as are appropriate to carry out their functions, consistent with university regulations.

5. ‌University Committees‌

   1. The university president shall appoint, before the opening of the academic year, such standing committees as the work of the university may require.

      1. The university president or administration will notify the Senate Personnel and Elections Committee (SPEC) about the creation of any university-wide standing committees.

      2. Upon the creation or reorganization of a university-wide standing committee, the Senate Personnel and Elections Committee will review the committee charter and membership requirements and make any requested nominations, including for the replacement of members as needed. (See Policy 6-002).

   2. University committees shall act only within the limits set for them within university regulations or as charged by the university president.

   3. Special university committees may be appointed at any time by the university president.

   4. The university president shall be an ex officio member of all university committees.

   5. University committees must report to the relevant university administrator or group the progress of their work and any action taken.

6. ‌Councils of the University‌

   1. Graduate Council—Composition and Authority

      1. The Graduate Council is established in Policy 2-004.

      2. As more fully described in Policy 6-200 and associated university regulations, the Graduate Council supervises graduate study at the university, and reviews and evaluates proposals for new graduate degrees and certificates and for establishment, name changes, significant modifications, or discontinuations of units.

      3. The Graduate Council may delegate the administration of professional degrees to colleges or departments.

      4. The Graduate Council is responsible for the review and evaluation of all existing departments or equivalent as well as programs that award graduate and undergraduate degrees and certificates.

      5. With regard to UACIs, the Graduate Council has those specific functions that are provided in Rule 6-001UACI.

      6. The Graduate Council assumes other responsibilities as established by university regulations or Utah Board of Higher Education Policy.

      7. The Graduate Council members shall be appointed by the university president on recommendation of the dean of the Graduate School. The Graduate Council membership includes:

         1. One elected faculty representative from each academic college or equivalent offering graduate degrees. Nominations of faculty members will be made by college councils for communication by the college dean to the dean of the Graduate School.

         2. Three students, two graduate and one undergraduate, broadly representative of the colleges of the university. Nominations of student members will be made by the Associated Students of the University of Utah (ASUU) for communication by the ASUU president to the dean of the Graduate School.

         3. Ex-officio non-voting members, including representatives or administrators from the following offices, as appropriate:

            1. Office of Undergraduate Studies;

            2. Office of the Registrar;

            3. Office of Curriculum/Enrollment Management;

            4. Office of Financial Aid; and

            5. Graduate School

      8. The Graduate Council shall establish policies and procedures for the Graduate School, such policies and procedures being subject to review by the Academic Senate and as authorized by other university regulations.

      9. The Graduate Council shall report to the executive vice president for academic affairs through the dean of the Graduate School.

   2. Undergraduate Council--Composition and Authority

      1. The Undergraduate Council is established in Policy 2-004.

      2. The Undergraduate Council consists of:

         1. one elected faculty representative from each academic college offering undergraduate degrees and making a significant contribution to undergraduate education across the campus (currently including [listed here only for convenience and subject to change by authority of the cognizant executive vice president as needed without formal revision of this Policy] Architecture and Planning, Business, Education, Engineering, Fine Arts, Health, Humanities, Mines & Earth Science, Nursing, Science, Social and Behavioral Science, and Social Work);

         2. a second elected faculty representative from each of the following three colleges: Humanities, Science, and Social and Behavioral Science;

         3. one elected faculty representative from the University Libraries;

         4. one elected faculty representative from the Honors College;

         5. an appointed representative of other interdisciplinary programs; and

         6. three undergraduate students, each representing a different college and recommended by ASUU, two of whom shall come from the Student Senate and all of whom serve one-year terms.

      3. Elected faculty members of the Undergraduate Council shall serve for three-year terms.

      4. Ex-officio non-voting members shall come from:

         1. Enrollment Management;

         2. Academic Outreach and Continuing Education;

         3. the Academic Advising Center;

         4. the Graduate School;

         5. University Professor(s); and

         6. appropriate administrator(s) in Undergraduate Studies;

         7. others as deemed necessary by the vice provost for student success.

      5. The vice provost for student success or designee shall chair the Undergraduate Council.

      6. The Undergraduate Council shall report to the office of the executive vice president for academic affairs through the vice provost for student success.

      7. The Undergraduate Council shall establish policies and procedures for the Undergraduate Council, such policies and procedures being subject to review by the Academic Senate as authorized by other university regulations.

      8. The Undergraduate Council is charged with the responsibility:

         1. to coordinate and encourage the development of undergraduate studies across the university;

         2. to oversee all university-wide undergraduate requirements;

         3. to establish and maintain general education and baccalaureate degree requirements in accord with Policy 6-101, in cooperation with the Course-offering Units and colleges and subject to the authority of the university president as defined in university regulations;

         4. to review and evaluate proposals for new undergraduate programs, name changes, significant modifications, and deletions of undergraduate programs and degrees by colleges and Course-offering Units;

         5. to review and evaluate all undergraduate degrees and programs that are located in Course-offering Units without graduate degrees; and

         6. to participate with the Graduate Council in the review and evaluation of undergraduate programs based in departments awarding graduate degrees.

      9. The Undergraduate Council assumes other responsibilities as established by university regulations and/or Utah Board of Higher Education policy.
      10. It shall be the responsibility of the vice provost for student success to ensure quality in the instruction and in the content of the courses meeting those requirements through periodic review of curricula. To facilitate such reviews, the vice provost for student success will appoint representative faculty committees that will report to the Undergraduate Council.

   3. Council of Academic Deans—Composition and Authority.

      1. The Council of Academic Deans is established in Policy 2-004.

      2. The composition and functions of the Council for Academic Deans are determined by the executive vice president for academic affairs, in consultation with the executive vice president for health sciences.

      3. Duties of the deans as officers of the university are governed by Policy 2-005.

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         Sections IV- VII are for user information and are not subject to the approval of the Academic Senate or the Board of Trustees. The Institutional Policy Committee, the Policy Owner, or the Policy Officer may update these sections at any time.

         ---

‌Policies/ Rules, Procedures, Guidelines, Forms, and other Related Resources‌

1. Policies/ Rules

   1. Rule R6-001A: Creation, Significant Modification, and Discontinuance of the Academic Units of Free-standing Division, Department, School, College, and Library

   2. Rule R6-001D: Meeting Procedures for the University Faculty as a Whole

   3. Rule 6-001CMP: Curricula Management Plans of Academic Units

   4. Rule 6-001UACI: University Academic Centers and Institutes

2. Procedures, Guidelines, and Forms. [ reserved ]

3. Other Related Resources. [ reserved ]

‌References‌

1. Policy 2-004: Organization of the University

2. Policy 2-005: Officers of the University

3. Policy 6-002: The Academic Senate and Senate Committees: Authority, Structure Functions, and Procedures

4. Policy 6-003: College Councils

5. Policy 6-100: Instruction and Evaluation

6. Policy 6-101: Undergraduate Study & Degrees

7. Policy 6-200: Graduate Studies and Degrees [re: Role of Graduate Council and Undergraduate Council]

8. Policy 6-300: The University Faculty---Categories and Ranks

9. Policy 6-302: Appointments of Faculty

10. Policy 6-303: Reviews of Tenure-Line Faculty Members (RPT Criteria, Standards, & Procedures)

11. Policy 6-309: Academic Staff, Educational Trainees, Postdoctoral Fellows, and Medical Housestaff

12. Policy 6-310: Reviews of Career-line, Adjunct, and Visiting Faculty Members, and Other Instructional Personnel (Standards and Procedures)

13. Rule R6-310: Appointment, Reappointment and Evaluation of Lecturer Faculty and Other Non-Faculty Instructional Personnel in Qualified Interdisciplinary Teaching Programs

14. Policy 6-316: Code of Faculty Rights and Responsibilities

15. Policy 6-319: Procedures for Initiating and Administering Joint Appointments to Faculty Positions

16. Policy 6-321: Required Reviews for Tenured Faculty

17. Policy 6-500: Curriculum Management and Administration

18. Utah Code Section 53H-3-303

‌Contacts‌

The designated contact officials for this Regulation are

1. Policy Owner(s) (primary contact person for questions and advice): Associate Vice President for Faculty (Academic Affairs) and Associate Vice President for Faculty (Health Sciences)

2. Policy Officer(s): Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs and Executive Vice President for Health Sciences

   See Rule 1-001 for information about the roles and authority of policy owners and policy officers.

‌History‌

Revision History.

1. Current version. Revision 22.

   1. Approved by -- Academic Senate January 5, 2026, and Board of Trustees January 13, 2026, with effective date of January 13, 2026.

   2. Legislative History

   3. Editorial Revisions

2. Previous versions.

   1. Revision 21: Effective February 8, 2022 to January 12, 2026

      1. Legislative History of Revision 21

   2. Revision 20: Effective June 30, 2021- February 7, 2022

      1. Legislative History of Revision 20

   3. Revision 19: Effective July 1, 2017 to June 30, 2021

      1. Legislative History of Revision 19

   4. Revision 18: Effective May 14 2014 – June 30, 2017

      1. Legislative History of Revision 18

   5. Revision 17: Effective September 15, 2010 to May 14, 2014

      1. Legislative History of Revision 17

   6. Revision 16: Effective April 9, 2007 to September 13, 2010

      1. Legislative History of Revision 16

   7. Revision 15: Effective February 10, 2003 to April 8, 2007

   8. Revision 14: Effective December 27, 1999 to February 9, 2003

   9. Revision 13: Effective September 17, 1999 to December 26, 1999

   10. Revision 12: Effective May 17, 1999, to September 16, 1999

   11. Revision 11: Effective July 13, 1998 to May 16, 1999

3. Renumbering

   1. Renumbered from PPM 8-5.