Institutes and Centers
Institutes and Centers at the University of Michigan-Flint
Policy Type: University Policy
Date Adopted: December 7, 2020
Version: 1.0
Review Cycle: Biennial (Every 2 years)
Date Last Reviewed: December 7, 2020
Office Responsible: Office of the Provost
Contact: Associate Provost and Dean of Graduate Programs
Overview
The University of Michigan-Flint maintains a unique position in the Flint and Genesee region, as a regional comprehensive institution serving the needs of a wide variety of students and community members. We offer a large variety of degree programs at the undergraduate and graduate levels, and we maintain a long history of engagement with the community, having been classified as a Carnegie Engaged Campus since 2010. We view institutes and centers as strategically important to the University community, and define them as follows (UM-Ann Arbor Office of the Provost, 2020):
An organization located within or alongside the traditional academic hierarchy that is formed to pursue educational, research, service, and community engagement activities, typically bringing together faculty, staff, and students. Institutes and centers may focus within a discipline or be interdisciplinary with faculty and/or staff from a single department, a school/college, or multiple units.
At UM-Flint, centers may exist at any level of the university, but institutes only exist at the university level and are academic in orientation. Centers may be housed within a single administrative or academic department. They may also span several academic departments within a school/college or span several schools/colleges.
Centers and institutes contribute to our research and educational enterprise by drawing diverse faculty, staff, and students together in collaborative efforts addressing complex, interdisciplinary problems, and challenges. They may bring members of the Greater Flint community together with faculty, staff, and students to further our community engagement efforts. Centers and institutes also assist our faculty by facilitating research grant development, as well as providing necessary infrastructure and services to carry out projects. They may also serve as intellectual homes for seminars, visiting scholars, guest speakers, and seed and promote collaborative efforts with other universities. They help us to ensure rich educational and professional development opportunities for our student, faculty, and staff populations.
Types of Centers and Institutes
At UM-Flint, the classification of institutes and centers occurs along two dimensions: structurally (in terms of the level at which it reports), and its functional affinity.
Structural Levels
Structurally, we define the following levels. These are all mutually exclusive, although a center organized this way may move up or down in level over time.
- University level:
- It involves participation from faculty and staff across multiple university units, whether from academic affairs or other divisions.
- It reports directly to the Chancellor or a Vice Chancellor
- It is administratively housed directly under the Chancellor or within a major division, such as Academic Affairs or Student Affairs.
- Examples: the Center for Gender and Sexuality, reporting to the Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs; the Urban Institute, reporting to the Provost.
- School or College level:
- Its participants are strictly from a single school or college.
- It reports directly to the dean of a school or college.
- It is administratively housed within a school or college.
- Example: the Hagerman Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation
- Department level:
- Its participants are strictly from a single department within a school or college.
- It reports to a department chair or to a faculty member who manages it.
- It is administratively housed within a single academic department.
- As a guideline, institutes are not typically organized at a department level.
- Examples: none currently
Functional Affinity
In terms of a center or institute’s functional affinity, we define the following classifications. Note that none of the types below may necessarily be mutually exclusive. However, while a center could have an academic or non-academic focus, an institute will always have a research focus and exist at the university level.
- Research: activities are related to scholarly and professional activities (research); they may include sponsored research.
- Teaching: activities are related to teaching and learning.
- Community engagement: activities are related to community engagement.
- Service: the center or institute provides some form of service to the university community.
- Administrative: activities are primarily of nature to support Academic Affairs or other divisions carrying out their mission; they could also be related to faculty/staff service activities.
- Faculty member: activities are related to the activities of an individual faculty member.
Classification Examples
According to the above definitions, institutes and centers at UM-Flint are classified along both dimensions and provide us with a means to differentiate the types of institutes or centers. As illustrative examples, consider the following:
- The Thompson Center for Learning and Teaching: this is an administrative and teaching-focused center that is organized at the university level.
- The Center for Gender and Sexuality: this is an administrative and service-focused center organized at the university level.
- The Urban Institute for Racial, Economic, and Environmental Justice: this institute has a broad focus, involving teaching, research, and community engagement activities, as well as providing services to the university community; it is organized at the university level.
- The Early Childhood Development Center: this is an administrative, service- and teaching-focused school/college center.
- The Center for Educator Preparation: this is a teaching-focused school/college center.
- The Reading Center: this is an administrative, service, and teaching-focused school center.
- The School of Nursing Simulation Center: this is a teaching and research-focused school/college center.
Differentiating a Center from an Institute
Based on research performed and knowledge of existing types of centers and institutes at UM-Flint and UM Ann Arbor, there is no universally accepted set of characteristics that distinguish the two types. Accordingly, this document proposes that the following characteristics differentiate institutes from centers at the University of Michigan-Flint:
Institute
- Structurally, an institute is maintained at the university level.
- It must maintain, of primary importance, a significant scholarly agenda related to teaching, research, and/or community engagement.
- It must pursue external funding to help underwrite its activities.
- It must involve faculty participation from across multiple academic units.
- An institute’s functions typically support activities in multiple Colleges and Schools, as well as within other divisions outside of Academic Affairs.
- An institute may house one or more centers within it; the reverse is not true.
Center
- It may be established at a lower funding level and may not require ongoing pursuit of external funds.
- In contrast to an institute, its primary focus may be that of support services or administrative functions.
- Its focus is to support the academic strategies of its unit or the whole university.
Principles for the Creation of a Center or Institute
- It must have a clearly defined mission that supports and aligns with the strategic direction of the University of Michigan-Flint and its school/college if it exists within one.
- It must fill a need not already met by other entities at UM-Flint, and it must add value to the university.
- In alignment with its creation, there must be an identified group of faculty and/or staff ready and able to provide leadership.
- It must contribute to the teaching, research, and/or training missions of the university.
- It may be interdepartmental or inter-unit in nature, in order to facilitate interrelationships among the academic and/or administrative units within the university, or broader communities.
- It must have the support of university and college/school leadership, indicating support of its alignment with our mission, as well as possible resources.
- Its mission and activities must align with the mission of the University of Michigan-Flint
- It must maintain a clearly defined list of goals to accomplish each year.
- There must be a list of definable metrics to assess its performance.
- There must be a defined process for regular review.
Process for Creation of a Center or Institute
1. Conceptual
- Faculty members in one or more units indicate their desire to formalize relationships around a topic area for the purposes of building capacity in that area.
- The faculty members approach the Dean (department, school, or college level) or Deans of the Schools/Colleges (university level) to informally propose the idea of a center or institute, prior to writing a formal proposal.
- In the case of the proposed department, school, or college level centers, the Dean, in consultation with unit leadership, indicates initial support to proceed with a proposal, or alternatively, indicates no support for a proposal. If support is given, the faculty members write a proposal according to the predefined template.
- In the case of a university-level center or institute, if the Deans of the Schools/Colleges are supportive, they collaborate with the faculty to produce a proposal document according to the predefined template.
- If the focus of the center or institute involves research, then ORED must be consulted at the conceptual stage and be involved in the subsequent steps.
2. Proposal Development
- The proposal is written according to the proposal template. If there is a research focus, ORED must be consulted and involved in the proposal’s development.
- Department or School/College level: a written proposal for a center is presented to the Dean.
- University level: a written proposal for a center or institute is presented to the appropriate Vice Chancellor.
3. Approval
- Department or School/College level: approval is obtained from the Dean, who may consult with unit leadership (the Executive Committee and possibly chairs and directors). On center creation, the Dean notifies the Provost, as well as the director of ORED as appropriate.
- University level: approval is obtained from the appropriate Vice Chancellor. On creation of the center or institute, the Vice Chancellor notifies the Chancellor and Cabinet, as well as the director of ORED as appropriate.
Process for On-Going Review
Once a center or institute is created, it is in our best interests to ensure it is effectively managed and operated through regular review. The general process involves preparing an annual report and undergoing periodic formal review. Annual reports should follow guidelines established by the executive officer under whose structure the center operates, as well as guidelines from ORED for research-oriented centers or institutes. It is suggested that the following requirements may exist for the yearly report:
- Assessment of yearly goals: what were the successes and challenges?
- A discussion of alignment with the center’s stated mission: is it fulfilling its purposes?
- A budget discussion that includes:
- Internal funding sources
- Grant and other external funding sources
- Organizational chart
- Staffing information
- List of faculty and staff who may be engaged in the center’s activities.
- A list of associated publications, conference presentations, sponsored events/activities, and honors/awards.
Review Metrics
A list of broad metrics that may be employed in the yearly report and periodic review:
- Funding
- Operational effectiveness
- Visibility and Impact
- Research effectiveness
Further information on metrics and assessments may be found in the Ann Arbor Best Practices document.
Process for Discontinuance of Centers or Institutes
There may be reasons when centers or institutes may no longer be feasible or viable. The following are guidelines for discontinuance.
1. Reasons for Discontinuance
Reasons for discontinuance may be any of the following, but not limited to:
- Financial considerations
- Reduced interest of faculty
- Center not attaining its goals
- Center has met its original goals and leadership foresees no additional goals and/or the original reason for its establishment no longer exists.
- Competing priorities
2. Discontinuance Process
In the case of Department, School, or College level centers, when such cases arise, the Dean should work with unit leadership and the affiliated faculty/staff to discontinue the operations of the center. In the case of university-level institutes and centers, the Provost or appropriate Vice Chancellor should work with Deans and affiliated faculty/staff of the Schools/Colleges to discontinue the operations of the center/institute. Such work should focus on but is not limited to:
- Financial: disposition of remaining funds
- Personnel matters: reassignment of duties
- Reassignment of resources e.g. office and laboratory space
- Records: preservation or disposition of documents and other information relevant to the institute or center, as appropriate
3. Final Reports
Final reports of the center/institute should be obtained from its leadership. These may include but are not limited to:
- Assessment of whether goals were met
- Formal cataloging of achievements
- Faculty scholarly works
- Grants obtained during its existence
- Measurable outcomes resulting from initiatives, for university or external community members
References
University of Michigan-Ann Arbor Office of the Provost. 2020. Best Practices and Tool Kit. Retrieved November 1, 2020, from Centers & Institutes.
Version History
| Date of Change | Version | Description of Change |
|---|---|---|
| December 7, 2020 | 1.0 | Adopted |
For questions about institutes and centers, please contact the Associate Provost and Dean of Graduate Programs in the Office of the Provost.