Ohio Administrative Code
Title 3335 - Ohio State University
Chapter 3335-3 - Duties of University Leadership
Section 3335-3-37 - Alteration or abolition of units

Universal Citation: OH Admin Code 3335-3-37

Current through all regulations passed and filed through September 16, 2024

(A) Definitions.

(1) The term unit refers to departments, schools and colleges.

(2) For purposes of this rule, the term alteration shall refer to the consolidation or reconfiguration of units. Consolidation shall refer to the combining of two or more units, with little or no additional change. Reconfiguration shall refer to the breaking apart of existing units and their academic programs and recombining the faculty and programs into new units.

(3) For the purposes of this rule, the term abolition shall refer to the complete elimination of a unit and the academic programs it provided.

(4) Alteration or abolition described herein may be initiated without a declaration of financial exigency.

(B) Procedure for alteration or abolition of departments and schools.

(1) A proposal to alter or abolish a department or school may be initiated by any of the following:
(a) The dean of the college administratively responsible for the department(s) or school(s) for which alteration or abolition is proposed,

(b) The executive vice president and provost,

(c) The council on academic affairs, or

(d) Faculty from the affected unit(s).

(2) A proposal for alteration or abolition of a department or school must include an analysis with the following elements. It shall be the responsibility of the party making the proposal to provide this analysis.
(a) A rationale for alteration or abolition of the department or school which includes a history of the formation, activities and evaluation of the performance of the unit.

(b) An enumeration of all faculty affected by the alteration or abolition of the department(s) or school(s).

(c) A person-by-person analysis of the proposed reassignment or other accommodation of the faculty identified in paragraph (B)(2)(b) of this rule, including a statement of the impact on promotion and tenure. No tenured faculty member shall be involuntarily terminated as a result of this process. However, faculty may be transferred to another unit in accordance with paragraph (C)(2) of rule 3335-6-06 of the Administrative Code, also considering the teaching, research, and service expertise of the individual.

(d) An analysis of the academic courses now taught by the department(s) or school(s) and provisions for their reassignment to other department(s) or school(s), if relevant.

(e) An analysis of the students affected by the proposal, including majors, nonmajors, professional and graduate students.

(f) Specific proposals regarding support for currently enrolled students until degree completion.

(g) An analysis of the budgetary consequences to all relevant department(s) or school(s) resulting from the proposal.

(h) An analysis of the services lost to the rest of the university as a consequence of the proposal.

(i) An analysis of impact on constituencies external to the university, including alumni.

(j) An analysis of the impact on governance at all relevant levels as a consequence of the proposal.

(k) An analysis of the impact upon diversity.

(l) An analysis of the impact on the academic freedom and responsibility of all affected faculty.

(3) The proposal must be discussed with affected faculty, students, and staff, who may provide written and verbal feedback. The proposal may be modified by the proposal's initiator in response to feedback. Following a thorough consultative process with affected faculty, students, staff, and others as appropriate, the college faculty shall vote on the proposal. The proposal, along with the numerical vote of the college faculty, shall then be forwarded to the council on academic affairs.

(4) The proposal will be judged by the assessment parameters developed by the council on academic affairs and published in its guidelines. The council on academic affairs will review the proposal and will also evaluate the consultation process. It will then return the proposal to the initiator for additional work if the proposal or the consultation has been judged inadequate, or approve the proposal and send it to the university senate for consideration, or disapprove the proposal, which ends the process.

(5) If the council on academic affairs approves the proposal, a memorandum of understanding will be developed and signed by all relevant parties.

(6) The university senate shall vote on the proposal. If it approves the proposal, the recommendation shall be forwarded to the president. A negative vote ends the process.

(7) The president shall review the proposal. If in favor, the president will forward it to the board of trustees. If the board of trustees approves the proposal, then the executive vice president and provost will appoint an oversight committee to monitor the implementation of the process. The chair of faculty council or designee, the secretary of the university senate, one member of the committee on academic freedom and responsibility, and three members of faculty council shall be appointed to the oversight committee.The purpose of the oversight committee is to safeguard the interests of affected faculty, students, and staff. Through the chair of faculty council, the oversight committee will periodically report to the university senate, review and assess outcomes, suggest changes where targets are not being met, and assure that the memorandum of understanding is upheld. The oversight committee will present a final report to the senate.

(C) Procedure for alteration or abolition of colleges.

(1) The council on academic affairs, the executive vice president and provost, the dean, or faculty from the affected unit may initiate a proposal to alter or abolish a college.

(2) A proposal for alteration and abolition of a college must include an analysis of all of the elements outlined in paragraph (B)(2) of this rule. It shall be the responsibility of the party making the proposal to provide this analysis.

(3) The council on academic affairs shall appoint an ad hoc committee to evaluate the proposal. The ad hoc committee shall have a majority comprised of tenuretrack faculty. The charge to the ad hoc committee and the composition of that committee must be agreed upon by the council on academic affairs, the executive committee of faculty council, and the executive vice president and provost.

The ad hoc committee shall evaluate the proposal, which shall include extensive consultation with affected faculty, students, and staff, and relevant parties external to the university, as described in paragraph (B)(3) of this rule.

(4) The recommendation of the ad hoc committee will be forwarded to the council on academic affairs and the executive vice president and provost.

(5) Prior to accepting or rejecting the ad hoc committee's recommendation, the council on academic affairs will consult with faculty council and the executive vice president and provost. The faculty council response, including its vote, and a letter of recommendation from the executive vice president and provost shall be considered by the council on academic affairs. The council on academic affairs will then either terminate the process or forward its positive recommendation to the university senate.

(6) If the council on academic affairs approves the proposal, a memorandum of understanding will be developed and signed by all relevant parties.

(7) The university senate shall vote on the proposal. If it approves the proposal, the recommendation shall be forwarded to the president. A negative vote ends the process.

(8) The president shall review the proposal. If in favor, the president shall forward it to the board of trustees. If the board of trustees approves the proposal, then the executive vice president and provost will appoint an oversight committee to monitor the implementation of the process. The chair of faculty council or designee, the secretary of the university senate, one member of the committee on academic freedom and responsibility, and three members of faculty council shall be appointed to the oversight committee. The purpose of the oversight committee is to safeguard the interests of affected faculty, students, and staff. Through the chair of faculty council, the oversight committee will periodically report to the university senate, review and assess outcomes, suggest changes where targets are not being met, and assure that the memorandum of understanding is upheld. The oversight committee will present a final report to the senate within one year of implementation.

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