Academic Senate

U.C. Riverside Procedures for Discontinuance of a Program (Adopted by the Academic Senate April 24, 1980) (Amended by the Academic Senate May 10, 1984)

PREAMBLE The ultimate decision to recommend the transfer, consolidation, disestablishment, or discontinuance of an academic program resides with the Academic Senate of the campus and that of a unit resides with the Chancellor. In the context of these procedures, a program is defined as a course of study leading to a degree, and a unit is a school, college, department, or division within a department, school, or college. If such a decision is to be judicious it can be made only after consultation with, and upon the advice of, the faculty, the students, the Chairperson of the program and/or the Chairperson of the academic unit in which the program is housed, the Executive Committee and the Dean of the college or school that administers the program, and the appropriate committees of the Academic Senate. If transfer, consolidation, disestablishment, or discontinuance of a graduate program or unit is under consideration, the Graduate Dean, in addition to the foregoing agencies, should be consulted. PROCEDURES FOR TRANSFER, CONSOLIDATION, DISESTABLISHMENT, OR DISCONTINUANCE OF AN ACADEMIC PROGRAM, OR UNIT Regardless of the origin of the initial recommendation for transfer, consolidation, disestablishment, or discontinuance, the Senate feels that deliberations by, and consultation with, the abovementioned agencies of the campus must occur prior to the final decision by the Academic Senate in the case of programs or by the Chancellor in the case of units. To assure that such consultation has taken place, the following procedures are established. Some units may administer more than one program (e.g., a graduate and an undergraduate program in one department; a program in a specific language and the program in Comparative Literature in the Department of Literatures and Languages). On the other hand, some programs may be the joint responsibility of more than one unit, e.g., a program under the responsibility of an interdepartmental committee.

A proposal for the transfer, consolidation, disestablishment, or discontinuance of a program or unit may originate with a department, program or group; with the Dean of the college or school to which the department, program or group is administratively attached; or with the Committee on Educational Policy or the Graduate Council. A proposal for the transfer, consolidation, disestablishment, or discontinuance of a unit may also originate with an appropriate vice Chancellor. If the unit or program being considered for transfer, consolidation or termination is unique in the University, or if its closure would have systemwide or intersegmental effects, the President shall be consulted early in the process.

If the request for transfer, consolidation, disestablishment, or discontinuance originates with a department, program, or group, it shall be forwarded to the Committee on Educational Policy, the Graduate Council, and the Committees on Academic Personnel and Planning and Budget.

If the proposal for transfer, consolidation, disestablishment, or discontinuance originates with the Dean of the college or school or with a vice Chancellor, it shall be forwarded to the Committee on Educational Policy, the Graduate Council, and the Committees on Academic Personnel and Planning and Budget, but only after consultation with the department, program or group under consideration and with the Executive Committee of the college or school. The Executive Committee may refer the recommendation to the Faculty of the College or school, for its advice, if the committee deems it necessary or advisable. Responses of these agencies of the school or college shall be appended to the Dean's or vice Chancellor's letter of transmission to committees of the Academic Senate.

If the proposal for transfer, consolidation, disestablishment, or discontinuance arises with the Committee on Educational Policy or the Graduate Council, the department, program or group, the Dean of the college or school, and the Executive Committee of the college or school must all be given the opportunity to review the proposal, make comments, and present relevant materials before any final recommendation is made by the Committee on Educational Policy or the Graduate Council.

Senate committees reviewing the proposal shall consult, early in the deliberations, with the Chairperson, Faculty and students of the program or unit under review, and with the Dean and the Executive Committee of the college or school to which the program or unit is administratively attached, if deemed necessary. Consultation shall also take place with Faculty and students of related departments, programs or groups that would be affected by a decision to transfer, consolidate, disestablish, or discontinue. The recommendations of the Committees on Academic Personnel and Planning and Budget shall be sought. Consultation between the Committee on Educational Policy, the Graduate Council and the Committees on Academic Personnel and Planning and Budget shall be maintained throughout the review process.

a) A Special Review Committee, normally consisting of individuals from other campuses or institutions, will be appointed by the Advisory Committee of the Academic Senate in consultation with the Administration, the Executive Committee of the college or school and the program/department concerned. The charge to the Committee shall be developed by the Dean and the Executive Vice Chancellor and shall be subject to the review of the Advisory Committee. A review will be promptly carried out by the Special Review Committee.

b) The report of the Special Review Committee, together with the file and other documentation will be assessed by the Committees on Educational Policy, Academic Personnel, and Planning and Budget, and by the Graduate Council in cases of review of graduate programs. This assessment is to be carried out in consultation with the Chancellor, the Executive Vice Chancellor, the President (if required by Systemwide procedures) and other interested individuals and groups, including the program/department being reviewed.

c) The Executive Vice Chancellor shall submit the report of the Special Committee to his/her Student Committee on Budget and Academic Planning for its review and recommendation.

d) The results of Senate committee deliberations will be transmitted to the Advisory Committee which shall submit its recommendations to the Division for action and the Executive Vice Chancellor shall provide as information to the item any comments from the Student Committee on Budget and Academic Planning.

Faculty shall retain the right, at all times during deliberations, to advise the Executive Committee of their college or school, or the committees of the Academic Senate, on the proposal.

In all cases the deliberations of the Committee on Educational Policy and/or the Graduate Council shall be in consultation with the Chancellor and the appropriate vice Chancellors.* * Under the present administrative organization of the campus, the appropriate vice Chancellors would be the Executive Vice Chancellor. The proposed wording is intentionally non-specific to allow for possible future changes in designated titles.

If, after the foregoing review, a recommendation for transfer, consolidation, disestablishment, or discontinuance is reached by the Committee on Educational Policy, for undergraduate programs or units, or by the Graduate Council, for graduate programs or units, or for an entire program, the Advisory Committee shall present the recommendation to the Division for its action. Concurrence or dissent, and the arguments therefore, shall be presented at the same time, by the Graduate Council, for undergraduate programs or units, and by the Committee on Educational Policy, for graduate programs or units.** **The Committee on Educational Policy should have the opportunity to comment on the transfer, consolidation, disestablishment, or discontinuance of graduate programs or units, and the Graduate Council on the transfer, consolidation, disestablishment, or discontinuance of undergraduate programs or units.

After completion of the foregoing procedures, the results of the consultation on units and the results of any final decisions on programs shall be reported by the Division to the Chancellor. If the decision is to transfer, consolidate, disestablish, or discontinue a program, it shall be reported to the Systemwide Administration as prescribed universitywide. If the decision is to recommend the transfer, consolidation, disestablishment, or discontinuance of a unit or the disestablishment of a degree, the recommendation shall be made to the Systemwide Administration as prescribed universitywide.

No programs or units shall be transferred, consolidated, disestablished, or discontinued until the enrolled students can be accommodated in a fashion that will assure completion of the degree. Arrangements shall be made for the orderly and appropriate accommodations of academic and staff employees whose positions are affected by a decision to disestablish or discontinue or to transfer to another campus or to combine with another program or programs on a different campus. These arrangements shall be in accordance with existing personnel policies to the extent that they are adequate for each specific decision. Where existing policies are not adequate, supplemental policies shall be developed by the Systemwide Administration through appropriate consultation with the Academic Senate. Until such policies are adopted, historical precedent and established practice shall supplement existing personnel policies. Under no circumstances shall the transfer, consolidation, disestablishment or discontinuance of a program or unit result in the termination of a tenured Faculty member from the University of California.

The campus will report any transfers, consolidations and discontinuances annually on its Academic Program Inventory.

5/3/89: Editorial corrections were made with reference to Committee on Budget and Interdepartmental Relations and vice Chancellor designations by the Committee on Rules and Jurisdiction.