What makes for a university institute?
Faculty heard a proposed process Thursday that for the first time would establish how centers, initiatives and other units could make the leap to institute status.
The process emphasizes faculty involvement to ensure new institutes will have wide support and will be focused on what they (does they refer to institutes? faculty?) need to do in terms of teaching, research and outreach to be most effective.
“Faculty engagement provides opportunity for collective reflection, assessment and learning,” said Ed Balleisen, vice provost for interdisciplinary studies who presented the plan to the Academic Council Thursday. “The faculty will identify some of the issues that the institute will need to pay attention to during its first years. And external review committees will have those issues five years later and will be able to measure the institute’s success in meeting them.”
The six university institutes are defined by interdisciplinary work, a mix of teaching, research and outreach, a mission to provide public outputs and the convening of interdisciplinary communities around a topic. They differ from centers, initiatives and other units by having greater hiring authority and to some degree added prestige or status.
“Becoming an institute shows a greater degree of commitment from the university,” Balleisen said. “It raises the priority of university investment in the unit. We don’t do external reviews for centers and initiatives, for example. We do for institutes.”
The six initiatives were all created as institutes, but until now there was no procedure for centers or initiatives to “grow” into institutes. Under the new procedure, the provost initiates the process by inviting the unit to consider becoming an institute.
Some of the criteria the provost would consider are the level of faculty engagement, a substantial educational footprint in the unit and deep linkages to external partners.
The provost’s invitation would be followed by a review and a formal proposal by the unit. Balleisen said the proposal would present the rationale for the shift, the unit’s distinctive configuration of research, teaching and outreach, an assessment of the potential for partnerships, an overview of faculty participation, the unit’s approach to diversity and inclusion, and a list of strategic goals.
The final step would be a ladder of faculty governance reviews, starting with the Academic Programs Committee and including the Executive Committee of the Academic Council, the Academic Council and ultimately a final vote by the Board of Trustees.
Balleisen said while the conversion procedure will likely lead to more institutes, he’s working closely with deans and department chairs to keep “open channels of dialogue” with academic leaders of the disciplinary-based departments.
“Disciplinary and interdisciplinary work are interdependent on each other,” Balleisen said, adding that the university depends upon the health of both.
Academic Council Chair Nan Jokerst said a second report would be forthcoming examining the sunsetting of institutes.
In other action, Duke Kunshan University is one step closer to a new academic program following approval of a master’s degree in international environmental policy (IMEP) by the Academic Council Thursday.
The joint degree program supported by the Nicholas School of the Environment and the Sanford School of Public Policy is designed to train global environmental leaders versed in both Chinese and international environmental issues and policies. If approved, the program will begin in the fall of 2017.
“We are known for our environmental programs here, and if we’re going to be at DKU, we should be doing environment,” said Nicholas School professor Erika Weinthal, who first presented the proposal to the council in October. “This is a way to expand our educational offerings, our research and have an impact in the world of policy and practice.”
The four-semester, 16-course program will allow Duke Kunshan students to spend one semester at Duke. The program will simultaneously create a one-semester program in China for public policy and environment masters students at Sanford and Nicholas.
The proposed IMEP program will also strengthen the international training of Duke students through access to a broader array of classes, internship opportunities, networking and a distinctive study abroad experience.
The Board of Trustees must give final approval to the program. If approved, it would be the fourth degree program at Duke Kunshan, joining master’s degree programs in medical physics, global health and management studies.