Changes to Department, School, of College

Changes to the name or structure of a department, school or college are governed by the UF Constitution and Faculty Senate Bylaw 22: “Under the Constitution, the Faculty Senate approves any changes to the structure and character, including but not limited to forming, consolidating, transferring, closing and renaming, of the colleges, schools and departments.” In addition, such changes must be vetted and approved by the University Curriculum Committee, the Office of Academic Affairs, and in some cases by the Board of Trustees.

Prior to initiating any such changes, the college should discuss the proposed changes with the Associate Provost for Academic and Faculty Affairs. Once there is agreement on the proposed change, the appropriate department (or college for college changes) should create a proposal that includes the following:

  1. A description of the proposed change, the rationale for the change, any budgetary implications, and its possible impacts on faculty and students;
  2. A tally of the vote of faculty in the affected unit(s);
  3. A description of the input received from appropriate Academic Unit faculty governing bodies (i.e., a college faculty council, departmental committee, or external advisory board);
  4. A statement of support from the appropriate Dean or Director, Vice President, and Provost.

The final proposal and supporting documentation listed above should be sent to Casey Griffith (cgriffith@aa.ufl.edu) for uploading into the approval routing system.