General Administrative Guidelines for Designation of Departments, Schools, and Colleges
Overarching Principles
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Designation would enhance the unit's ability to serve all three areas of Auburn's mission.
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Units with similar missions in peer institutions are commonly designated as such.
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The unit has identified metrics for the assessment of its quality, peer institutions to which it can compare itself on those metrics, and a strategy for improving its performance on those metrics.
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There is a clear and compelling need for such designation.
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Such designation will provide a clear and compelling benefit to the university and will enhance the performance of the university's mission.
Guidelines to be Used in the Application of Overarching Principle
College
A complex administrative unit comprised of three or more departments and/or schools with similar missions and academic disciplines. A college normally demonstrates a degree of interdependence, providing instruction for a healthy mix of its own majors and majors from other university units.
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Ten academic degree programs at the undergraduate/graduate level
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One thousand majors across all degree programs
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Forty faculty FTEs at the assistant professor level or above
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Student credit hour production equivalent to budgeted instructional faculty FTE but no less than 25,000 student credit hours per academic year.
School
A specialized administrative unit organized to deliver instructional programs which contribute to a limited number of specialized baccalaureate, first professional and/or graduate degree programs and to deliver associated research and extension/outreach programs. A school may be free-standing or a unit within a college. A school may or may not be organized into departments. A school normally demonstrates a degree of independence, providing instruction principally for its own majors.
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One accredited baccalaureate or first professional degree
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Two hundred majors across all degree programs
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Twenty faculty FTEs at the assistant professor level or above
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Student credit hour production equivalent to budgeted instructional faculty FTE but no less than 5000 student credit hours per academic year.
Department
A fundamental administrative unit which offers specialized instruction and proprietary degree programs in one of more closely related academic disciplines, with or without associated research and extension/outreach program.
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One baccalaureate or entry level, or first professional degree program
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Fifty majors across all degree programs or a number of majors comparable to the average number of majors for similar departments at Auburn's peer institutions
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Ten faculty FTEs at the assistant professor level or above or a number of FTEs comparable to the average number of FTEs for similar departments at Auburn's peer institutions
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Student credit hour production equivalent to budgeted instructional faculty FTE but no less than 5000 student credit hours per academic year or a number of student credit hours produced by similar departments at Auburn's peer institutions unless the department's mission is primarily research and outreach.
