Centers and Institutes

I. Policy Statement and Purpose

Centers and institutes are established within the University to strengthen and enrich programs of research, public service, or instruction conducted by the faculty and staff. They also may provide undergraduate and graduate students and postdoctoral fellows with added research opportunities, facilities, and assistance, as well as enhance students’ involvement in public service and educational activities.

Centers and institutes also have a strong positive impact on the economic development of the state by providing job opportunities, supplying technical assistance and training, fostering community development, and enhancing the transfer of new technologies. By engaging in partnerships with organizations such as private or corporate sponsors, educational institutions, and federal or state agencies, centers serve as an important means to address the diverse mission of the University.

As specifically set forth in Regulation 400.5[R] of The University of North Carolina, the primary mission of a center or institute must be research, public service, or instruction.

Institutional centers or institutes may collaborate with units or departments from other institutions for specific activities or projects, but fiscal and administrative oversight is limited to a single institution. Interinstitutional centers and institutes are established pursuant to Regulations for Planning, Establishing, and Reviewing Centers and Institutes in The University of North Carolina (Regulation 400.5[R] of The University of North Carolina). This Policy Statement governs institutional centers and institutes at UNC Charlotte.

II. Definitions

The terms Center, Institute, Institutional Center, Interinstitutional Center, University System Multi-Campus Center, Research Center, Public Service Center, and Instructional Center are defined in the Procedures for Establishing, Reviewing, and Discontinuing Centers and Institutes at UNC Charlotte, supplemental to this Policy.

III. Procedures

Establishment of Centers and Institutes

Centers and Institutes at UNC Charlotte are established and discontinued by the Board of Trustees. The Provost will appoint five faculty members to serve on a Centers & Institutes Committee (CIC) to secure advice on matters related to establishing and evaluating centers and institutes. The Vice Chancellor for Research will chair the CIC and will serve as a sixth member of the CIC, ex officio. Following review of proposals by the CIC, the Provost will make recommendations for new Centers and Institutes to the Board of Trustees.

The director of each new Center or Institute will be appointed in accordance with the Procedures for Establishing, Reviewing, and Discontinuing Centers and Institutes at UNC Charlotte, supplemental to this Policy.  Each Center or Institute, through its director, is responsible to the Chancellor or, by their delegation, to another administrative officer. 

The Procedures for Establishing, Reviewing, and Discontinuing Centers and Institutes at UNC Charlotte provide a uniform framework governing the establishment, review, and discontinuation of Centers and Institutes at UNC Charlotte in accordance with this Policy, and ensure the effective and efficient use of resources.

IV. Roles and Responsibilities

The Provost is responsible for this Policy and has charged the Vice Chancellor for Research with its implementation and daily management. The Vice Chancellor for Research, in consultation with the CIC, will establish procedures for the review of new center and institute proposals and the evaluation of existing centers and institutes, and will ensure that those procedures meet all requirements of Regulation 400.5[R] of The University of North Carolina.