Accreditation

Institutes & Centers

Institutes and Centers are established to coordinate, support, and extend a University's research, service, and training activities. Details regarding the establishment, operation, and termination of Institutes and Centers at USF can be found in the . 

The establishment, operation, and termination of Institutes and Centers are governed by and

Resources for Establishing and Managing Institutes & Centers

ESTABLISHING NEW INSTITUTES OR CENTERS

In order to establish a new University Institute or Center, a proposer completes the *. The form includes questions on the mission and goals, organizational structure, and projected budget of the Institute or Center. Completed forms are submitted to the Accreditation team at assessment@usf.edu.

When completing the Establishment Form, there should be alignment between the project budget with the full-time equivalency (FTE) that faculty and staff will dedicate to the Institute or Center, and attention to specific plans to seek funding.

Institutes and Centers are, by nature, entrepreneurial endeavors. While USF, or one of its units, may offer limited internal resources to help launch and sustain these entities, external funding will be expected to provide the majority of their operational and programmatic support. A proposal must present a particularly compelling justification鈥攂oth for the need to create the unit and for its realistic capacity to secure significant external funding at a level that the host unit could not otherwise obtain.

Centers and/or Institutes that choose not to be recognized by the 91社区 Board of Governors (BOG) have two options: 

  1. These entities can remain organized and continue to run as they are and be called a Collaborative, Project, Lab, Initiative, Coalition or Collective (CPLICC). 
  2. Alternatively, entities can seek approval to continue to be called a Center or Institute, if they qualify to be 鈥渆xempt鈥 (defined by the Provost鈥檚 Office based on the BOG鈥檚 exclusions). For example, there are entities that use the term 鈥渋nstitute鈥 or 鈥渃enter鈥 in their titles, as well as some other service units, that are excluded from this policy. Examples of these units include the Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, the University of 91社区 Health Sciences Center, the 91社区 Health Sciences Center, the 91社区 State University Health Sciences Center, the 91社区 Mental Health Institute, as well as incorporated institutes and centers with university affiliations, such as the Institute for Human and Machine Cognition and H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, university advising, student health, computing, and certain other centers. Such entities may have institutes or centers under their purview covered by the policies referenced in this regulation if they meet the definitions in (1)(a) 鈥 (1)(c) of BOG Regulation 10.015.).  There are other Centers/Institutes that are grandfathered in and can keep the name and remain off the BOG list. 

Per , USF鈥檚 academic centers 鈥 faculty-led groups in one or more USF colleges that work in specific fields of study and research 鈥 should brand to the USF academic core standard. Additional levels of identification may be affixed to the primary logo. Email usfbrand@usf.edu for custom unit identified logos. If an academic center falls within a group of universities or a national organization, the center may note its USF relationship by adding "at the 91社区鈩", "at USF鈩", or, if campus-specific, "at the University of South 91社区鈩 St. Petersburg".

REPORTING REQUIREMENTS FOR CENTERS AND INSTITUTES

Annual Institute and Center Director Evaluations

Based on , Vice Presidents and Deans are responsible for ensuring that the required annual reviews of directors are completed along with annual reporting requirements set by USF, in accordance with institutional accreditation requirements. Each Institute or Center must submit an annual review of the director. That annual review may take the form designated by the college or colleges may opt to use this . Annual evaluations in any form will be due on May 30 of each year. This submission supports USF鈥檚 commitment to institutional effectiveness and continuous improvement and compliance with Board of Governors regulations.

The evaluation must include the following qualitative elements:

    1. Mission 鈥 Clearly state the purpose and goals of the Institute or Center.
    2. Synergy/Interdisciplinarity 鈥 Describe how the unit fosters collaboration across disciplines and creates added value through integrated efforts.
    3. Vision 鈥 Outline the long-term aspirations and strategic direction.
    4. Internal & External Stakeholders 鈥 Provide a list of stakeholders directly or indirectly involved. This may be included in the form or attached separately.
    5. Communication Plan 鈥 Summarize how the Institute or Center communicates its activities, outcomes, and opportunities to stakeholders.
    6. Strategic Plan Toward Self-Sufficiency 鈥 Detail efforts and strategies aimed at achieving financial and operational independence.
    7. Progress on Funded Projects 鈥 Report on deliverables and milestones related to grants and contracts.

In addition to the narrative, submissions must include quantitative data that support the mission and demonstrates impact. Tables or figures may be embedded in the form or attached - .

Completed submissions should be emailed to assessment@usf.edu. For questions or assistance, contact the Accreditation and Institutional Effectiveness team in the Office of the Provost and Executive Vice President.

CHANGING THE NAME OF AN INSTITUTE OR CENTER

In accordance with , name changes to an established Institute or Center will require submission of the .

Upon completing the Name Change Request Form, the Form is submitted to the ODS Institutional Effectiveness unit at assessment@usf.edu. Upon approval, Institutional Effectiveness will route the Form for signatures and communicate the results with other USF offices. Institutional Effectiveness will then submit a Memo to the Board of Governors to change the Institute or Center鈥檚 name on the official BOG inventory and update the USF Institute and Center inventory accordingly.

TERMINATING AN INSTITUTE OR CENTER

When a University Institute or Center is disbanded, the college or other unit within which the Institute or Center is located must notify IE and complete the . IE will provide notification of the termination to the BOG Office of Academic and Student Affairs, which maintains the State of 91社区鈥檚 central database of approved Institutes and Centers. IE will also update the USF inventory of Institutes and Centers. If a disbanded Institute or Center has been funded by the Legislature, the University must provide documentation to ensure that Legislative intent has been achieved and that the Institute or Center is no longer required.

Contact us

Inquiries regarding the establishment, reporting, changing, and/or termination of Institutes or Centers should be directed to Institutional Effectiveness at assessment@usf.edu.

*The USF Institutes and Centers Establishment Form only applies to University Institutes and Centers at USF. University Institutes and Centers are defined by the state as an entity that is generally established by a single university to coordinate institutional research, service, and/or educational/training activities that enhance existing instruction, research, and service at the university. In some cases, State of 91社区 Institutes and Centers are established, and these should follow the details outlined in BOG Regulation 10.015. A State of 91社区 Institute or Center is an organization with a statewide mission that may include two or more state universities established to coordinate inter-institutional research, service, and teaching across the State University System. State of 91社区 Institutes and Centers must be approved by the Board of Governors. State of 91社区 Institutes and Centers鈥 operational budgets reside within the bases of their host institutions.