Campus Organization and Government

1.    The Faculty

By accepting a faculty appointment at this university, an individual assumes a responsibility to pursue scholarly activities which necessitate free inquiry, free expression, intellectual honesty, respect for the dignity and rights of others, and openness to change. The rights and responsibilities exercised within the academic community must be compatible with these characteristics.  Academic freedom is essential to the functioning of a university. It applies to its teaching, research, and public service and involves both the faculty and students. Faculty members are responsible for providing students with the same kind of freedom that they claim for themselves, namely, the freedom to consider conflicting views and to make their own evaluations of data, evidence, and doctrines. Furthermore, faculty members have a responsibility to maintain an atmosphere conducive to intellectual inquiry and rationale.

2.   The Department: Head and Advisory Committee, or Chair and Executive Committee

The department is the primary unit of education and administration within the university. It is organized either with a head or a chair.  The role of both the head and the chair are defined in the University of Illinois Statutes as outlined below.  The performance of the head or chair shall be evaluated a least once every five years.

The head of a department is appointed without a specified term by the Board of Trustees on recommendation of the chancellor and the president, after consultation with the dean of the college and all members of the departmental faculty. In each department organized with a head, the head of the department has the power to determine matters that do not affect other departments or properly come under the supervision of larger administrative units. The head of the department consults with an advisory committee, elected by and from the faculty of the department or (in departments of not more than five faculty members) consisting of the entire faculty.

A chair is appointed annually by the Board of Trustees on recommendation of the chancellor and the president, after consultation with the dean of the college and the executive committee of the department. In each department organized with a chair, the faculty of the department has the power to determine such matters that do not affect relations with other departments or colleges that properly come under the supervision of larger administrative units. The chair of the department is assisted by an executive committee, elected annually by and from the faculty of the department or (in departments of not more than five faculty members) consisting of the entire faculty.

3.   The College: Dean and Executive Committee

The college is an educational and administrative group composed of departments and other units with common educational interests. It is governed in its internal administration by its faculty, which in this sense consists of those academic staff members in the college with faculty rank who are tenured or are receiving probationary credit toward tenure, and those administrators in the direct line of responsibility for academic affairs (the dean, provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs, chancellor, and president). Other persons with faculty rank may also belong to the faculty of a college or other academic unit, if the college bylaws so specify. Subject to the jurisdiction of the senate, the college has the fullest measure of autonomy consistent with the maintenance of general university educational policy and correct academic and administrative relations with other divisions of the university.

The dean is the chief executive officer of the college, responsible to the chancellor for its administration, and is the agent of the college faculty for the execution of college educational policy. The dean is appointed annually by the Board of Trustees, on recommendation of the chancellor and the president with the advice of the executive committee of the college. The performance of the dean shall be evaluated at least once every five years in a manner to be determined by the college faculty. The executive committee consists of two or more members elected annually by and from the faculty of the college. It acts in an advisory capacity to the dean, who is an ex officio member and chairperson, and transacts business delegated to it by the faculty.

4.   The School: Dean or Director

In addition to colleges and departments, there may be other units of a campus—such as a school, institute, or center—of an intermediate character designed to meet particular needs. Such a unit organized independently of a college is governed by the same regulations as a college; if organized within a college, the unit is governed by the unit’s faculty. The chief executive officer of the school or similar campus unit is the dean or director.

5.   Colleges and Schools at UIC

UIC has 15 academic colleges. The Health Sciences colleges—Applied Health Sciences, Dentistry, Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy, Public Health, and Social Work—report to the vice chancellor for health affairs.  All other colleges—Architecture, Design, and the Arts, Business Administration, Education, Engineering, Liberal Arts and Sciences, Urban Planning and Public Affairs, along with the Graduate College, Honors College, and University Library—report to the provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs.

Specific information on each college and school can be accessed from the UIC home page from the “Academics” tab under Colleges & Schools.

6.   The Graduate College

The Graduate College has jurisdiction over most programs leading to graduate degrees on the UIC campus. The principal administrative head of the Graduate College is the dean, who is appointed in the same manner as the deans of other colleges. The faculty of the Graduate College consists of the president, the chancellor, the provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs, the vice chancellor for health affairs, the dean of the Graduate College, and all those who, on the recommendation of the departments or other teaching or research divisions that house a program under the umbrella of the Graduate College, have been approved by the executive committee, and the dean of the Graduate College to assume appropriate academic responsibilities in programs leading to graduate degrees.

7.   The Honors College

The UIC Honors College enhances opportunities for intellectual challenge and leadership by fostering a community of academic excellence, connecting students with premier faculty mentors and promoting civic engagement.  By bringing together exceptional students, faculty, and staff, the Honors College is a destination for advanced intellectual growth and a foundation for life-long learning.

8.   University Library

The University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) Library is a partner with faculty in research, teaching, outreach, and clinical practice. The Library meets the information needs of UIC students, faculty, and staff by acquiring, organizing, and archiving information resources in all formats and by providing expert staff that provide instruction in the retrieval, evaluation, and use of information. The UIC Library also expands the information services available through a variety of cooperative and reciprocal programs, regionally, nationally, and internationally. The library faculty conducts research that addresses the theoretical and practical aspects of information organization, preservation, retrieval, and delivery.

The University Library provides collections and services in support of campus instructional and research programs at the following locations: the Richard J. Daley Library and the Libraries of the Health Sciences in Chicago, Peoria, Rockford, and Urbana.  Library resources and services are also available through the Library’s website.  The physical holdings of the Library include books, journals, microforms, maps, manuscripts, curriculum materials, music scores and recordings, and pamphlets.  The Library also offers an extensive array of workshops for faculty and students on topics such as evidence-based practice, copyright, open access, data management, citation tools, publishing, and enhancing one’s impact and hosts an online open access journal publishing system for faculty editors and the University’s institutional repository, INDIGO.

9.   Institutes, Centers, and Similar Campus Units:  Director                 

The University of Illinois at Chicago supports centers and institutes which have research, service, and in some cases, teaching missions, and are typically run by a director and an executive committee.  As a general rule, centers and institutes are separate administrative units reporting to either the dean of a college or the vice chancellor for research.  They are established by the Board of Trustees on the recommendation of the president, and approved by the Illinois Board of Higher Education.   Refer to the Office of Academic Programs policies for center and institute approval for further information.

10.  Chancellor, Provost and Vice Chancellors

UIC is one of three distinct campuses of the University of Illinois System and its chief executive officer is the president. Under the direction of the president, a chancellor at each campus serves as the chief executive officer for the campus. The chancellors are appointed annually by the Board of Trustees on the recommendation of the president.

There is a vice chancellor for academic affairs at each campus, who also serves as the provost. As chief academic officer under the chancellor, the provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs serves as chief executive officer in the absence of the chancellor. The provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs is appointed annually by the Board of Trustees on recommendation of the appropriate chancellor and the president (with the advice of the UIC senate). There are additional vice chancellors and other administrative officers with campus-wide responsibilities and duties as delegated by the chancellor. A list of the vice chancellors and senior officers along with a link to their respective websites may be accessed from the UIC home page from the “About” tab, under Leadership.