SUBJECT:	Proposed Revisions to Procedures for the Transfer, Consolidation, Disestablishment, and Discontinuance of Academic Programs and Units

Dear Colleagues:

During the past academic year, a total of twenty graduate and undergraduate degree programs were proposed for discontinuance in various departments. Pursuant to the procedures set forth in Appendix IV of the Academic Senate Bylaws and Regulations, Policy and Procedures on Transfer, Consolidation, Disestablishment, and Discontinuance of Academic Programs and Units, the Senate Council constituted a Senate Ad Hoc Review Committee to review the proposals. The Senate Council also instructed the committee to review the procedures in Appendix IV, with an eye to streamlining the process for the transfer, consolidation, disestablishment, and discontinuance of academic programs and units, but strengthening guarantees of broad consultation and procedural fairness. A Note on Terminology. According to the Systemwide "Compendium: University-wide Review Processes for Academic Programs, Academic Units, and Research Units":

• Discontinuance refers to eliminating an academic program.


• Disestablishment refers to eliminating an academic or research unit


• Transfer refers to moving a program or unit into another one that subsumes it


• Consolidation refers to combining two or more programs or units to form a new unified program or unit.

The new "Compendium: Universitywide Review Processes for Academic Programs, Academic Units, and Research Units," currently under review, introduces the term "reconstitution" to refer to a unified plan involving any one or more of these procedures.

These rules govern the process for any and all academic units and programs on campus that are proposed for transfer, consolidation, disestablishment, or discontinuance. Since there are likely to be more such proposals in the near future, the Ad Hoc Committee is requesting input from all campus faculty regarding this process. These comments will be taken into account by the Ad Hoc Review Committee when formulating the new procedures. The proposal can be found at: http://senate.ucsd.edu/FrontPageDocs/Appendix IV Revision.pdf. Current procedures for the process can be found at: http://senate.ucsd.edu/manual/appendices/app4.htm

We stress that the current recommendations are preliminary. We request that input from the faculty be submitted no later than June 7, 2010, so that we can take this into account at the Committee's June 8, 2010 meeting. Please direct all comments to Julia Partridge (jkpartridge@ucsd.edu).

Sincerely, Philip G. Roeder, Chair Senate Ad Hoc Review Committee to Review Proposed Disestablishment of Degree Programs