Academic Institute Guidelines Policy

An academic institute is an organization sponsored by SUNY Plattsburgh devoted to the study of specific topics, issues or areas. The institute should promote interdisciplinary scholarship through scholarly or applied research, creative activities, or other academic initiatives.

The following procedures for establishing academic institutes at SUNY Plattsburgh are intended to ensure that institutes constitute more than a collection of individuals interested in a particular subject. These procedures are intended to ensure that an institute contributes to the University’s long-range mission continues beyond the interests of the faculty involved in its founding, and has the full and continued support of faculty, administrators and others associated with the institute.

Guidelines

1. An academic institute shall be based within an existing administrative unit (e.g. the Office of a Dean, or the Office of the Provost and Vice-President). The administrative unit shall be responsible for providing support services to members of the institute. The administration may provide funding to establish and administer the institute. All institutes are encouraged to seek external support through the Office of Sponsored Research and Programs, and the University reserves the right to require an institute to be self-supporting.
2. An academic institute shall establish a steering committee or appropriate administrative structure to coordinate the activities of the institute in collaboration with the administrative unit. The steering committee, in partnership with the appropriate administrative office, shall assist in arranging meetings, symposia, classes, or other activities that support to the work of the institute.
3. Proposals for academic institutes should demonstrate why the proposed goals and activities can be best accomplished through an institute, rather than another organizational structure.
4. Proposals for institutes should describe the groundwork completed in preparation for establishing the institute. For example, proposals should describe and evaluate:
   
   1. Activities and projects that have already been developed or completed.
   2. Faculty, professional or community expertise that has been engaged.
   3. Research that has been conducted.
   4. Available resources (e.g., libraries, laboratories, organizations).
   5. Courses related to the proposal area of study that have been offered.
5. Proposals shall provide evidence of a long-term commitment to the goals and activities of the institute, as reflected in an annual report submitted to the head of the administrative unit in which it is based. The proposal should address the following:
   
   1. A long-range commitment of faculty and others involved with the institute. This commitment should generally demonstrated through grants or other sources of external funding, and should reflect that the institute's activities represents the primary research or teaching interests of participating faculty.
   2. A long-range commitment from relevant academic departments, which may include maintaining faculty positions in the department in areas related to the proposed academic institute.
   3. A commitment from the administration to support the institute’s activities.
   4. Efforts to secure external funding.
   5. The Institute’s potential contributions of the proposed institute to the University’s educational mission through research, program or course development, and/or community service.
   6. Long-range planning for the institute’s activities, including a list of proposed recurring activities. 
6. The initial term of an academic institute shall be three years unless it is renewed. Renewal shall occur following a process of self-study and assessment by the Deans’ Cabinet serving as the Institute Review Board. Following the initial term institutes shall be reviewed every three years for renewal. This review process is intended both to support long-range planning and to ensure that institute continue to reflect the University’s priorities, resources and areas of scholarly interests.