OII Home :

Review of Interdisciplinary Research Centers

The University of Minnesota established a policy in July 2007 for establishing, operating, and evaluating entities seeking designation as university-wide centers.  The category of centers draws membership from multiple colleges and is authorized by the President and Senior Vice Presidents to support and advance research, education, or public engagement initiatives aligned with key University strategic priorities.  There is a separate policy governing the establishment, operation, and evaluation of of collegiate and intercollegiate centers.

Based on its extensive experience administering the parallel process of academic program reviews, The Graduate School has been charged with responsibility for administering the review of institutes and centers seeking university-wide designation, as well as managing the periodic review of designated centers to ensure their vitality and continuing alignment with the institution’s strategic priorities, and to assess their performance over time.  In addition to university-wide centers, university-wide strategic initiatives may be referred to The Graduate School for periodic review at the discretion of the administrator to whom they report. 

These reviews generally include the preparation of a proposal or self-study by the institute or center scheduled for review and the appointment of an external team of experts to conduct the assessment.   Findings from the review process inform decision-making about the designation, continuation, or termination of university-wide institutes and centers. 

Associate Professor Doug Ernie, former Associate Head of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, joined The Graduate School at the start of the 2007-2008 academic year in the position of Associate Dean with responsibility for coordinating the center review process.  Professor Ernie also conducts academic program reviews for The Graduate School.