Definition of University of Nebraska Program

Definition of University of Nebraska Program Sections 4.4.1, 4.7.1, 4.9, 4.11 of the Bylaws of the Board of Regents of the University of Nebraska (the “Bylaws”) provide that Special Appointments, Appointments for a Specific Term, Health Professions Appointments and Continuous Appointments may be terminated by the university when there is a “bona fide discontinuance of a program or department.”

Departments are specifically provided for in Section 2.10 of the Bylaws. However, the Bylaws do not provide a definition of what constitutes a “program.”

For the purposes of Sections 4.4.1, 4.7.1, 4.9, 4.11 and 4.12 of the Bylaws definitions of academic, and support and service programs to be used when considering possible budget reallocation and reduction actions are:

1. Academic program. An academic program shall be defined by any one or more of the following characteristics:
   1. includes the word “College,” “School,” “Department,” “Center,” “Institute,” “Division,” “Program,” “Bureau,” “Clinic” or “Laboratory” as part of its title;
   2. is headed by a person with academic rank entitled “dean,” “director,” “chair,” “chief,” “coordinator,” or “head;”
   3.  leads to a degree, a certificate, a major, a minor, a credential, a diploma or continuing education units;
   4.  has a sequence of specific academic requirements;
   5. is a distinct academic option or track within a larger unit;
   6. has received administrative approval at the campus level or above to be a distinct academic, research or service function;
2. Support and service program. Any unit that does not have one or more of the foregoing characteristics of an academic program will be defined as a support and service program.