A department is a unit that houses faculty under a common disciplinary umbrella. A department has at least 5 [five] 75% appointed tenured/tenure-track faculty. This number represents, in the view of the College, a minimal size for faculty governance to handle matters such as promotion and tenure, faculty searches, mentoring and developing faculty and students, and having sufficient faculty to assume departmental leadership roles. A department must offer at least one undergraduate major and advance the College’s graduate educational mission. A department may also administer an interdisciplinary program, which is offered primarily through cross-listed courses with the cooperation of faculty from other units

A department is led by a Departmental Executive Officer (DEO), who has the responsibility and authority for supervision of the faculty in that unit including hiring, reviews, service and teaching assignments, and promotion and tenure processes. The DEO has the ultimate responsibility for the financial and space allocations to faculty and programs within the unit subject to the advice and consent of the Dean. The DEO is appointed by, reports to, and serves at the pleasure of the Dean. The DEO may appoint a Director of Undergraduate Studies (DUS) and/or Director of Graduate Studies (DGS) subject to the policies defined in that Department's CLAS-approved *Manual of Procedures (MOP)*."

A school functions administratively as a department; the name is used as a matter of convention to reflect its diverse collection of programs or accreditation/licensure issues.

A division is not an administrative structure but rather an informal collaboration of departments and/or programs.

A program, either undergraduate or graduate, is a collection of courses and requirements that, when completed, leads to a degree from the College. Programs are housed within departments and may be administered by an area head who coordinates the curriculum and other related duties as assigned. Area heads are appointed by and report to the DEO of the program’s home Department.