Administrative Structure

Disclaimer: The UF Faculty Handbook is provided as a general reference rather than the official source of university policies and guidelines. For your convenience, links to official UF documents are provided.

Board of Trustees

The UF Board of Trustees is the public body corporate of the university. It sets policy for the institution, and serves as the institution's legal owner and final authority. The UF Board of Trustees holds the institution's resources in trust and is responsible for their efficient and effective use. The UF Board of Trustees consists of six citizen members appointed by the Governor and five citizen members appointed by the Board of Governors. The Chair of the Faculty Senate and the President of the Student Body are also voting members.

President

The President is appointed by the Board of Trustees and is the chief executive officer of the university. The President is responsible for the general administration of all university activities. The Statement of Organization and Operation defines the organizational structure of the university.

Faculty Senate

The Faculty Senate is the representative body of the faculty. It operates according to the principles of shared governance, a constitutionally created system of mutual authority and responsibility, which recognizes the faculty's central role in enhancing UF's intellectual profile as well as the quality and value of the education it provides.

Senior Vice Presidents

Provost

The Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs is the chief academic officer and the second ranking officer of the University, acting for the President in his absence. The Provost/Senior Vice President supervises allocation of resources in academic areas, improvement of instruction, coordination of instructional activities, development and improvement of research activities, evaluation of university academic activity, establishment of policy with respect to employment, promotion and tenure of academic faculty and implementation of the university's Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Program.

Agriculture and Natural Resources

The Senior Vice President for Agriculture and Natural Resources administers the Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS). IFAS is a separate budgetary unit within the university, receiving its appropriated funds from the legislature through the Board of Governors, Board of Trustees and the President. A dean is responsible for coordinating the total statewide effort for IFAS in each of the functional areas of teaching, research, and extension. They are designated as the Dean for Academic Programs (Dean of the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences), Dean for Research and Director of the Florida Agricultural Experiment Station, and Dean for Extension and Director of the Florida Cooperative Extension Service. Funding for the academic mission of IFAS on campus is provided by the Provost's office.

Health Affairs

The Senior Vice President for Health Affairs has the duties and responsibilities for general supervision of the Health Science Center (HSC). The HSC is a separate budgetary entity within the University of Florida, receiving its appropriated funds from the legislature through the Board of Governors, Board of Trustees, and the President. The Senior Vice President for Health Affairs oversees the relationship of the Health Science Center with Shands Teaching Hospital, Shands HealthCare, and Shands Jacksonville. The UF President serves as the President of the Shand HealthCare Board of Directors. The Shands and Shands Jacksonville hospitals are the primary teaching sites of the College of Medicine physicians and are training sites for the Colleges of Dentistry, Public Health and Health Professions, Nursing, Medicine, and Pharmacy. Funds generated by patient care activities are used to support College operations and the Senior Vice President for Health Affairs has oversight responsibility for these practice plan corporations. Funding for the academic mission of the Health Science Center in Dentistry, Public Health and Health Professions, Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy, and Veterinary Medicine is provided by the Provost's office.

Administration

The Senior Vice President for Administration serves as the chief administrative officer for the university and is responsible for the overall leadership, management and organization of central administrative units. Reporting directly to the Senior Vice President of Administration are the Vice President for Business affairs, the Vice President for Human Resource Services, the Chief Information Officer, the Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, the Chief Audit Executive and the Chief Privacy Officer.

Vice Presidents

Reporting to the president at the vice presidential level are the following major areas of the university:

Development and Alumni Affairs

The Vice President for Development and Alumni Affairs is responsible for, and directs and coordinates, the operations associated with the receipt, management, investment, and administration of resources generated for the university by the University of Florida Foundation, Inc., and the University of Florida Alumni Association.

Division of Business Affairs

The Vice President for Division of Business Affairs is the chief fiscal and business officer of the university with responsibilities encompassing all campus budgetary units and serves as fiscal and business advisor to the President.

Finance

The Office of the Vice President and Chief Financial Officer is responsible for the budget, finance & accounting and financial analysis for the university. The placement of all financial information into one office allows for cost-tracking measures, better strategic decisions and identifying efficiencies. The Chief Financial Officer is responsible for supporting the creation of new revenue sources as the University of Florida progresses toward an entrepreneurial future.

General Counsel

The Office of the Vice President and General Counsel provides legal advice and representation to the university, its component units and affiliated entities, and to its employees while acting within the scope and course of their employment.

Human Resource Services

The Vice President for Human Resource Services is responsible for the design, development, and implementation of all human resource management functions including recruitment, classification and compensation, training and organizational development, benefits and retirement programs, employee and labor relations, leave management, human resource-related policies, workers' compensation and unemployment benefits.

Research

The Vice President for Research is the director of the Research and Graduate Programs of the university. The Vice President is designated by the President to carry out the responsibilities of the Division of Sponsored Research and the University of Florida Research Foundation, as well as federal compliance issues related to animal care and human subjects.

Student Affairs

The Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs is available to assist all University of Florida students and groups. The Division of Student Affairs supports the academic mission of the University of Florida by preparing students to assume roles of leadership, involvement, and service as productive citizens in a culturally diverse, technologically sophisticated and increasingly complex society.

University Athletic Association, Inc.

The University Athletic Association, Inc. (UAA) is responsible for the intercollegiate athletics program at the University of Florida. The Athletics Director reports directly to the President and retains overall responsibility for the health and stability of the program.

University Relations

The Vice President for University Relations serves the university community in securing funding and substantive legislation that enables UF to provide research, teaching, and service. The office works closely with government officials and their staff at the federal, state, and local levels to advocate issues of importance to the university. The legislative priorities for the university are coordinated through the President's Office for all of the university's entities, including Health Affairs, the Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, and general education. The Vice President for University Relations is also responsible for directing the assessments of UF's communication programs and conducting strategic planning activities. The Office of University Relations promotes positive relations between the University of Florida and its many constituents through integrating and coordinating the university's various public relations, communications, publications and news operations.

More information about UF's organization can be found in the UF Organization Chart, Statement of Organization and Operation and Faculty Handbook.

Colleges & Academic Units

The college is the basic degree-granting unit of the university and may include departments, centers, and schools. The Dean is the chief administrative officer of a college and is appointed by the Provost (as the President's designee). The Dean has the authority and the responsibility for the administration and supervision of the college, and is the agent of the faculty for the execution of educational policy.

Except for the Graduate School, a school is a unit subordinate to a college organized for a special program of studies. The administrative officer of a school is the director. The department is the fundamental unit of academic and administrative organization. The administrative officers of departments are Chairs. Chairs and directors have the authority and responsibility for the administration and supervision of all activities of the department. Chairs and directors are responsible to their Deans and to their respective Vice Presidents.

The teaching, research, and extension functions of a department or school are conducted by the faculty under the auspices of the chair or director.

UF Colleges and Schools:

Centers & Institutes

Centers and institutes focus on domains of knowledge that reside within a discipline or are cross-disciplinary in scope. These organizational mechanisms can be used to provide greater depth in teaching and/or research to a narrower range of problems within a discipline or to apply a broader vision to problems that cross traditional knowledge boundaries. Centers and institutes are established and abolished according to specific funding and program needs. The administrative officers of these units are directors.

Complete list of active institutes and centers and information on centers and institutes

IFAS Research and Education Centers

Within the UF/IFAS mission, the Florida Agricultural Experiment Station (FAES) is the entity through which the university conducts research in cooperation with the USDA. FAES's mission is to invent, discover, and develop applications of knowledge in support of the agricultural, human, and natural resource industries of Florida. The UF/IFAS statewide research program is administered through a variety of locations throughout the state.

UF/IFAS County Extension Offices

The Florida Cooperative Extension Service is the administrative entity through which UF cooperates with federal and local governments in the administration of the food, agricultural, natural and renewable resources, family and consumer sciences, 4-H, community resource development, energy extension, and marine advisory programs statewide. A UF/IFAS Extension office is operated in each of the 67 counties of Florida under the leadership of a county extension director.

Governance

Faculty of the University of Florida are encouraged to participate in the collegiate system of shared governance. The information contained in this section deals with those structures and processes involved in university decision-making.

Rules and Documents

As a state educational institution, the university is governed by federal and Florida law, the policies and directives of the Board of Governors and the University of Florida Board of Trustees, and the University of Florida Rules as set forth in the Florida Administrative Code.

Florida Constitution and Statutes

The Constitution of the State of Florida is an organized system of fundamental principles for the government of the state. It is of a permanent and general nature and originates from the people rather than from the Legislature. Article IX, Section 7 addresses the State University System.

The Florida Statutes are a permanent collection of state laws organized by subject area into a code made up of titles, chapters, parts, and sections. The Florida Statutes are updated annually by laws that create, amend, or repeal statutory material. Title XLVIII covers the K-20 Education Code.

Florida Administrative Code

The Florida Administrative Code (FAC) is a compilation of the rules and regulations of state agencies that have been previously adopted and filed with the Department of State pursuant to the provisions of Chapter 120, Florida Statutes.

Chapter 6C1 of the Florida Administrative Code covers the University of Florida Rules, and is divided into seven sections:

Constitution of the University of Florida & By-Laws of the Faculty Senate

The Constitution, originally approved in 1929 by the Board of Control, was amended and ratified by action of the University Senate in 1964. The Constitution, as well as the Bylaws of the Faculty Senate have since been amended by action of the Senate. The provisions of the Constitution and By-laws are governed by and subordinate to the rules and regulations of the Florida Administrative Code, and the legal requirements of state and federal statutes.

Governing Bodies

State of Florida

The Florida Board of Education consists of 7 members appointed by the Governor. The Board is the implementing and coordinating body for public education in Florida.

The Commissioner of Education is the chief educational officer of the state, and is responsible for giving full assistance to the Board of Education in enforcing compliance with the mission and goals of the seamless K-20 education system.

The Florida Department of Education is the administrative and supervisory agency under the implementation direction of the Board of Education. Within the Florida Department of Education is the Division of Colleges and Universities headed by the Chancellor of Colleges and Universities.

In addition, the Florida Board of Governors coordinates the State University System. It also strengthens and supports the function of the 11 individual University Boards of Trustees.

University of Florida

The University of Florida Board of Trustees is the "body corporate" for the university and as such holds the institution's financial, physical, and human assets and operations in trust. It is also responsible for the efficient and effective use of resources. The Board may adopt rules and policies consistent with the university's mission, as allowed by law.

The Faculty Senate considers matters of concern to more than one college or school, and matters of general university interest. The Faculty Senate may make such rules, regulations and by-laws as it deems advisable for the fulfillment of its duties. The Senate's actions are subject to the approval of the President and, in appropriate instances, the Board of Trustees, and are not otherwise required to be adopted as rules by the university pursuant to the Administrative Procedures Act.

The Administrative Council consists of the President, Provost, Vice Presidents, Vice Provosts, Associate and Assistant Vice Presidents, Deans, Presidential Appointees, Student Representatives, Associate Members, and Trustees. The Administrative Council provides a channel for communication among its members for matters of general university concern. The Council does not make policy, but provides a vehicle for consideration of policies brought forth by the President or other members.

University Committees, Boards, and Councils exist to consider university issues ranging from academic freedom to Title IX intercollegiate athletics. Faculty are appointed to committees by the Faculty Senate and/or the President or vice presidents. Faculty are encouraged to serve on university committees and can indicate their willingness to do so by contacting their department chair, dean, Chair of the Senate Nominating Committee, or the Office of the Provost.