PLNU's Colleges, Schools, and Academic Departments serve as the home for ranked faculty; academic majors; curricular review and change; assessment of student outcomes; advising, registration, counsel, and support for students with declared majors; and the long-term point of contact for alumni.

In addition to these academic organizational units, centers have been established on the main campus that reflect its values and emphases. By definition, a University Center has clearly stated goals and programmatic initiatives in support of the broad mission of the University; its director normally reports to a dean or cabinet member. Once established, the appropriate vice president and the administrative cabinet must approve substantive changes in goals or major initiatives, as well as budgetary, space, or staffing requests. Initial recognition as a University Center requires action by the president.

An academic center, in comparison, has a more specialized, narrow programmatic focus that supports and enhances the academic program of the University. A center must have a clearly stated set of goals in support of either the instructional program (curriculum) or the scholarly agenda of the institution. A center has a director (usually a ranked faculty member), an established operating budget, appropriate staffing, and designated space. Even though the focus may be interdisciplinary, it is usually housed in a department/school.* The department/school and the Provost's Council must approve substantive changes in program goals and major initiatives, as well as requests for additional budget, space, and staffing. Initial recognition of an academic center requires the following steps:

1. Departmental/school recognition and recommendation,
2. Approval by the Provost's Council,
3. Approval by the Academic Policies Committee,
4. Approval by the Faculty.

*Some interdisciplinary programs may function best by answering directly to a steering committee and reporting to a college dean. When this is the case, the steering committee functions in the place of the academic unit in terms of management. The Provost's Council and the Academic Policies Committee must approve this alternative arrangement. Regardless of the management structure, all courses must carry school or department designations.