University Policy-Making Policy

Effective Date:
September 27, 2023
Applies To:
Classified Staff, Appointed Personnel, University Staff
Responsible Units:
University Initiatives & Policy
Status:
Active

Purpose and Summary

  1. The purpose of this Policy is to ensure that University Policies are thoroughly reviewed, formally approved, implemented, maintained, publicized, and made broadly available to the University Community via the University Policies website.
  2. A standardized process for University Policy development promotes shared governance, transparency, institutional efficiency and effectiveness, mitigates risk, and enhances compliance and accountability.

Scope

This Policy applies to the University Community.

Definitions

Academic Policy means a Policy that applies to courses, course syllabi, grading, instruction, curriculum, academic program requirements, minors, majors, certificates, degrees, academic credit, transfer credits, credit equivalencies, general education, and academic progress. Academic Policies should follow the Academic Policies Approval Process. The University Policy-Making Policy does not apply to or govern Academic Policies.

Policy means a statement that mandates or constrains actions and may affect the rights or duties of the University Community or general public. Policies are enacted to ensure compliance with applicable laws, regulations, and/or Arizona Board of Regents (ABOR) Policies; reduce institutional risk; promote operational efficiencies; and safeguard the University mission and core values. 

Policy Sponsor means the administrator or compliance professional who oversees the Unit that is responsible for the Policy.

Responsible Unit means the Unit that initiates a request for a new University Policy or to revise or repeal a current University Policy, consults with shared governance groups of elected faculty representatives and other shared governance groups, interprets and administers University Policies under its authority, oversees compliance of the University Policy, and regularly reviews and makes recommendations for updating, revising, or repealing its University Policies.

Unit means any University college, school, department, program, or other operating unit.

Unit Policy means a Policy that applies only within a particular Unit or only to the operations or transactions within a particular Unit and that are overseen by a particular Unit. The University Policy-Making Policy does not apply to or govern Unit Policies.

University Community means any of the following individuals: University student; University employee; or third party, including, but not limited to contractors, vendors, volunteers, and designated campus colleagues.

University Policy means a Policy with broad application across the University that is approved by the president.

Policy

  1. Any effort to create a new University Policy or to substantively edit, revise, or completely replace any existing University Policy must follow shared governance principles and the procedures set out in the Procedure for Creating and Revising University Policies.
  2. Revisions required by law or regulation or non-substantive edits that do not materially change the intent of a University Policy (e.g., correcting names, titles, hyperlinks, typographical or grammatical errors, etc.) must follow the procedures set out in the Procedure for Requesting Edits to University Policies that are Non-Substantive or are Required by Law or ABOR Policy.
  3. Any effort to repeal an existing University Policy must follow the procedures set out in the Procedure for Repealing Existing University Policies.
  4. Any effort to request a new interim University Policy, or change an existing University Policy to interim status, must follow the procedures set out in the Procedure for Requesting an Interim University Policy.
  5. University Policies enacted, substantively or non-substantively revised, renewed, or repealed in the last year will be noted on the University Policies website.
  6. Policies must be consistent with, and cannot be less restrictive than, the laws, regulations or Policies that are higher in the University Policy hierarchy, which is as follows:
    1. Federal or State laws or regulations
    2. ABOR Policies
    3. University or Academic Policies
    4. Unit Policies​
  7. University Policies are systematically reviewed by the Responsible Unit and the Policy Sponsor, at a minimum every five (5) years to determine whether (a) the University Policy is still needed or should be repealed; (b) revisions are needed; and (c) there are gaps that indicate where a new University Policy should be developed. The Policy Sponsor must communicate to University Initiatives & Policy any proposed revisions to a current University Policy, the addition of a new University Policy, or the need to repeal an existing University Policy.

Compliance

University Initiatives & Policy is responsible for overseeing compliance with this Policy.

Policy Feedback

We want to respond to your policy inquiries as quickly and efficiently as possible. For questions or comments regarding a particular policy or to notify us of broken links or typographical errors, please provide this information below.

Please Note: Policy feedback is available to the Policy Office, Policy Sponsor, and elected shared governance representatives, upon request, for policies impacting the populations they represent.

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