Purpose:

To designate an operational Policies and Procedures Manual for the University of Northern Iowa; to define policy and procedure initiating authorities; and to establish the framework and standard policy format for the development, review, approval, and dissemination for university policies and procedures.

Policy Statement:

The University of Northern Iowa Policies and Procedures Manual shall include and document the policies and procedures applicable to the entire university.

Procedure:

1. University policy recommendations may arise from several sources within the university but the most usual are: the University Faculty Senate, the Cabinet, the Northern Iowa Student Government, nonacademic committees, and a wide range of additional committees, most of whom report to one of the bodies listed above. Policy also may be imposed on the university as a consequence of actions by the Regents, legislature, courts, or other governmental agencies to which the university is legally subject.

   It may not be possible to delineate exactly the jurisdiction of each policy recommending body. Reliance on general traditions of university life in the United States should provide an adequate guide for many jurisdictional questions. For example, faculty bodies have traditionally assumed a major role in the development of educational policy. Educational policy is understood to embrace all matters affecting the curriculum as well as other academic related areas. Faculty groups may also participate in the creation or review of personnel policies concerning the appointment and review of academic administrators. Obviously, some policy questions affect more than one constituency, and jurisdiction is shared. More than one group may be involved in the preparation of some policies; for example, it has become customary for students to participate in formulation of some educational policies.

2. The President’s Cabinet shall establish a Policy Review Committee consisting of seven administrative representatives to review new and revised drafts of university policies. The Policy Review Committee shall include a representative from each of the divisions (Academic Affairs and Provost, Educational and Student Services, Administration and Finance, University Advancement, Executive Assistant to the President), Human Resource Services, and the Office of Operations Auditor. The Committee shall meet with the appropriate drafting body before passing a policy on to the Cabinet for approval. The Committee may send back drafted policies to the appropriate body for revision until a final draft is approved to be passed on to the Cabinet. Committee members will be appointed to three year terms by their respective administrative heads.

3. Each university policy shall

   1. carry a notation of its date of adoption and administrative source, and
   2. carry a notation of its approval on a certain date by the President’s Cabinet, (and by the State Board of Regents, if required) and
   3. be broadcast in summary via e-mail to university faculty and staff members. The e-mail message shall contain the effective date of the new or revised policy, as well as where the full text of the policy may be accessed (e.g., on the UNI Policies and Procedures web page).

4. After broadcasting via e-mail to university faculty and staff members, the policy shall be published in the Policies and Procedures Manual of the university. The policy may also be published in other university publications. The Policies and Procedures Manual maintained in the President’s Office shall serve as the official archival depository for policies and procedures at the University of Northern Iowa. A copy of the Policies and Procedures Manual will be available for reference at the University of Northern Iowa Library.

5. The standard policy format is:

   Policy Title:
   Purpose:
   Policy Statement:
   Procedure: (if necessary)
   Line of Authority and approval date:
   President’s Cabinet approval date:

6. The Office of Operations Auditor shall maintain, update and edit the university policy and procedure records. The office shall have the authority to make non-substantive changes to university policies without Cabinet or Policy Review Committee approval so long as the office discusses the changes with the appropriate bodies.

7. The Office of Operations Auditor shall be responsible for notifying the campus community on new or revised policies. Colleges and departments of the university are encouraged to formulate and to publish official policy statements for their jurisdictions. Such policy statements must be consistent with official university policy statements.

8. Policies and procedures maintained in the Policies and Procedures Manual shall be periodically reviewed within a time period of no longer than five years.

Office of Operations Auditor
President’s Cabinet Approved, 8/31/98