Procedure 100: University Policies and Procedures

University Procedure #100

Section 1. Purpose

It is the purpose of this procedure to clarify the course of action by which the university will draft or update university policies and procedures for conducting the business and functions of the university as authorized by and in compliance with the Minnesota State Board of Trustees policies and system procedures, federal and state statutes, federal and state agency rules, and collective bargaining agreements.

Section 2. Definitions

• Alternative Format: The structure and composition of documents (standard print and/or digital) and internet applications to be usable by people with disabilities. Accessible formats may include, but not be limited to, large print, recorded audio, and Braille as well as formats for use with assistive technologies.
• Operating Guidelines: Written documents that support or clarify procedures for the daily operations of the university, particularly regarding information that is subject to frequent changes. Guidelines, in this sense, are documents that implement procedures and are not intended to include every function or task at the university.
• Review: A University policy or procedure may be updated, amended, or revoked as circumstances indicate. The Office of the President shall maintain a schedule by which university policies and procedures will be reviewed and continued, updated, amended, or revoked (e.g., every three years).

Section 3. Procedure

Normally, the development, revision, or revocation of university policies and procedures will originate with the President and the President’s Executive Cabinet.

• The responsible Executive Cabinet member may draft and initiate review of the policies and procedures, or revocation of an existing policy and procedure, needed to conduct the business and functions of the University within their scope of responsibility, including consulting with the Minnesota State system office as needed to ensure compliance with Minnesota State Board of Trustees policies, system procedures, state and federal laws, rules, or regulations, and collective bargaining agreements. Additionally, each Executive Cabinet member will periodically review, or review as necessitated by changing circumstances, each policy and procedure related to their scope of responsibility.
• The responsible Executive Cabinet member shall consult with divisional colleagues, executive colleagues, and end-users as needed, prior to presenting the new or revised policy or procedure, or proposing to revoke an existing policy or procedure, to the Policy and Procedure Review Council for review.
• The responsible Executive Cabinet member shall engage the appropriate University Council(s) or committee(s) to contribute to drafting, revising, or recommending revocation of a University policy or procedure. The Council may forward the draft to the Policy and Procedure Review Council, and to the Executive Cabinet member, to request review.
• A new policy or procedure draft may be submitted to the Policy and Procedure Review Council by any university council or committee, and the review or revocation of an existing policy or procedure may be requested by any university council or committee. In this case, the Policy and Procedure Review Council shall consult with the Executive Cabinet member who is responsible for the policy/procedure and/or the President.
• The Policy and Procedure Review Council will review, discuss, and revise the submitted policies and procedures, or proposed revocation, and then submit them to the President’s Executive Cabinet for review and discussion.
• Differential Impacts: Consistent with the university’s vision of becoming an anti-racist and inclusive learning community, the university will maintain a formal liaison between the Policy and Procedure Review Council and the Equity and Inclusion and Anti-Racism Council to ensure review for potential differential impacts based on racial, cultural, or social group identity, affinity, or ability. The Equity and Inclusion and Anti-Racism Council shall provide its responses within sixty (60) days or shall notify the Policy and Procedure Review Council if additional time is needed for review.
• Policies or procedures that are found to have disparate impacts on any group shall be referred to the Policy and Procedure Council to be revised to eliminate such disparities, and shall subsequently be reviewed to assure that disparate impacts due to the policy or procedure have not persisted.
• Any individual or campus group may ask the Equity and Inclusion and Anti-Racism Council or the Policy and Procedure Review Council to request review of an existing policy or procedure to assess any disparate impact on any group.
• If there is reason to believe that any group may be affected adversely as the result of a proposed policy or procedure, or the revocation of a policy or procedure, a statement describing those impacts must be appended, with an explanation of why there is no practicable alternative policy or procedure that does not have, or has a lesser, disparate impact.
• The President, with assistance from Executive Cabinet members, will formally present and confer about proposed policies and proposed revisions or revocations to university policies with the bargaining units (through Meet and Confer or other governance venues) and will invite comments on proposed policies and procedures from the university community.
• The President and the Executive Cabinet members will review feedback and make needed changes to policies and procedures prior to final Presidential approval.
• Following the President’s formal approval, the Office of the President will assign a number to the approved policy or procedure (as outlined below), and will announce, post, and make the new or revised policy or procedure, and all revocations, available and accessible to the university community.
• The responsible Executive Cabinet Member will develop communications, guidelines, or training materials as needed to implement new or revised university policies and procedures.
• The President, in consultation with relevant stakeholders, may revoke a policy or procedure which has become unnecessary, or may call for its review and revision.
• The President’s Office will maintain the official electronic file of all signed original policies and procedures, updates, and revocations.

Section 4. Style and Format

1. University policies and procedures will be written in accordance with the format reflected in the templates maintained by the President’s Office.
2. Policies and procedures will include the title of the policy or procedure and the policy or procedure number, as assigned by the President’s Office.
3. All university policies will include the sections listed below; additional sections may be included as appropriate to the particular policy:
   • Purpose—brief statement of why the policy is needed and what it will accomplish
   • Definitions—brief explanations of the meaning of key terms for purposes of the specific policy
   • Policy—the policy statement
   • Authority—statement of the authority by which the policy is promulgated.
   • Effective Date—when the policy will take effect.
   • Responsibility—the position of the person(s) responsible for implementing and revising the policy.
   • Review—a timeframe for future reviews of the policy
   • Signature—President’s signature and date
4. All University procedures will include the sections listed below; additional sections may be included as appropriate to the particular procedure:
   • Purpose—brief statement of why the procedure is needed and what it will accomplish
   • Definitions—brief explanations of the meaning of key terms for purposes of the specific procedure
   • Procedure—the action steps by which the related procedure will be operationalized; may be presented as a single section or a number of sections
   • Authority—statement of the authority by which the procedure is promulgated
   • Effective Date—when the procedure will take effect.
   • Responsibility—the position of the person(s) responsible for implementing and revising the procedure.
   • Review—a timeframe for future reviews of the procedure.
   • Signature—President’s signature and date
5. Effective with approval of this policy, University policies and procedures will contain annotations as to dates of approval and/or revision, a brief statement of revisions in the footnotes section, and any statements explaining potential differential impacts.
6. Numbering: University policies and procedures will be numbered as follows:

Policies:
1000-1999—All-University
2000-2999—Academic Affairs
3000-3999—Student Affairs
4000-4999—Finance and Operations
5000-5999—Human Resources
6000-6999—University Advancement
7000-7999—Information Technology & Institutional Research
9000-9999—Miscellaneous
Procedures:
100-199—All-University
200-299—Academic Affairs
300-399—Student Affairs
400-499—Finance and Operations
500-599—Human Resources
600-699—University Advancement
700-799—Information Technology & Institutional Research
900-999—Miscellaneous

7. Operating Guidelines: Departments are encouraged to develop operating guidelines that support or clarify procedures for the daily operations of the university, particularly regarding information that is subject to frequent changes. Operating guidelines are not considered policy or procedure, and therefore are not subject to the implementation requirements addressed in this procedure or its accompanying policy. Guidelines may be the subject of meet and confer when bargaining unit members bring forward concerns that such guidelines are functioning in lieu of a procedure. All guidelines should clearly state any associated university policies, procedures, or other relevant rules and regulations. Departments shall ensure that their operating guidelines are current and easily available in accessible and/or alternative formats.
8. Alternative Format: University policies and procedures shall be published accessibly. In addition, each new or revised policy or procedure shall contain a statement that it is available in alternate format, and shall include information about how to request an alternate format.
9. Review: A University policy or procedure may be updated, amended, or revoked as circumstances indicate. The Office of the President shall maintain a schedule by which University policies and procedures will be reviewed and continued, updated, amended, or revoked (e.g., every three years).

Section 5. Authority

This procedure is issued pursuant to the authority granted by the Minnesota State Board to the President under Policy 1A.2 Part 3 Subpart A and Procedure 1A.2.2, and as prescribed by Metropolitan State University Policy #1000, “University Policies and Procedures.”

Section 6. Effective Date

This procedure shall become effective upon signature by the President, and remain in effect until modified or expressly revoked.

Section 7. Responsibility

The responsibility for implementation of this procedure is assigned to the President and the President’s Executive Cabinet.

Section 8. Review

This policy will be reviewed every five years or as needed.

Section 9. Signature

Issued on: 03/17/2023

Virginia “Ginny” Arthur, JD
President

Revised on 06/28/18, 03/17/23