Academic Affairs Policy Proposal & Adoption

Original _X _ Revised ___

Approved by: Russell L. Moore
Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs

Policy Contact:  Senior Vice Provost for Academic Planning and Assessment

Effective Date:  November 19, 2019

I. Purpose

This policy establishes a uniform and consistent practice for developing, documenting, recommending, adopting and revising academic policies for the Division of Academic Affairs (“Academic Affairs”) at the University of Colorado Boulder (“University”).

Policies are adopted to ensure that Academic Affairs operates in accordance with the University’s statutory mission and values and in compliance with applicable law, Board of Regents requirements, University of Colorado System (“System”) administrative policy statements, and University policies (hereinafter, “Requirements”). 

II. Policy

It is the policy of Academic Affairs that each Academic Affairs policy will be drafted and adopted in a manner that upholds and promotes an understanding of the rights and responsibilities of the University faculty, staff and students who will be affected by that policy. 

Proposal of Academic Affairs Policy

An Academic Affairs policy may be proposed at any time by the Provost; by a holder of any vice provost, vice chancellor or associate vice chancellor position that reports to the Provost; by any dean at the University; or by any current University staff member, faculty member and/or student, in accordance with the Academic Affairs Policy Proposal and Adoption Procedures associated with this policy and subject to the principle of shared governance articulated in .

Adoption of Academic Affairs Policy

The Provost has final discretion and authority to adopt an Academic Affairs policy. An Academic Affairs policy is effective only after adoption by the Provost. As more fully described in the Academic Affairs Policy Proposal and Adoption Procedures associated with this policy, the Provost will seek input from members of University faculty and student governance groups prior to adoption of a non-interim proposed Academic Affairs policy.

Revision of Academic Affairs Policy and/or Associated Procedures

The revision of an existing Academic Affairs policy must follow the review and adoption process defined in this policy; any procedures associated with that proposed policy revision will be included in the review and adoption process, even if the procedures are not proposed to be revised. If only the procedures associated with an existing Academic Affairs policy, and not the policy itself, are proposed to be revised, revisions must be approved by the Provost (or designee) but are not required to undergo additional review.

Interim Academic Affairs Policy

The Provost may adopt an interim policy, effective for up to six months from its adoption date, to ensure that Academic Affairs operates in compliance with applicable Requirements and in accordance with the University’s mission and values, or to respond to exigent circumstances, as deemed necessary in the Provost’s sole and reasonable discretion. Any such interim policy will expire and cease to be effective, unless reviewed and renewed or reviewed and finally approved prior to expiration.

Legal Validity

Any conflict between Requirements and Academic Affairs policy will be resolved in accordance with , in favor of the superseding directive. 

III. Definitions

  1. Academic Affairs policies are those that apply to University faculty and students in the conduct of education, teaching, learning, research, scholarship and creative work at the University.
  2. Procedures associated with Academic Affairs policies guide University administration, faculty, staff and students in implementing and complying with Academic Affairs policies.
  3. Policies and procedures that not only apply to University faculty and students in the conduct of education, teaching, learning, research, scholarship and creative work but also significantly affect visitors, campus operations, University staff members’ conditions of employment, and/or the University’s relations to the System and/or external entities are treated as University policies and procedures rather than Academic Affairs policies and procedures.

End of policy

Academic Affairs Policy Proposal & Adoption Procedures

Proposal Review Procedure

In order to be considered by the Provost for adoption, proposed Academic Affairs policies should be advanced in accordance with the following process:

  1. Current faculty, staff members, and/or students may propose an Academic Affairs policy for adoption at any time by submitting to their supervisor, appropriate administrator or representative body (“Policy Sponsor”) topics that they believe should be addressed by an Academic Affairs policy. The University representative bodies comprise the Boulder Faculty Assembly (BFA), Staff Council, University of Colorado Student Government (ƵSG) and United Government of Graduate Students (UGGS). The Provost, a holder of any vice provost, vice chancellor or associate vice chancellor position that reports to the Provost (“Provost’s Cabinet Members”), or any dean may both propose a policy and act as the Policy Sponsor. The proposal of a policy is, however, subject to the principle of shared governance expressed in and associated Regent policy, which articulate the faculty’s principal role in originating academic policy related to the initiation and direction of all courses, curricula, and degree offerings; admissions criteria, grading and standards for continuation; regulation of student academic conduct; and determination of candidates for honors and degrees.
  2. If supportive of the policy, the Policy Sponsor will submit the following items (“Documentation”) to the Senior Vice Provost for Academic Planning and Assessment (SVPAPA):
    • The proposed University policy and any related implementing procedures, in the format established by the Academic Affairs Policy Template.
    • An accompanying cover letter or memo that summarizes the goals of the proposed policy and the related procedures and asks the SVPAPA to advance the Documentation to the next level in this policy review process.
  3. Prior to approving or denying the request to advance the Documentation to the next level in this policy review process, the SVPAPA will submit the Documentation to the Office of Integrity and Compliance (“OIC”) for review and comment and will obtain input from appropriate constituencies that will be substantially affected by the policy. Those constituencies must include, at a minimum, (a) any Provost’s Cabinet Members whose areas of responsibility will be substantially affected by the policy; (b) the directors of any offices in Strategic Resources Support whose areas of responsibility will be substantially affected by the policy; and (c) the BFA, ƵSG and/or UGGS governance groups, if their respective constituencies will be substantially affected by the policy. Before providing their own input to the SVPAPA, the Provost’s Cabinet Members consulted at this stage who have advisory boards may obtain input from those advisory boards, at their discretion.
  4. If, after taking into account input from the OIC and appropriate constituencies that will be substantially affected by the policy, the SVPAPA is supportive of the proposed policy, the SVPAPA will submit the Documentation to the Provost. The SVPAPA will advance the Documentation to the Provost only after confirming that the Documentation (a) is clear and concise; (b) reflects the University’s values, advances the University’s mission and is in compliance with the Requirements; (c) includes both the proposed policy and related implementation procedures; and (d) has been vetted through the proposal process outlined in these procedures. 
  5. Prior to adopting any proposed policy (other than an interim policy), the Provost (or designee) will invite input from the following groups:
    • the Provost’s Cabinet Members;
    • the Office of University Counsel;
    • the Council of Deans;
    • BFA, ƵSG, and UGGS.
  6. Once the proposed policy is acceptable to the Provost, the Office of the University Counsel will complete a final legal review of any proposed Academic Affairs policy that the Provost wishes to adopt.

Adoption & Publication of Academic Affairs Policy

  1. Unless the policy itself expressly provides otherwise, an Academic Affairs policy will be deemed adopted upon execution by the Provost.
  2. Academic Affairs will publish adopted Academic Affairs policies on the Academic Affairs policy website.

Unit Policies, Procedures, Directives, Guidelines & Statements

  1. Discretion to Adopt: These procedures and the related policy are not intended to prevent individual University departments, divisions, schools, colleges and institutes (“Units”) from continuing to develop, approve and adopt Unit academic policies, procedures, directives, guidelines and statements with limited scope (“Unit Policies”), so long as the appropriate administrator has reviewed and approved the Unit Policy. OIC, the Office of University Counsel and Provost’s Cabinet Members can advise on the development of Unit Policies to ensure compliance with applicable Requirements and Academic Affairs policy.
  2. Legal Validity: Any conflict among Requirements, Academic Affairs policy and Unit Policies will be resolved in accordance with , in favor of the superseding directive.