Title:	Academic Affairs Policies and Protocols, Policy On
Policy Owner:	Office of the Provost
Applies to:	All units that report to the Provost Office
Campus Applicability:	UConn (Storrs & Regional Campuses) and UConn Health
Effective Date:	June 13, 2022
For More Information, Contact	Office of the Provost
Contact Information:	(860) 486-4037, provost@uconn.edu
Official Website:	http://provost.uconn.edu/

BACKGROUND

The policy bolsters the University Policy on Policies, by setting standards for Academic Affairs units (i.e., school/college, campus, department, division, and other units therein) to develop policies. The aim is to ensure that:

• each Academic Affairs unit has an established and documented process for developing, approving, revising, promulgating, decommissioning, and archiving policies.
• the format and presentation of policies is consistent;
• conflicts between policies are minimized;
• all policies required by the UConn-AAUP Collective Bargaining Agreement or the Provost’s Office are up to date and represent best practices;
• a complete set of Academic Affairs policies exists; is reviewed regularly, and is accessible to the UConn, unit-specific, or campus-specific community;
• policies are archived; and
• practices used in all Academic Affairs units and UConn campuses are transparent.

PURPOSE

To establish standards for the development, approval, revision, decommissioning of Academic Affairs policies and protocols administered by units (e.g., schools/colleges, regional campuses, department, divisions, centers, and institutes) that report to the Provost Office.

DEFINITIONS

Policy Owner: The unit, unit head (e.g., Dean, Campus Director), and/or designee (e.g., Associate Dean, Department Head, director) responsible for authoring, implementing, maintaining and monitoring a policy. This may include more than one units. However, generally, it should not exceed two.

Academic Affairs Unit Policy: An Academic Affairs unit policy guides the decisions and actions of a unit that reports to the Provost Office. It may supplement a University Policy. It outlines requirements and restrictions and establish standards, rights, and responsibilities that generally apply to the members under its specific charge (e.g., school/college, campus, department, or division/unit). These policies meet the following criteria:

• The unit head has sanctioned it;
• It has broad application within the unit.
• It is a governing principle for both established and future activities of the unit;
• It references, adheres to, and does not conflict with policies established by the University or an upper-administrative level; and
• It is published in an official university venue that is accessible to the members of the unit as well as members of upper-level administration.

Unit policies are developed in accordance with the University Policy Template.

Policy/Protocol Promulgation: To publish or officially announce the adoption of a particular policy or protocol to the community. A policy is promulgated by publication to the official venue for posting approved policies.

Protocol: Establishes standards methods for implementing approved policies.  If a policy is “what” the institution or unit does, its protocols are “how” it carries out a policy’s requirements.  Three types of protocols are defined below.

• Guideline: Recommended guidance or additional information used to support policies and procedures, industry best practice, or intended to educate the workforce on how to achieve a desired outcome.
• Process: A high-level overview that provides a road map for how a task will be accomplished.
• Procedures: Operational processes established for the implementation of policies. If a policy is “what” the institution does, its procedures are “how” it carries out the requirements of a policy. Non-compliance with, or violation of, procedures may result in disciplinary action. Procedures
• • outline required actions by objective and/or job function;
  • state clearly and succinctly the step-by-step instructions that must be followed to implement policy effectively;
  • specify the structure to enforce the policy.

Revision, Editorial: Includes modifications related to spelling, grammar, format, and updates to hyperlinks or URLs, contact information, references, titles of individuals and organizations.

Revision, Non-substantive: Includes modifications intended to enhance clarity without changing the intent of the policy, such as adding or modifying definitions, rearranging or re-wording sentences without changing their meaning or the policy’s requirements for compliance.

Revision, Substantive: Includes significant modifications to the nature and/or scope of the policy that affect its requirements, principles, or intent.

Stakeholders: Member of the unit with the expertise in the subject matter of the policy, or whose operations will be significantly affected by the policy.

POLICY STATEMENT

All Academic Affairs units that report to the Provost Office shall establish a process to develop, maintain record of, revise, decommission, and archive unit-specific policies and protocols to guide the conduct of the unit and to promulgate policies to appropriate stakeholders. All policies must be in writing, utilizing the University’s Policy Template, and must be posted on the official venue for posting approved policies. All approved unit-specific policies are in effect until they are officially revised or decommissioned, and archived.

In rare circumstances, the Units may determine that it is appropriate to make exceptions to a policy on a case-by-case basis, in which event the Unit is not required to make the same exception again. However, records of exceptions, including their justification, must be maintained.

All concerns or questions regarding consistency of unit-specific policies with university-wide academic policies or conflicts between existing policies should be directed to the Office of University Compliance for clarification or resolution. Until such time that identified conflicts are resolved, the upper-level policy will govern.

ENFORCEMENT

Violations of this policy may result in appropriate disciplinary measures in accordance with University By-Laws, General Rules of Conduct for All University Employees, applicable collective bargaining agreements, and the University of Connecticut Student Code.

PROCEDURES/FORMS

Guideline and Provost’s Office Procedures for the Policy on Academic Affairs Policies and Protocols

REFERENCES

University Policy on Policies

Policy Template

POLICY HISTORY

Policy created:  June 13, 2022 [Approved by President’s Senior Policy Council]