I.  Purpose

This policy establishes a uniform and consistent practice for developing, documenting, recommending and adopting campus-wide policies for the University of Colorado Boulder (“University”).

Policies are adopted to ensure that the University operates in accordance with its statutory mission and values and in compliance with applicable law, Regent requirements, System administrative policy statements (hereinafter, “Requirements”). 

II.  Policy

Each University policy shall be drafted to promote an understanding of rights and responsibilities by impacted University faculty, staff, students and visitors. 

Proposal 

The Chancellor, the Executive Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and the Senior Vice Chancellor (“Cabinet Members”) as well as any current staff members, faculty and/or students may propose a University policy at any time, in accordance with the University Policy Proposal and Adoption Procedures associated with this policy.

Proposed University policies will be effective only after adoption by the Chancellor, or another authorized Cabinet Member, as more fully described in the immediately following paragraph.

Adoption

The Chancellor has final discretion and authority to adopt any University policy, whether it impacts students, faculty, staff and/or visitors.  Similarly, subject only to the Chancellor’s objection, the Executive Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and Senior Vice Chancellor each has the authority to adopt any University policy, so long as it is limited in scope to those areas of responsibility delegated to each of them by the Chancellor. 

As more fully described in the University Policy Proposal and Adoption Procedures associated with this policy, Cabinet Members shall seek input from members of University faculty, staff and student governance groups prior to final adoption of non-interim proposed University policies.  

Interim University Policy

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

Legal Validity

Any conflict among Requirements, University policy and unit documents shall be resolved in accordance with Regent Law 1.C, in favor of the superseding directive. 

Procedures

Cabinet

The University Chancellor, Executive Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and Senior Vice Chancellor (“Cabinet Members”) make up the Cabinet.  As more fully explained in the policy related to these procedures (Policy Proposal and Adoption), only Cabinet Members have the authority to both propose and adopt University policies. 

Proposing a University Policy

Current staff members, faculty and/or students may propose a University policy for adoption at any time by submitting to their supervisor, appropriate administrator or representative body (e.g. Boulder Faculty Assembly, Staff Council, University of Colorado Student Government, and United Government of Graduate Students) topics that they believe should be addressed by a University policy.

Policy Review Procedure

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

  1. An individual proposer shall seek the support of a supervisor, appropriate administrator or representative body (“Policy Sponsor”).
  2. If supportive of the policy, the Policy Sponsor will submit to the Officerthey report to  both a hard and electronic copy of the following:
  • the proposed University policy, in the form of Attachment A;
  • any related implementing procedures; and
  • an accompanying cover letter or memo that summarizes their goals, the proposed policy and the related procedures (and training materials, if any) and asks the Officer to approve the proposed policy and advance the related proposal documentation to the next level in this policy review process (the “Documentation”).
  1. The Officer will review and consider the Documentation.  In addition, the Officer will submit the Documentation to the Office of Integrity and Compliance (“OIC”) for review and comment.  Prior to approving or denying the request to advance the Documentation to the next level in this policy review process, the Officer will obtain input from appropriate constituencies that will be effected by the policy.
  2. If after taking into account input from the OIC and Officer constituents, the Officer is still supportive of the proposed policy, the Officer may submit the Documentation to the Cabinet for approval. The Officer will advance the Documentation to the Cabinet only after confirming that the Documentation:
  • is clear and concise;
  • reflects the University’s values, advances its mission and is in compliance with the Requirements;
  • includes as an attachment to the proposed policy, related implementation procedures; and,
  • has been vetted through the proposal process outlined in these procedures. 
  1. Prior to finally adopting any proposed policy (other than an interim policy), Cabinet will invite input from the following groups:
  • The Office of University Counsel
  • The University Executive Leadership Team
  • The Shared Governance Leaders’ Group
  1. Once acceptable to the Cabinet, the Office of the University Counsel (“OUC”) will be asked to complete a final legal review of any proposed policy that the Cabinet wishes to adopt.
  2. Unless the policy itself expressly provides otherwise, a University policy shall be deemed adopted upon execution by any Cabinet Member.
  3. The OIC shall publish adopted University policies on the University’s policy website and shall post a link to the policy on the University’s Policies website.

Unit Policies, Procedures, Directives, Guidlines, & Statements

  1. Discretion to Adopt: These procedures and the related policy are not intended to prevent individual University departments, divisions, schools, institutes and colleges from continuing to develop, approve, and adopt Unit policies, procedures, directives, guidelines, and statements with limited scope (“Unit Policies”), so long as the appropriate administrator has reviewed and approved the document.  The OIC and OUC can advise on the development of these policies to ensure compliance with applicable law, Regent requirements, System administrative policy statements (hereinafter, “Requirements”) and applicable University policies.
  2. Legal Validity: Any conflict among Requirements, University policy and unit documents shall be resolved in accordance with Regent Law 1.C, in favor of the superseding directive.

Officer as defined in Regent Article 3.C:  Officers of the Administration are “chancellor; vice president; associate vice president; vice chancellor; associate vice chancellor; associate counsel; and deans of the schools, colleges, and libraries.”

Policy Template Download

Procedure Template Download

Effective Date

Friday, February 22, 2019

Approved By

Philip P. DiStefano, Chancellor

Author(s)

Office of Integrity and Compliance