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  1. POLICY

    All written policies and procedures shall be developed, revised, and reviewed in a transparent, collaborative, efficient, and equitable manner. Policies shall be submitted to Salt Lake Community College’s president, executive cabinet, and board of trustees for review and approval. Procedures shall be submitted to SLCC’s president and executive cabinet for review and approval. College policies, procedures, and department rules must be clearly written, accessible to the college community, and periodically reviewed.

  2. REFERENCES
    1. State System of Higher Education, Utah Code Ann. § 53B-2-106.
    2. Student Civil Liberties Protection Act, Utah Code Ann. § 53B-27-301.
    3. Utah Administrative Rulemaking Act, Utah Code Ann. §§ 63G-3-101–702.
    4. Delegation of Responsibilities of the President and Board of Trustees, Utah Bd. of Higher Education r. 220.
  3. DEFINITIONS
    1. Approval date: the date the board of trustees approves a policy, or the president, in consultation with the executive cabinet, approves a procedure.
    2. Comment Period: a 15-calendar-day period during which students, employees, and others may comment on a proposed new or revised policy or procedure.
    3. Department Rule: a written directive that applies to a specified department or subdivision of the college and governs a process that is unique to that department. Department rules may be referred to by various names, which may include departmental rules, department guidelines, department policies, by-laws, charters, regulations, standard operating procedures, or statements of standards.
    4. Effective date: the date a policy or procedure goes into effect. Unless otherwise stated, the effective date will be when the Policy Office posts the policy or procedure on the college webpage, thereby providing notice to the college community.
    5. Emergency policy: a temporary policy and procedure enacted by the president when extraordinary circumstances require immediate action.
    6. Equity Minded Policy Committee (EMPC): a cross-divisional team that focuses on reviewing and providing feedback with an equity lens.
    7. Equity Lens: a process for analyzing or diagnosing the impact of the design and implementation of policies and procedures on under-served and marginalized individuals and groups and to identify and potentially eliminate barriers.
    8. Executive Cabinet: the president, all vice presidents, the provost, and special assistants to the president.
    9. Originator: the person assigned to draft, develop, and maintain a policy or procedure.
    10. Policy: a guiding principle that addresses the governance, philosophies, principles, or broad concepts inherent in carrying out the college’s mission. Unless a policy explicitly states otherwise, it is binding on all students, faculty, staff, and all persons visiting the college or using any college facility or resource.
    11. Policy Template: a standardized guidance document with a proper outline and format for policies.
    12. Policy Office: the college department responsible for coordinating the review and revision of policies and procedures and drafting of new policies and procedures. The Policy Office is in the Office of Risk Management.
    13. Procedures: specific methods and processes for implementing college policies.
    14. Procedures Template: a standardized guidance document with a proper outline and format for procedures.
    15. Sponsor: a member of the executive cabinet responsible for a policy or procedure.
    16. Substantive Revision: changes that alter the intent, scope, meaning, application, or process of a college policy or procedure.
    17. Technical Correction: a change that does not alter the intent, scope, meaning, or application of a college policy or procedure. For example, job titles, department names, responsible personnel, grammatical errors, format revisions, hyperlink updates, policy renumbering, changes in statutory or regulatory citations, and other non-substantive changes.
  4. PROCEDURES
    1. General
      1. All written policies and procedures shall be developed, revised, and reviewed in a transparent, collaborative, efficient, and equitable manner.
      2. All policies shall be submitted to SLCC’s president, executive cabinet, and board of trustees for review and approval.
      3. All procedures shall be submitted to SLCC’s president and executive cabinet for review and approval.
      4. College policies, procedures, and department rules must be clearly written, accessible to the college community, and periodically reviewed.
      5. These procedures provide for developing, reviewing, and revising all college policies and procedures.
      6. Unless a policy explicitly states otherwise, it is binding on all students, faculty, staff, and all persons visiting the college or using any college facility or resource.
    2. Policy Office
      1. The Policy Office is responsible for coordinating the drafting and revision of college policies and procedures.
      2. The Policy Office shall regularly coordinate with policy sponsors to review college policies and procedures.
      3. During the development or revision of a policy or procedure, the Policy Office:
        1. offers guidance to policy originators;
        2. ensures a legal review of draft policies and procedures; and
        3. reviews policies and procedures for accuracy, clarity, and consistency.
      4. The Policy Office shall maintain:
        1. the policy and procedures webpage;
        2. training materials, guidelines, and policy and procedure templates for policy originators;
        3. an archive consisting of past versions of policies and procedures as well as obsolete policies and procedures; and
        4. a parliamentary history of each policy and procedure.
    3. Policy and Procedure Approval Process
      1. Policy Requests
        1. Any student or college employee may submit a written request to develop a new or revise an existing college policy or procedure by submitting a request to the Policy Office.
        2. A request submitted to the Policy Office must contain:
          1. the reason for the new policy or procedure or the revision of an existing policy or procedure;
          2. suggested conceptual language for the new or revised policy or procedure; and
          3. a list of the college community stakeholders the new or revised policy or procedure may impact.
        3. When the Policy Office receives a request to modify an existing or create a new policy or procedure, the Policy Office will begin monitoring the progress of the policy or procedure development or revision and forward the request to the appropriate executive cabinet member.
      2. Policy and Procedure Drafting
        1. Upon receipt of a request for a new policy or procedure, the executive cabinet member will present the request to the executive cabinet for conceptual approval.
        2. If the executive cabinet approves, cabinet will assign a sponsor for the proposed new policy or procedure.
        3. A policy or procedure revision proposal requires only the approval of the sponsor to proceed; it does not need to be presented to cabinet.
        4. The sponsor will assign an originator to draft or revise the proposed new or revised policy or procedure and notify the Policy Office of the appointment.
        5. Originator Responsibilities
          1. The originator is responsible for being the primary drafter and reviewer of a new or revised policy or procedure.
          2. The originator will contact the Policy Office for the policy and/or procedure template and equity lens guidelines. The originator will periodically consult with the Policy Office throughout the drafting and approval process.
          3. The originator and all editors must use the track changes feature on draft policy and procedure documents so that those reviewing the draft can readily identify all changes and comments.
            1. This requirement may be waived by the Policy Office, in consultation with the sponsor, if the revision constitutes a substantial rewrite of the policy or procedure.
            2. If a waiver is authorized, the draft must include comments explaining differences and similarities with the existing policy or procedure.
            3. Waivers should be limited to substantial rewrites, and when using the track changes feature would create a document lacking clarity.
          4. The originator must include stakeholders impacted by the policy or procedure in the drafting process. These may include:
            1. the Faculty Senate;
            2. the Student Association Executive Board;
            3. the Equity Minded Policy Committee (EMPC); or
            4. operational stakeholders.
          5. Once the originator has completed a draft, the originator will send the policy or procedure draft to the Policy Office.
          6. Equity lens review determination
            1. If the policy or procedure is on the equity lens review priorities list, it will be reviewed by the EMPC.
            2. If the policy or procedure is not on the equity lens review priorities list, the Policy Sponsor must consult with the vice president for Institutional Equity, Inclusion, and Transformation.
              1. If the Policy Sponsor and the vice president for Institutional Equity, Inclusion, and Transformation, based on their collective judgment, mutually agree that the policy should be reviewed or not reviewed by the EMPC, that decision is final.
              2. If they disagree on whether the EMPC should review the policy, the matter will be referred to the President for a final decision. After consulting the Policy Sponsor and the vice president for Institutional Equity, Inclusion, and Transformation, the President will make this decision based on their judgment.
          7. If it is determined that the policy or procedure draft will undergo an equity lens review:
            1. the Policy Office will forward the draft to the EMPC;
            2. the EMPC will review the draft and may request to meet with the policy originator to discuss the committee’s responses;
            3. once the equity lens review is completed, the draft will be returned to the policy originator for editing;
            4. after editing is completed, the policy originator will return the draft with a short statement explaining how EMPC suggestions were incorporated or declined to the Policy Office.
          8. The Policy Office will review the draft for clarity and ensure consistency with other policies and procedures. The Policy Office will also ensure that the college’s legal counsel conducts a legal review of the policy or procedure draft.
          9. Once the originator and the Office of General Counsel complete the review, the originator will submit the policy or procedure and, if relevant, the statement regarding EMPC recommendations to the sponsor for review. The originator must copy the Policy Office.
      3. Executive Cabinet’s First Review
        1. After receiving the draft policy or procedure, the sponsor can present the draft policy or procedure to the executive cabinet or return it to the originator for modification.
        2. If the sponsor presents the proposed policy or procedure to the executive cabinet, the cabinet may:
          1. approve the draft policy or procedure with or without revision for a 15-day-comment period;
          2. return the draft to staff for further work with instructions on the changes needed; or
          3. take other action as it deems appropriate.
      4. 15-Day-Comment Period
        1. If the executive cabinet approves the policy or procedure, the President’s Office shall direct the Policy Office to post the draft document on the college policy and procedures webpage for a 15-day-comment period.
        2. The executive cabinet may extend the comment period.
        3. When the Policy Office posts a policy or procedure for a 15-day review, all executive cabinet members and college senior leadership team members are responsible for encouraging their respective colleagues and staff to review and comment on the new or revised policy or procedure.
      5. Conclusion of the 15-day Comment Period
        1. Upon completion of the 15-day comment period, the Policy Office shall provide all received comments to the sponsor, originator, and the Office of General Counsel.
        2. Upon completion of the 15-day comment period, the Policy Office shall provide all received comments to the sponsor, originator, and the Office of General Counsel.
        3. Originators must respond to each comment and explain how the originator considered the comment and what action, if any, the originator took in response to the comment.
        4. The Policy Office will post the originator’s responses to the comments on the same policy webpage where the comments were previously posted.
        5. Comments and responses will become part of the parliamentary history of the policy or procedure.
      6. Revisions
        1. Within 30 calendar days of receiving all comments, and in cooperation with the college’s legal counsel, the originator shall evaluate all comments, revise the policy or procedure as needed, and submit the draft policy or procedure to the sponsor.
        2. The originator and the college’s legal counsel shall send a joint memorandum summarizing the comments received, revisions made, and any remaining legal or other issues that will accompany the policy or procedure.
      7. Executive Cabinet’s Second Review
        1. Within 30 calendar days of receiving the draft policy or procedure and the memorandum, the sponsor will present the draft policy or procedure to the executive cabinet for a second review.
        2. After reviewing the draft, the cabinet may make one of the following recommendations to the president:
          1. Approve the new or substantively revised policy and forward it to the board of trustees for consideration and approval.
          2. Approve the new or revised procedure and request the president to have it posted on the college policy webpage.
          3. Return the draft policy or procedure to the originator for further work, with instructions on the changes needed.
          4. Reject the new or revised policy or procedure.
          5. The president may modify the draft policy or procedure.
      8. Board Of Trustees Review and Approval
        1. The board of trustees must approve:
          1. a new policy; and
          2. substantive revisions to an existing policy.
        2. The board of trustees does not need to approve a technical correction of a policy or a new or revised procedure.
        3. The president and executive cabinet shall be responsible for approving a new or revised procedure.
      9. Posting of an Approved Policy or Procedure
        1. The President’s Office shall notify the Policy Office when the board of trustees approves a policy, or the president and executive cabinet approve a procedure.
        2. The Policy Office shall post the approved policy or procedure on the policy and procedures webpage and coordinate for the notification of the college community.
    4. Time Considerations
      1. The originator, sponsor, executive cabinet, and board of trustees may review and take any action on a proposed new or revised policy at any time.
      2. The originator, sponsor, or executive cabinet may review and take any action on a proposed new or revised procedure at any time.
      3. The timing of the review and approval process for new or revised policies or procedures rests exclusively with the board of trustees or executive cabinet, respectively. However, both entities should provide sufficient time for the following circumstances:
        1. Stakeholders in the college community should be provided sufficient opportunity to provide comments regarding the proposed policy or procedure. The executive cabinet and Policy Office will avoid sending policies or procedures for a 15-day review outside of the regular academic year whenever possible, especially when faculty are affected by a specific policy.
        2. Publishing deadline dates for new or revised policies or procedures that are published in college-issued handbooks or manuals.
    5. Policy and Procedure Technical Corrections
      1. The board of trustees has delegated to the president the authority to make technical corrections.
      2. An employee or student may recommend a technical correction to the originator or Policy Office.
      3. The Policy Office and the originator must collaboratively review the proposed technical correction to determine if the change is technical or substantively alters the policy or procedure.
      4. If the originator and the Policy Office agree that the proposed technical correction does not substantively alter the policy or procedure, the Policy Office will make the correction and notify the policy sponsor.
      5. If the policy sponsor disagrees with the technical correction decision, the sponsor may direct the Policy Office to reverse the correction.
      6. If there is a disagreement between the originator and Policy Office regarding whether a revision constitutes a technical correction, the policy sponsor and president will evaluate the matter.
      7. The president will have the final authority on whether the revision constitutes a technical correction.
      8. A proposed revision deemed a substantive revision must go through the policy and procedure approval process described in section 4.C.
      9. Technical corrections do not require a 15-day-comment period.
      10. Approving technical corrections to a policy or procedure does not constitute a new or revised policy or procedure. It does not change such policies or procedures' approval or effective dates.
      11. The Policy Office must record all technical corrections in the policy and procedure parliamentary history.
    6. Emergency Policy
      1. When the president determines that emergency policy action is required, the president may enact new policies or revise or suspend existing policies.
      2. When the president takes emergency policy action, the president shall issue a written memorandum outlining:
        1. the reasons emergency action is required;
        2. any applicable emergency procedures;
        3. the anticipated duration of the emergency policy; and
        4. if applicable, any other policies that will be affected by the enactment of the emergency policy.
      3. The president may issue this emergency policy without prior consent or approval of any college organization. However, when the president issues an emergency policy, the president must notify the board of trustees’ executive committee.
      4. Emergency policies do not require a 15-day-comment period.
      5. Once enacted, the Policy Office will immediately publish the emergency policy on the college policy webpage. The Policy Office will ensure that an email to the college community notifying of the emergency policy is sent.
      6. Following the issuance of the emergency policy, the president will present the policy to the board of trustees and the executive cabinet at the first available opportunity.
      7. After consulting with the president, the board of trustees shall have the authority to affirm, modify, or rescind the emergency policy.
      8. Except as noted below, the emergency policy must be in effect only for the duration of the emergency, not to exceed one year. The president may not renew an emergency policy.
      9. An emergency policy for a protracted public health emergency (e.g., a pandemic) may remain in effect for as long as the emergency continues.
    7. Department Rules
      1. Given the size, complexity, and numerous departments and offices of the college, directors must be able to develop department rules, as defined in section 3.D. Department rules and procedures provide additional detail to directors in their efforts to manage their respective departments or offices efficiently and effectively.
      2. Department rules are subject to the following:
        1. Any person can recommend a department rule through the person’s supervisory hierarchy.
        2. Once recommended, the appropriate executive cabinet member must approve a department rule for the rule to be binding.
        3. If the executive cabinet member believes a department rule affects another department or applies to the entire college, they should have the rule evaluated by the executive cabinet.
        4. If the executive cabinet determines that the department rule applies to the entire college, the cabinet will assign an originator to move the department rule or procedure through the policy and procedure approval process.
        5. At any time, the president shall have the authority to review, affirm, modify, or rescind any department rule.
      3. Department rules must be consistent with the intent and purpose of college policies and relevant laws.
      4. Once adopted, the appropriate executive cabinet member is responsible for ensuring the department rule or procedure is posted on the division or department’s webpage within 30 days of the rule’s approval.
      5. Directors and associate deans are responsible for distributing new department rules and procedures to all employees in the department.
      6. A new department rule that is properly adopted is binding on all employees and students within the relevant department or office for which it is developed. If the department rule is not approved, as this section requires, it is non-binding.
      7. A department rule existing at the time this policy is approved will remain valid even if it has not gone through the process. Any future revisions of the existing department rule must go through the process.
    8. Policy and Procedure Review and Maintenance
      1. Executive cabinet members who serve as policy sponsors are responsible for reviewing and addressing their respective departments' policy and procedure needs.
      2. Whenever possible, a policy or a procedure will be reviewed every five years after it becomes effective and every five years after that. The responsible policy sponsor will coordinate with the Policy Office to ensure the timely review of policies and procedures.
      3. The responsible sponsor will review policies and procedures to assess whether they remain:
        1. in compliance with applicable laws, regulations, the board of higher education policies, etc.;
        2. consistent with other college policies and procedures;
        3. current with policy or procedure format, personnel, positions, and entity information; and
        4. relevant to the needs of the college and its mission.
    9. Obsolete Policy or Procedure
      1. A student, staff member, or faculty member who believes a college policy or procedure is no longer needed may recommend to the Policy Office that the policy or procedure is removed.
      2. The Policy Office will inform the originator of the recommendation.
      3. An originator shall review the recommended deletion with the college’s legal counsel.
      4. Following a legal review, the originator may provide a written recommendation to the policy sponsor that a policy or procedure should be deemed obsolete. The written recommendation will include the reasons the originator believes the policy or procedure is obsolete.
      5. The policy sponsor will present the written request to the executive cabinet.
      6. The executive cabinet will approve or deny the recommendation. The President’s Office will notify the board of trustees and the Policy Office if the deletion is approved.
      7. When notified of a policy or procedure deletion, the Policy Office will remove the policy or procedure from the college policy and procedures webpage and ensure that an email to all college community members notifying of the deletion is sent.
    10. Presidential Authority to Create Exception to Policy Requirements
      1. The president may make a necessary decision that creates an exception to college policy subject to the following requirements:
        1. When determining to make an exception, the president shall issue a written memorandum outlining the reasons and necessity for the exception and identify the college policies that have not been followed.
        2. Before enacting the exception, the president must notify the board of trustees’ executive committee of the exception by providing them the memorandum.
        3. Following the exceptions enactment, the president must notify the executive cabinet at the first available opportunity of the enacted policy exception.
        4. Subject to Open and Public Meetings Law requirements, the president must notify the board of trustees at the first available opportunity of the exception enactment.
        5. After consulting with the president, the board of trustees shall have the authority to affirm, modify, or rescind the exception.
        6. The board of trustees’ secretary shall maintain a log and the written memorandum of the president’s exception actions.
      2. The exception shall only apply to the present circumstances and may not be generally applied to other similar college matters.
      3. Exceptions should be enacted in limited circumstances and may not be enacted to policies addressing civil liberties and due process rights.
    11. Administrative Rulemaking Requirement

      When required, as described in Utah Code Ann. § 53B-27-302, the College shall enact an administrative rule following the Utah Administrative Rulemaking Act, Utah Code Ann. §§ 63G-3-101–702.

    12. Miscellaneous

      Policies, procedures, and department rules adopted by the college are not intended to be contractual in nature, nor should they be interpreted as strict rules for responses to individual activity. The appropriate response to each unique situation may differ based on individual circumstances, the need for immediate action, the frequency or severity of an action, and other factors.

Date of last executive cabinet review: November 21, 2023

The originator of this policy and procedure is the President’s office. Questions regarding this policy and procedure may be directed to the originator by calling 801-957-4227.