Policy Development

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  1. POLICY

    All written policies and procedures submitted for review and approval by the Salt Lake Community College Board of Trustees or its president and executive cabinet shall be developed or revised in a transparent, collaborative, efficient, and equitable manner. College policies and procedures, as well as department rules, must be clearly written, accessible to the college community, and periodically reviewed. This policy provides the procedure for the development, revision, and review of all college policies and procedures.

  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 Regents 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 policy 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 on the college webpage, thereby providing notice to the college community.
    5. Emergency policy: A temporary policy enacted by the president when extraordinary circumstances require immediate action.
    6. Executive Cabinet: The president, all vice presidents, the provost, and special assistants to the president.
    7. Originator: The person assigned to draft, develop, and maintain a policy or procedure.
    8. Policy: A guiding principle that addresses the governance, philosophies, principles, or broad concepts inherent in carrying out the mission of the college. 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 another college resource.
    9. Policy Template: A standardized guidance document with a proper outline and format for policies and procedures.
    10. 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 located in the office of General Counsel and Risk Management.
    11. Procedures: Specific methods and processes for implementing college policies.
    12. Sponsor: A member of the executive cabinet responsible for a policy.
    13. Substantive Revision: Changes that alter the intent, scope, meaning, application, or process of a college policy or procedure.
    14. 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, and changes in statutory or regulatory citations, and other non-substantive changes.
  4. PROCEDURES
    1. General
      1. All written policies and procedures submitted for review and approval of the Salt Lake Community College Board of Trustees or its president and executive cabinet must be developed or revised in a transparent, collaborative, efficient, and equitable manner.
      2. College policies and procedures, as well as department rules, must be clearly written, accessible to the college community, and periodically reviewed.
      3. These procedures provide for the development and the review and revision of all college policies and procedures.
      4. 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 another college resource.
    2. Policy Office
      1. The Policy Office is the department responsible for coordinating the drafting and revision of college policies and procedures.
      2. The Policy Office shall coordinate with policy sponsors for the regular review of college policies.
      3. During the development or revision of a policy, the Policy Office:
        1. offers guidance to policy originators;
        2. ensures a legal review of draft policies; and
        3. reviews policies for accuracy, clarity, and consistency.
      4. The Policy Office shall maintain:
        1. the policy webpage;
        2. training materials and a policy template for policy originators;
        3. a policy archive consisting of past versions of policies and procedures as well as obsolete policies and procedures;
        4. a webpage identifying the current status of each policy; and
        5. a parliamentary history of each policy.
    3. Policy and Procedure Approval Process
      1. Policy Sponsor
        1. Any student or college employee may submit a written request to develop a new college policy or procedure or revise an existing policy or procedure by submitting the request to the Policy Office.
        2. A request submitted to the Policy Office must contain:
          1. the reason for the policy or revision of an existing policy;
          2. suggested conceptual language for the new policy or policy revision; and
          3. a list of the college community stakeholders who may be impacted by the new policy or policy revision.
        3. When the Policy Office receives a request to modify an existing policy or create a new policy, the Policy Office will begin monitoring the progression of the policy development or revision and forward the request to the appropriate executive cabinet member.
      2. Policy Drafting
        1. Upon receipt of a request for a new policy, the executive cabinet member will present the request to the executive cabinet for conceptual approval.
        2. If approved by the executive cabinet, the cabinet will assign a sponsor for the proposed new policy.
        3. A policy 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. It is the originator’s responsibility to be the primary drafter and reviewer of a new or revised policy or procedure.
          2. The originator will contact the Policy Office for the policy template. 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 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 policy 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.
            3. Waivers should be limited to substantial rewrite 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; or
            3. operational stakeholders.
          5. Once the originator has completed a draft, the originator will send the policy draft to the Policy Office.
          6. The Policy Office will review the policy for clarity and ensure consistency with other policies and procedures. The Policy Office will also ensure the college’s legal counsel conducts a legal review of the policy draft.
          7. Once the originator and the Office of General Counsel complete the review, the originator will submit the policy and procedures to the sponsor for review. The originator must copy the Policy Office.
      3. Executive Cabinet’s First Review
        1. After receiving the draft policy, 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, the President’s Office shall direct the Policy Office to post the draft document on the college policy 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 have a responsibility to encourage their respective colleagues and staff to review and comment on the new or revised policy.
      5. Conclusion of 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. The Policy Office will remove all identifying information from the received comments and post the comments to the policy webpage.
        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 that the comments were previously posted.
        5. Comments and responses will become part of the parliamentary history of the policy.
      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 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 will accompany the policy.
      7. Executive Cabinet’s Second Review
        1. Within 30 calendar days of receiving the draft policy 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 a new or revised procedure and request the president to have it posted it 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 make modifications to 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 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 approves a procedure.
        2. The Policy Office shall post the approved policy or procedure on the policy 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 or procedure at any time.
      2. The timing of the review and approval process for new or revised policies rests exclusively with the board of trustees or executive cabinet. 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.
        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, 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 to be a substantive revision must go through the policy and procedure approval process described in section IV.C.
      9. Technical corrections do not require a 15-day-comment period.
      10. The approval of technical corrections to a policy does not constitute a new or revised policy. It does not change the approval or effective dates of such policies.
      11. The Policy Office must record all technical corrections in the policy’s 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 III.D. Department Rules and procedures provide additional detail to directors in their efforts to efficiently and effectively manage their respective departments or offices.
      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 required by this section, 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 Review and Maintenance
      1. Executive cabinet members who serve as policy sponsors are responsible for reviewing and addressing the policy needs of their respective departments.
      2. Whenever possible, a policy 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 to assess whether policies remain:
        1. in compliance with applicable laws, regulations, the board of regents policies, etc.;
        2. consistent with other college policies;
        3. current with policy 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 is no longer needed may recommend to the Policy Office that the policy 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 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. If the deletion is approved, the President’s Office will notify the Policy Office.
      7. When notified of a policy deletion, the Policy Office will remove the policy from the college policy 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. Prior to the 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.

Date of last cabinet review: May 24, 2022

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