Current through all regulations passed and filed through December 16, 2024
(A) Policy statement and purpose
The faculty, staff and others associated with Bowling Green
state university ("BGSU" or "
the university") must conduct the activities of
the university in compliance with applicable laws, regulations, ethical
standards, and best higher education practices. The university must have
policies to accomplish this objective. This policy shall govern how official
university policies are defined, proposed, reviewed, approved, issued and
maintained. It requires university policies to be maintained in a uniform and
consistent format in a searchable central policy database.
University policies must adapt to reflect changing
circumstances and so may be subject to amendment or rescission at any time in
accordance with the provisions of this policy.
(B) Policy scope
This policy applies to any person subject to a university
policy including but not limited to, students, faculty, staff, alumni,
volunteers, visitors, and others who provide services or act under the name of
the university, including contractors, vendors and consultants.
Each university policy should set forth, in the "policy scope"
section, the members of the university community who are subject to the
policy.
(C) Policy
definitions
(1) University
policy
A university policy is a written rule requiring or constraining
actions that have general broad application across colleges, schools,
departments and operating units. University policies can apply to all members
of the university community and to students, faculty, staff, visitors and
others coming into contact with the university. A university policy may set
forth a governing principle, establish a controlling best practice, ensure
compliance with law or regulation, or it may manage university risk. University
policies are of such importance that there may be institutional or individual
consequences for non-compliance.
(a)
Only the university president or the board of trustees of the university shall
have the authority to issue an official university policy. The university
president shall determine whether a particular policy action will be brought to
the board of trustees for board approval.
(b) University policies compiled under the
authority of this policy are the official version of the policies of Bowling
Green state university. While different versions of these policies may appear
elsewhere the official version shall be the one set forth in the searchable
central policy database. Other official policies may also be found in the
academic charter, in collective bargaining agreements, or other
contracts.
(c) All Bowling Green
state university faculty, staff and students are expected to know and comply
with university policies applicable to them.
(d) The university president has the
discretion to construe any ambiguous or disputed policy provision
and may delegate this responsibility.
(e) All official university policies shall be
centrally maintained by the office of general counsel on its website. Policies should not be paraphrased.
Units referencing a policy should link to the full text on the office of
general counsel website.
(f)
A university policy must be recommended by senior university
officers.
(g) A policy approved by
the president or the board of trustees shall remain in effect until modified or
rescinded in accordance with this policy.
(2) Responsible unit: The university unit
responsible for initiating, drafting, and administering a university policy.
The responsible unit leads policy development and is responsible for
identifying, proposing, reviewing and requesting the adoption, modification or
rescission of a university policy. This is the university unit that will be
principally responsible for administering the policy.
(3) Responsible officer: The university vice
president, associate vice president, dean, director or other executive
responsible for supporting, sponsoring, recommending and administering a
university policy.
(4) Policy statement
and purpose: Statement set out at the beginning of a university policy document
that summarizes the purpose and core provisions of the policy.
(5)
Effective date: The date an official policy goes into effect. This will usually
be the date when the
policy, filed as a rule, becomes effective in the
register of Ohio and the Ohio Administrative Code.
(6)
Revision date: The effective date of a revision to an official university
policy.
(7) University
procedures: The operating procedures developed by the responsible office to
implement a university policy. University procedures are not "university
policies" and do not have to be approved according to the process described in
this policy. University procedures must be consistent with and not conflict
with university policies. Procedures that conflict with university policies are
void and unenforceable.
(a)
Procedures must be reviewed and approved by the
responsible officer prior to adoption and publication. Procedures relating to
contracts or international activities should be reviewed by the office of
general counsel prior to adoption.
(8) Authority of the
university board of trustees and president: Nothing in this policy limits the
authority of the university board of trustees or the university president to
issue, amend, or revoke university policies or the policies and procedures of
any university
college, school, or other operating unit at any
time.
(9) Application to the
board of trustees: Only those university policies that are approved by the
board under the board's bylaws are applicable to the board and/or its
individual members.
(10) Application to
members of a BGSU-recognized bargaining unit: to the extent that any provision
of a collective bargaining agreement (CBA) conflicts with a university policy,
the provision of the CBA shall prevail, unless that provision conflicts with an
applicable statute, law, ordinance, or federal regulation or with a rule
promulgated under Chapter 119. of the Revised Code.
(11) Application to
the university community: All members of the university community, including
visitors, are subject to applicable university policies in effect.
(D) Policy
(1) Adopting new policies, amending or
rescinding existing policies.
(a) The issuance
of new university policies, or the amendment or the rescission of existing
policies, requires the approval of the board of trustees or the university
president.
(b) Any university
office or unit, including the faculty senate, may identify the need for
adopting, amending or rescinding a university policy. Units seeking to adopt,
amend or rescind a university policy must communicate that request to the
unit's responsible officer who will determine whether to support and sponsor
the request.
(c) To ensure that
university policies have a uniform appearance and form,
university policies shall conform to the standard university policy
format prescribed by this policy.
(d) Upon deciding to support a request to
adopt, modify or rescind a university policy, the responsible officer shall
prepare a draft university policy in compliance with the standard university
policy format prescribed by this policy using a
template provided by the office of general counsel. The policy format
requires a statement of the policy's purpose and scope; relevant definitions
and reference to any related policies. The responsible officer shall also
consult with affected university stakeholders and constituencies
and complete the equity assessment
rubric.
(e) The proposed
university policy shall be routed to the office of the general counsel and the
president's office for inclusion on the agenda for the
policy review council The policy review council will be
comprised of six members including the provost, chief financial officer,
general counsel, chief human resources officer, chief diversity officer, and
secretary of the board of trustees, or their designees. The responsible
officer shall also communicate policy stakeholder and constituency feedback, if
any, to the
policy review council. Before a policy is advanced for
review by the policy review council, the president's cabinet will be notified
that such policy will be undergoing review.
(f) The
policy review
council shall consider the proposed university policy and shall make
recommendations to the university president or the board of trustees as
appropriate.
These may include but shall not be limited to:
(i) recommending adoption, amendment, or
rescission of the proposed university policy;
(ii) recommending against the adoption,
amendment or rescission;
(iii)
returning the proposed university policy to the responsible officer for further
action as the
policy review council may recommend.
(g) Upon approval by the president
or the board of trustees, the president shall sign the university policy and
forward the executed policy to the office of general counsel for inclusion in
the policy register and filing in the Register of
Ohio.
(h) University academic
policies that are in the academic charter as of the date this policy
on policy development is adopted may be included
in the central policy register for convenience but shall continue to be subject
to the provisions of the academic charter governing amendments of the
charter.
(i) Policies already in
effect as of the effective date of the policy register, shall be considered
approved by the university president.
(j) The procedures set forth in this
paragraph shall not apply to revisions of either the student discipline
policies and/or the student
residence life policies. Revisions thereto shall
be effective upon approval by the university president and the
provost.
(k) The procedures set forth in this
paragraph shall not apply to minor policy amendments. A policy amendment is
minor if it is required by law, regulation, or executive order; if it makes
non-substantive changes to practices or procedures; or if it is needed to
better align the policy with another existing university policy. A minor policy
amendment may be made by the university president after consultation with the
office of general counsel, the responsible officer, and the responsible
unit.
(2) Publication
and distribution of policies
Upon receipt of the executed policy from the president the
general counsel shall publish the policy in the central policy register of
university policies which shall be maintained on the office of general counsel
website and file the policy as a rule in the register
of Ohio.
(3)
Implementation of policies
(a) Upon execution of the university policy
by the university president, the general counsel shall notify the responsible
officer that the policy has been adopted, modified or rescinded
.
(b) Upon notification that a policy has been
approved the responsible officer may begin to develop university procedures to
implement and administer the university policy.
(c) Retention of superseded university
policies and procedures: University policies that have been modified, rescinded
or superseded shall be retained for not less than seven years after the
effective date.
(d) Related
policies: All university policies.
Equity impact statement: the policy has
been assessed for adverse differential impact on members of one or more
protected groups.
