College Policy Adoption and Administration
Scope
All financial and administrative policies involving community members across campus, including volunteers are within the scope of this policy. If there is a variance between departmental expectations and the common approach described through college policy, the college will look to the campus community, including volunteers to support the spirit and the objectives of college policy. Unless specifically mentioned in a college policy, the college’s Board of Trustees are governed by their Bylaws.
Policy
Ethics: The purpose of this policy is to ensure that the CC community operationalizes a standard framework for equitable policy development, maintenance, revision, and archive at the direction of and approval of the president, cabinet, and audit committee of the board of trustees.
Policy: Colorado College is committed to ensuring that all policies and related procedures are developed, maintained, revised, and archived in a manner that meets legal and regulatory requirements and upholds the core values and mission of the institution. This policy details the college’s expectation for all responsible offices and constituent groups who take part in policy development and requires all stakeholders to engage in thoughtful, inclusive, equitable, methodological practices through the policy lifecycle.
Colorado College has made a commitment to becoming an antiracist institution. In an effort to mobilize this commitment, policy developers and reviewers are encouraged to utilize an equity analysis tool during construction to mitigate unintended inequities from the onset. Equity analysis tools offer valuable insight and comprehensive consideration to help center the margin and reduce disparate impact to dismantle structural barriers in systems of systemic oppression.
Procedures
Equity Analysis Tools:
Equity tools are used to challenge critical thinking that considers all impacted parties during the construction and review of the policy. Under Forms are some suggested instruments to help prioritize equitable policy practices. All CC community members are encouraged to use equity analysis tools to evaluate and develop policy using an antiracist lens.
Policy Creation, Modification, Review, Archive, and Approval
Academic Policy:
The Faculty Executive Committee (FEC), Curriculum Executive Committee (CEC), or another appropriate college committee may propose changes to existing academic policies or create new academic policies. These proposals are decided by the full faculty.
Administrative Policy:
Campus community members are encouraged to recommend new administrative policies or changes to existing policies by contacting any member of the President’s Cabinet or the college’s Ombudsperson. If the President decides to move the process forward, the President designates a Responsible Party to draft the policy or revisions. The Responsible Party presents a draft to the President, who shares it with the Cabinet for input.
The proposed policy is then shared with the campus community. Members of the community will have a minimum of thirty (30) days to comment on the proposed policy before any final action is taken. Comments from the community will be considered by the President and/or the President’s Designee(s) for inclusion in the policy.
The President’s Cabinet reviews and approves all college policies. In cases of externally required policies, the added approval of the Board of Trustees Audit Committee is required.
Interim Policies:
Under extraordinary circumstances, a situation may arise in which a college-wide, administrative policy must be established and the time required to take action does not accommodate the methodology outlined above. In those rare instances, as the chief executive officer and the administrative leader of the college, the President, in consultation with the Cabinet, may establish an interim policy. The rationale for the interim policy and the policy’s anticipated duration should be clear. If the policy is needed beyond this duration, the President works with the Cabinet to (1) adopt it as a formal policy via the process outlined above (2) continue with the interim policy with a revised duration or (3) rescind the policy.
Archival Policy:
Archived policies are stored in the Office of the President
Communication of Policy
The policy shall be shared timely and widely to foster campus awareness of any changes or introduction of any new protocols.
Board Approval and Reporting Requirements
1. Policies requiring approval by the college’s governing body shall be reviewed by the Audit Committee of the Board of Trustees, who in turn recommends approval by the Full Board;
2. Periodic review of policies shall take place in accordance with each policy’s individual review frequency.
Definitions
Policy – A statement for a specific topic that must be followed. May be externally driven based on regulations or compliance or internally driven based on college best practices, values, or philosophies. A policy will say “what” but not “how”. Procedures, guidelines, and checklists are used to reflect and support the applicable policy or policies.Policy Approval Date – The date on which the policy is approved.
Policy Effective Date – The date on which the policy goes into effect.
Responsible Party – A member of the President’s Cabinet or designee who assumes responsibility for drafting and updating a policy and for ensuring awareness and education related to the policy.
Procedure – An established sequence of activities performed to accomplish a task. A checklist of items or tasks dictating how to accomplish something to ensure consistency and completeness. A procedure may describe “how” to implement a policy.
Guidelines – Suggestions or instructions that are not mandatory, but are a good idea or best practice, that show or tell how something should be done.
Handbook/Manual – A concise reference book that gives useful information and/or instructions about a particular subject.