Campus Policies

Scope

All campus units.

Policy Statement

The University of Nebraska Omaha (UNO) formally approves official campus policies through an established process, publishes those policies in a consistent format, and maintains official campus policies in a central, readily accessible policy website. Responsible administrators (as defined below) and their offices must comply with the procedures in this policy for drafting, approving, revising, distributing, maintaining, and withdrawing campus policies.

Reason for Policy

The University of Nebraska Omaha (UNO) establishes campuswide policies to further the university's mission; promote consistency, efficiency, and effectiveness; and mitigate or manage significant institutional risk.

Campus policies must be thoroughly reviewed, maintained, and made available to the campus community to promote compliance and accountability. The present policy provides for a consistent, transparent, and inclusive development process; an identified authority for approving policies; a mechanism for regular review of policy needs, compliance, and effectiveness; a consistent policy format; and an accessible electronic policy library.

Procedures

Development and Approval Process

1. Identification of Need and Development of Draft Policy

Campuswide policies should be based on a determination that its requirements are necessary to support a campus mission or goal; promote consistency, efficiency, and effectiveness; mitigate or manage significant institutional risk; or assure compliance with federal or state laws, rules, or regulations.  A responsible office that identifies the need for a policy must draft a policy using the standard template. The draft policy is to be sent to the Campus Compliance Committee via email to unopolicies@unomaha.edu.

2. Review and Comment Period

The Campus Compliance Committee will review and provide suggestions concerning language, level of detail, readability, and potential impacts on other campus policies or practices. The responsible office, with guidance from the Campus Compliance Committee, consults stakeholders, campus leadership, and others as needed to seek feedback. After receiving input and feedback, the responsible office will update the policy draft as needed.

Unless circumstances necessitate an expedited process (see below), the policy draft must be posted on the campus policy website for a minimum of 30 days to provide a review and comment period. Any comments received will be forwarded to the responsible office.

3. Final Approval

Following the review and feedback period, the policy is routed to the Chancellor’s Cabinet for final approval.  Once approved, the policy will be posted on the campus policy website as “approved."

4. Distribution & Maintenance

The responsible office should communicate and distribute the approved policy broadly to the university community and key stakeholders. Responsible office should monitor compliance, measure effectiveness of policy, and evaluate feedback. Policies should be reviewed by the responsible office no later than every three (3) years from the effective date or the last update or review, to ensure that the information in the policy remains accurate and that the policy is still necessary and effective in its current form. Revisions that affect the substance or scope of the policy should follow the policy development and approval process; however, minor revisions and changes in contacts, forms, or related information may be made by the responsible office and posted without review. If a policy needs to be withdrawn, that information should follow the policy development and approval process along with any replacement policy. Review, revision, and withdrawal actions should be noted in the history section of the policy. Versions of policies that are revised or withdrawn will be archived.

Interim/Expedited Policies

Responsible offices may forego the review period and approve an interim policy via an expedited process when necessary. Special situations where this is likely may include a change in federal or state law, a significant and immediate financial opportunity, or a major institutional risk. Interim policies must use the standard template, require the approval of a Responsible Administrator, and will remain in force for up to one year from the date of issuance.  The removal of the interim designation will occur after the policy completes the Development and Approval Process.

Relationship of Campus Policies to Local Policies

Academic and administrative units (including colleges, schools, and departments) may develop local policies, whether or not a corresponding campus policy exists. Local policies must be compliant with any applicable campus policy. In the event of a conflict between a campus-wide policy and a school or departmental policy, the campus policy will prevail. 

Relationship of Campus Policies to Systemwide Policies or Bylaws

Campus policies must be compliant with any University of Nebraska Board of Regents policy, Board of Regents bylaw, executive memoranda, or any other University of Nebraska systemwide policy. In the event of a conflict between a campus policy and a University of Nebraska systemwide policy, the systewide policy will prevail. 

Compliance

Faculty, staff and students are responsible for knowing, understanding, and complying with policies that relate to their position, employment or enrollment at the university. Responsible offices are responsible for following the policy development and implementation process established by this policy, communicating their policies effectively, reviewing and updating their policies regularly, and monitoring their policies for compliance and effectiveness.

Definitions

Campus Policy: A guiding or governing set of rules or principles, formally approved, to further the conduct of campus affairs. This policy encompasses only campus-wide policies, which should be distinguished from procedures or guidelines and from college, school, departmental, and/or University of Nebraska system-wide policies and bylaws.  Only those policies approved in accordance with this policy will have the force of campus policy.

Campus Compliance Committee: The Campus Compliance Committee is a standing committee of representatives from a variety of departments tasked with significant policy development and oversight responsibilities. For the purposes of this policy, the Committee will serve as a resource to consult with university offices on proposed and draft policies to consider whether they are necessary and aligned with institutional mission, goals, and priorities; that policies are concise, consistent in format and scope, and easy to understand; to identify constituencies and other policies that may be affected; and to make recommendations to the responsible offices. The Campus Compliance Committee meets on a monthly basis.

Responsible Administrator: The responsible administrator is the highest ranking university officer responsible for the high-level oversight of campus policies that fall within their areas of responsibility. The responsible administrator is accountable for the substance of the policy and compliance with campus policies under their jurisdiction; and delegating to and overseeing the performance of the responsible office. Depending on the scope of the subject matter, a policy may have more than one responsible administrator.

Responsible Office: The responsible office is assigned by the responsible administrator and is tasked with the operational administration of a policy and its related procedures, processes, instructions, and forms. Depending on the subject matter, a policy may have more than one responsible office.

Forms

Campus Policy Template

Related Information

Campus Policies

University of Nebraska Board of Regents Bylaws and Other Policies

History