Related Policies and Guidelines

NeSCC Policy 01:03:00 Purpose and Modification

NeSCC Policy 01:07:01 Policy Exceptions

Purpose 

This policy aims to establish the criteria and process for approving and implementing policies and procedures at Northeast State Community College.

Definitions

1. Minor Adjustment: These adjustments include changes in positions or titles, general nomenclature, grammatical errors, updates based upon SACSCOC (Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges) or TBR (Tennessee Board of Regents) policy or guideline updates, or changes in state law. Minor adjustments to policies or procedures do not require Cabinet approval.
2. Policy: A written statement that mandates, specifies, or prohibits behavior to express basic values of Northeast State, enhance its mission, ensure coordinated compliance with applicable laws and regulations, promote operational efficiency, and/or reduce institutional risk.
3. Procedure: The specific operational steps required to accomplish an action that necessitates specific instructions. Generally, a procedure will pertain to the implementation of a Procedures may also guide behavior on issues that are not dictated by policy.
4. Responsible Party: The person or group charged with oversight of policies and procedures related to their area of responsibility.
5. Substantive Change: A substantive change is a significant modification to the policy or procedure's nature or scope. Substantive changes require Cabinet approval.

Roles and Responsibilities

1. President: The President is responsible for College adherence to the Policies and Procedures Manual.
2. President’s Cabinet: Cabinet reviews and approves all substantive changes to Northeast State’s Policies and Procedures Manual. A majority vote of the members present is required for the motion to pass. 
3. Responsible parties, as denoted by the division listed at the end of each policy: Applicable divisions are responsible for reviewing each policy under the division’s purview at least once during each academic year, documenting the review in the Divisional Review Responsibilities Checklist system.  Refer to Procedure II, Annual Review Process, presented later in this policy for more information. 
4. Assistant Director of Equity and Compliance: The Assistant Director is responsible for the following:
   
   
   1. The development and maintenance of College’s Policies and Procedures Manual.  Refer to Procedure I, Creating or Revising Policies or Procedures, presented later in this policy for more information.
   2. Conduct annual training with individuals who are charged with responsibility for one or more policies.
   3. Present a formal report to the Cabinet at the close of each academic year regarding the institution’s compliance with its annual review process.  Refer to Procedure II, Annual Review Process, presented later in this policy for more information.
      
      
5. Vice Presidents, Director of Advancement Operations, the Chief Financial Officer, and other responsible parties: These select individuals are responsible for monitoring actions by SACSCOC and TBR that could impact their respective divisions, alerting the Assistant Director of Equity and Compliance when local policies and procedures updates are needed. Refer to Procedure I, Creating or Revising Policies or Procedures, presented later in this policy for more information.

Procedures

I. Creating or Revising Policies or Procedures

The following steps shall be taken when creating a new policy or procedure or updating a policy or procedure:

1. Faculty or staff shall contact the applicable divisional unit regarding a policy or procedure recommendation.
2. Divisional units will coordinate information with their designated vice president or senior-level administrator.
3. The senior-level administrator responsible for the identified policy will provide written updates or recommendations to the Assistant Director of Equity and Compliance.
4. The Assistant Director of Equity and Compliance will review and prepare the policy or procedure for review or consideration by the President's Cabinet if the changes are substantive.  If the revisions only constitute minor adjustments, the Assistant Director of Equity and Compliance will work with the designated senior administrator to apply changes.
5. If a policy or attendant procedure’s revisions are substantive (or it is new), the following procedures shall be followed:
   
   
   1. The Responsible Area will complete a Policy Review Cover Sheet, denoting the nature of the proposed revisions. This cover sheet is available via the home page of the Northeast State Policy Manual. The individual will submit the cover sheet to the Assistant Director of Equity and Compliance for inclusion with the draft policy.
   2. The Assistant Director of Equity and Compliance shall place the draft policy/procedure and coversheet in the Cabinet folder for the upcoming Cabinet meeting at least five business days prior to the meeting.
      
      The Responsible Area should keep in mind that some revisions or new policies may take a substantial amount of time to prepare. Therefore, revisions should be provided to the Assistant Director of Equity and Compliance as early as possible. Revisions not prepared for presentation at least five business days before the next Cabinet meeting will be held until a subsequent meeting.
      
      When extenuating circumstances exist, Cabinet may approve to forgo the five business day waiting period prior to presentation with a majority vote of Cabinet members present at the meeting.
      
      
6. A policy or procedure update or recommendation shall be approved by a majority vote of President's Cabinet members present.
7. The Assistant Director of Equity and Compliance will highlight new or substantively changed policies and procedures in the College's institutional briefing.

II.  Annual Review Process

Each policy and procedure shall be reviewed each academic year, as outlined below:

1. Annually, the Assistant Director of Equity and Compliance shall conduct training with individuals charged with responsibility for one or more policies.  The responsible division is listed at the end of each policy.  This training should occur near the onset of the academic year.
2. Applicable divisions are responsible for reviewing each policy under the division’s purview at least once during each academic year.  The division shall document its review in the Divisional Review Responsibilities Checklist system.  
3. Should updates to policies or procedures be identified during the review, the unit should follow Procedure I, Creating or Revising Policies or Procedures, listed above to implement changes.
4. At the close of the academic year, the Assistant Director of Equity and Compliance shall present a formal report to the Cabinet regarding the institution’s compliance with its annual review process. The report shall serve as a mechanism to monitor compliance with policies and ensure the effectiveness of Northeast State’s policies and attendant procedures.  Continuous improvements shall be implemented, as appropriate.