December

What’s new in University policy

The President’s Advisory Council on University Policy just wrapped up its last meeting of 2018; here are the updates.

By Megan Jones

December 3, 2018

The President’s Advisory Council on University Policy recently conducted its final meeting of the fall semester. Highlights include:

Employment Policies: The Faculty Employment Handbook Committee is being reconstituted and will begin reviewing faculty employment policies in the spring semester. An ad hoc subgroup of the University Policy Advisory Council is examining the process to draft and review employment policies applying to full- and part-time staff who are exempt from state personnel rules — including student employees,

Proposed Mandatory Reporting of Discrimination and Harassment Policy: The Council reviewed requested changes to the draft of the proposed mandatory reporting of discrimination and harassment policy. This policy is on hold pending proposed changes from the U.S. Department of Education in Title IX rules. The Chronicle of Higher Education provides a summary of the proposed changes, which are posted for public comment.

Board Policies With Technical or Legal Revisions: The Council finished its review of about 30 Board of Trustees policies with technical or legal changes. The recommendations will be presented to the President’s Cabinet for review at its next available meeting and to the Board of Trustees for review and approval in the spring semester.

Academic Freedom Policy: The Faculty Senate will facilitate review of the substantive changes to the existing Board policy on academic freedom recommended by the University Policy Advisory Council prior to the policy being submitted to the President’s Cabinet and Board of Trustees for review and approval.

Thanks to Council members for their thoughtful consideration of these proposed policies and revisions. 

At a previous President's Cabinet meeting, policy council co-leads Nick Stancil, deputy general counsel, and Sheila Rucki, Ph.D., associate professor, Department of Political Science, recommended that the council in its current incarnation be sunset and instead transition to a group focused on the daily operations of policymaking. The Cabinet approved the recommendation.

If you have questions on the University policy process, please contact Policy Administrator Megan Jones at policy@msudenver.edu or 303-605-5231.