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POLICY 00:00:04

DEVELOPMENT, APPROVAL AND REVISION OF COLLEGE POLICIES

Purpose

This policy defines policies of Pellissippi State Community College and establishes procedures for initiation and development, adoption, periodic review, and revision of college policies.

Definitions

Policies guide actions and decision-making for the College. They establish authority and responsibilities for carrying out the functions of the College and its units and provide consistency and uniformity.

Procedures provide step-by-step instructions for implementing policy, including responsible personnel and a timeline for completion, if needed.

Format:

Number and title—a new policy will be numbered according to the appropriate category, as listed below, and assigned a descriptive title:

00 The Manual, Philosophy & Purpose
01 System of Governance
02 Administrative Organization
03 Academic
04 Student
05 Business
06 Personnel
07 Travel
08 Facilities, Services and General Information

Purpose statement
Definitions, if needed
Policy Statement
Procedures, as necessary

Policy Statement

As a member of the College System of Tennessee, Pellissippi State must follow all policies and guidelines established by the Tennessee Board of Regents (TBR), and TBR policies take precedence over college policies. In addition, as a member institution of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC), accredited to award the associate degree, the College is required to adhere to all policies and guidelines established by SACSCOC. College policies are developed to coincide with policies of these bodies, as well as to meet current college needs, and must be revised as necessary to maintain compliance. Policies are initiated and reviewed by the president’s staff member who is responsible for the appropriate area, depending on the content of the policy; e.g., academic policies are the responsibility of the chief academic officer (vice president of Academic Affairs); business, personnel, travel, and facilities policies are the responsibility of the chief financial officer (vice president of Business and Finance), etc.

After development or review by the appropriate college department, a policy must be approved by President’s Council and signed by the president of the College. The official copy of all college policies is maintained in the president’s office. Policies may also be accessed from the A-Z Index on the college webpage. During new employee orientation, all employees are given directions for accessing college policies.

Procedures

  1. Initiation of a Policy
    A new policy may be developed and drafted when the appropriate president’s staff member becomes aware of the need for such policy as determined by changes in policies of the governing bodies or by local college needs. Any college employee or student may recommend the initiation of a policy by contacting the appropriate president’s staff member. Once the policy is drafted, it is approved by the president’s staff member and his or her staff, as appropriate. Academic policies may be initiated by the chief academic officer (CAO), Deans Council or Faculty Senate and must be approved by both bodies (Deans Council and Faculty Senate), as well as the CAO, before being forwarded for further review. The president’s staff member brings the new policy to the president’s senior staff for discussion and approval. If revisions are recommended by senior staff, the policy is returned for review by the originating department and resubmission. Academic policies are sent to Deans Council and Faculty Senate for notification and review of the changes. Once the policy is resubmitted and approved by the senior staff, the policy goes to President’s Council, where it undergoes the same process of review and resubmission, if necessary. When the policy has been approved by President’s Council and signed by the president, it is properly formatted, assigned an appropriate number and title and posted to the college website (http://www.pstcc.edu/policies.php).
  2. Review of College Policies
    Each college policy must be reviewed every five years and may be revised earlier if circumstances require (e.g., if TBR policy changes or if college practice is updated). The president’s executive assistant maintains a policy review schedule and, at the beginning of each academic year, provides each president’s staff member with a list of the policies in his or her purview that must be reviewed that year. The president’s staff member solicits input from his or her staff as appropriate on needed revisions to the policy and ensures continuing compliance with TBR policy. Academic policies are reviewed by Deans Council and Faculty Senate and must be approved by both bodies and the CAO. After the revised policy is approved by the president’s staff member, it follows the same process of review by senior staff and President’s Council as described above is. If additional revisions are recommended by either group, the policy is returned to the president’s staff member for further consideration by the appropriate staff. Revised academic policies are returned to Deans Council and Faculty Senate for notification, review and resubmission. Once approved by President’s Council, the policy is signed by the president; and college faculty and staff are informed that the policy has been revised. The revised policy is posted to the college website.
  3. Revocation of a Policy
    Any college employee or student may recommend revocation of a policy by contacting the appropriate president’s staff member. If, after consultation with appropriate staff or deliberative bodies, the staff member determines the policy is no longer relevant, he or she makes a recommendation that it be revoked and provides explanation to President’s Council for removing the policy. If the Council approves the recommendation, the policy is removed from the college website; college faculty and staff are informed of the change.
  4. Editorial Changes
    Editorial changes or minor adjustments, such as changes in title, grammatical corrections, etc., do not require approval by President’s Council, but may be made by a member of president’s staff in consultation with the president’s executive assistant and with approval of the president.

Reviewed/Recommended; President’s Council, September 9, 2019
Approved: President L. Anthony Wise, Jr. September 9, 2019
Review/Recommended: President’s Council, Sept. 14, 2020
Approved: President L. Anthony Wise Jr., Sept. 14, 2020