Policy on Policies

Purpose

The University Policies webpage and the Academic Catalog serve as the principal policy documents for McNeese State University. University policies have a wide scope and the potential for campus-wide impact. The Academic Catalog contains policies regarding academic issues. These policies include but are not limited to admissions policies, coursework requirements, graduation requirements, Title IV regulations including financial aid, and other related academic matters.

The University reserves the right to change University policies and the Academic Catalog without notice as required to comply with federal, SACSCOC, Louisiana Board of Regents, University of Louisiana System, and other agency regulations and to meet institutional needs. University policies are reviewed regularly and at least every five years while the Academic Catalog and policies therein are reviewed annually and updated as needed.

Procedures

The following procedures are required for approval of University policies on the University Policies webpage:

1. University policy proposals or revisions are brought to the Executive Leadership Team by the president, or Executive Leadership Team members may propose policies and revisions for their respective areas of responsibility. Upon review, the Executive Leadership Team makes a recommendation for approval to the president, and the president is responsible for the final approval.
2. University policies should include the following information:
   1. Title of policy
   2. Authority – Policies are assigned to at least one member of the institution’s Executive Leadership Team or another administrator, specifically designated by the president, for maintenance and regular review.
   3. Dates of enactment and revisions
   4. Purpose – This should include a concise statement of the purpose of the policy and assurance of its alignment with federal, SACSCOC, Louisiana Board of Regents, University of Louisiana System, and other agency regulations and institutional or unit purposes.
   5. Procedures – This section should include a description of procedures and an associated timeline for completion as well as a method for monitoring and reporting compliance with the policy.
   6. Communication – Methods of communicating policies should be listed here, if applicable.
3. Minutes from Executive Leadership Team meetings shall document approval of University policies. Executive Leadership Team minutes are archived in the Office of the President.
4. Policy revisions should be noted as such and include the date of revision. Minor policy revisions do not require additional approval unless the intent of the policy significantly changes. The revised policy should be submitted to the Office of Institutional Research and Effectiveness for posting on the University Policies website.
5. The president or Executive Leadership Team member authoring new or revised policies is responsible for coordinating dissemination of University policies with the Office of Institutional Research and Effectiveness and the Office of Marketing and Communications as appropriate to the policy.
6. The Office of Institutional Research and Effectiveness posts new policies and policy revisions on the University Policies webpage at www.mcneese.edu/policy.

The following procedures are required for approval of all additions and revisions to the Academic Catalog:

1. Academic policies contained in the Academic Catalog are proposed by an academic or administrative unit, reviewed by academic deans and, if appropriate, the Undergraduate Curriculum Committee and/or Graduate Council, and approved by the provost for inclusion in the Academic Catalog.
2. The Office of Institutional Research and Effectiveness posts additions and revisions to the Academic Catalog at catalog.mcneese.edu.

Communication

All full-time and part-time McNeese employees are responsible for reading, understanding, and adhering to all University policies. University policies are officially published on the University Policies webpage at www.mcneese.edu/policy. The Academic Catalog is located at catalog.mcneese.edu. Both of these pages contain search features to assist in finding information.

Reference

Developing Policy and Procedure Documents: Best Practices distributed by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools – Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC)