The University is committed to an inclusive policy-making process. This communication highlights new or significantly revised administrative policies currently posted for the campus community to offer feedback. Your comments and suggestions are invited through the dates specified by each policy. Following the review period, all feedback will be forwarded to the policy owner who will then consider any revisions to the final policy.
New Policy: Retroactive Withdrawal and Academic Restoration
The new Retroactive Withdrawal and Academic Restoration policy provides policy provides two pathways for students who have struggled academically to return to the University and complete their degree. The new pathways are retroactive withdrawal when there are extenuating circumstances and academic restoration, which would exclude D and F grades from the cumulative GPA for up to one academic year when a student is returning to the university after a period of time. This new policy recognizes that students experience extenuating circumstances and personal growth over time that may result in an increasing likelihood of student success.
We welcome your comments on the Retroactive Withdrawal and Academic Restoration policy.
New Policy: Processing, Documenting, and Approving Accounting Transactions
The new Processing, Documenting, and Approving Accounting Transactions consolidates the content from three accounting policies into one policy. The three former policies will be retired in favor of this policy. The new policy language provides one source of the full cycle of a financial transaction, which will eliminate redundancy and create cohesion. Minor modifications to the content from the three policies include clarifying documentation standards, noting where exceptions may exist, and changes to guidance for untimely cost transfers.
Feel free to provide your comments on the Processing, Documenting, and Approving Accounting Transactions policy.
New Policy: Expected Time per Course Credit
The new Expected Time per Course Credit policy combines two separate, but interrelated, policies into one policy. The two former policies will be retired in favor of this policy. Minor changes to the language in the existing policies include clarifications that this policy applies regardless of the modality of the course, that calculations are based on a full academic term of 15 weeks, and that lab and studio courses must have the same total expected time per course credit.
We welcome your comments on the Expected Time per Course Credit policy.
Updated Policy: Safety of Minors
The Safety of Minors policy is being updated to address issues identified during a compliance risk review. Changes include the addition of internships; youth employment, virtual programs; background checks for volunteers; self-disclosure of convictions during gap background check periods, required training for all admissions program leaders; minors in labs and addressing non-University organizations using University facilities. An appendix with a youth records retention schedule is also being added to the policy and explicit language in the Health and Safety Requirements regarding training, high-risk activities, minors in labs and third-party organizations.
We welcome your comments on the Safety of Minors policy.
Updated Policies: Acquisition, Use, and Disposition of Donated Human Fetal Tissue for Research and Acquisition, Use, and Disposition of Donated Human Fetal Tissue for Research (Non-Transplantation) or Teaching
The University has two policies related to the acquisition, use, and disposition of donated human fetal tissue that recently underwent their required comprehensive review. Minor modifications to the policy include updates to reference names, a definition change from federal to state language for “human fetal tissue,” and language changes as a result of an equity lens review.
Feel free to provide your comments on either the Acquisition, Use, and Disposition of Donated Human Fetal Tissue for Research or Acquisition, Use, and Disposition of Donated Human Fetal Tissue for Research (Non-Transplantation) or Teaching policy.