Policies

Executive Vice President and Provost Croson is the responsible University officer for over 70 academic policies. The University-Wide Policy Library provides easy online access to these and all other policies.

Academic Policy Comprehensive Review

All University of Minnesota administrative policies are required to undergo a comprehensive review on a regular basis. Academic policies have three stages prior to reaching the Policy Advisory Committee and President’s Policy Committee.

Administrative Review

The policy contact conducts an initial review, which includes feedback submitted by the University community via the University Policy website; communicated directly to the policy contact by policy users; and from the Equity Lens Policy Committee of the Diversity Community of Practice.

The policy contact drafts proposed revisions to the policy language—including any new or revised procedures, appendices, FAQs—and then solicits feedback on these proposed changes from subject matter and process experts and key stakeholders (e.g., staff in Academic Support Resources, the Graduate School, Office of Undergraduate Education, and relevant colleagues on other system campuses).

The policy contact takes this feedback into consideration and prepares policy materials for public and senate review.

Public Review

An overview of the proposed revisions are posted here on the Provost’s website, and key University stakeholders are notified by email of the availability of policy or policies for review (e.g., deans and associate deans; the Provost's Professional Education Council; the Graduate School Advisory Board; graduate program and collegiate coordinators; directors of undergraduate and directors of graduate studies; student governance leadership; the Registrars Advisory Committee, academic advisors).

Senate Review

Most academic policies are reviewed by the Senate Committee on Educational Policies (SCEP) and are reviewed by SCEP through a process developed by administrative staff in consultation with SCEP.  For policies that require review by other senate committees (e.g., Senate Committee on Academic Freedom & Tenure, Senate Committee on Faculty Affairs, Senate Research Committee, Senate Committee on Student Affairs), the policy contact will work with the senate staff to arrange for those reviews in accordance with the University Senate Review and Consultation Process. After committee review and depending on the content of the specific policy, the proposed edits advance to the Faculty, Staff, and/or Student Consultative Committees and the University or Faculty Senate.