UH Hilo Academic Policy Proposal & Modification Process
Notes to the Academic Policy Proposal Flow Chart
This process is intended to govern the proposal and approval of new or modified academic policies.
Academic policy proposals may originate at any level of the campus community. In all cases they will be submitted to the faculty Congress or to an appropriate unit governance entity.
When the need is apparent, or when directed to do so by decision-making authorities, personsproposing new or amended policies are responsible for seeking consultation with appropriateuniversity staff members, to ensure compliance with law, government and system policies, and other regulations. Proposals may be returned for further consultation at any point in the process.
Certification of consultation must be provided by the consulted staff member or members andforwarded with the proposal.
Footnote references from the flow chart
- For the purposes of this document, Dean(s) includes Deans, the University Librarian, and the Director of Ka Haka 'Ula O Ke'elikölani, the College of Hawaiian Language.
- For the purposes of this document, the word "Unit" in the phrase "Unit Governance Entities" includes, but is not limited to, the Colleges and the Library.
- Representatives of Faculty Congress and Graduate Council are responsible for seeking consultation with appropriate Faculty and Staff members within their respective units on the potential implications of new or amended policies. Faculty Congress will appoint a member as “liaison to Graduate Council” to communicate between the two representative bodies.
- Referrals for proposal revision from Faculty Congress and Graduate Council are sent to proposal originator.
- Referrals for proposal revision from the VCAA may be sent to either Faculty Congress or Graduate Council, depending on the scope and potential implications of the proposed policy.
- There is a time-limit between receiving and voting/deciding on a proposal. For Faculty Congress, the time-limit is two months. For Graduate Council and VCAA this is one month. If time-limit is not met, the proposal shall automatically be advanced to the next recipient without recommendation.
- Approved Graduate Policy proposals that are deemed to affect only graduate level affairs will be submitted by the Graduate Council to the Faculty Congress for review. If Faculty Congress is in agreement that the policy does not need consideration by faculty or academic units, the Faculty Congress chair will inform the Graduate Council Chair in writing that the proposal should be submitted to the VCAA for review. If the Faculty Congress determines that a proposed graduate policy proposal should be forwarded to all academic units for review, that Faculty Congress chair will notify the Graduate Council Chair and refer to the Academic Policy Committee for review and action.
- Approved graduate policy proposals that are deemed to affect the university or academic units, other than graduate level affairs, will be submitted by the Graduate Council Chair to Faculty Congress. Faculty Congress will provide feedback on the proposed policy within two regular meetings (usually two months).
Note that the University administration is responsible for
- Establishing reasonable timelines for each phase of the process;
- Developing new forms and documentation consistent with the new procedures;
- Arranging for a system to track policy proposals as they move through the process, and arranging for training of users;
- Specifying procedures to notify submitters, reviewers, and other appropriate participants of the progress and final status of proposals, using a combination of web-posting, email, hardcopy distribution, etc., as appropriate;
- Codifying long-standing policies and procedures and posting them on the new academic policies webpage; and
- Ensuring that other campus shared governance constitutions and by-laws are consistent withthese established processes.