OREGON STATE UNIVERSITY
Open search box
There are different types of policies at OSU. Click here to see the hierarchy of policy and see the descriptions below for more detail.
Oregon State University is governed by its Board of Trustees. The Board’s conduct is governed by bylaws and supplemented by policies and processes. The Board can take actions and adopt resolutions that establish and carry out the university’s mission. Because the Board is the final institutional authority, these bylaws and Board policies have precedence over University Policies, University Standards, unit rules, or procedures. The Board’s focus is one of oversight and policy determination. Policies adopted by the Board include:
For unit rule drafting best practices, click here.
Unit rules address needs at the unit level or control issues that affect a subset of the university. Colleges, departments, and other units of the university may develop specific implementation mechanisms for operations, administration, or programs within that particular unit. Unit rules are developed and approved by the unit and describe a unit’s approach to implementing relevant university policies or university standards. Unit rules are applicable only to their home units, or to functions over which that unit has authority, but may involve the implementation of processes that affect the entire university and university community. Unit rules may be more restrictive than university policies and standards, but must remain consistent with them and with relevant statutes and regulations.
Examples of unit rules include those in the Fiscal Operations Manual or the Office of Human Resources Policy Manual, or those in the following units:
Administrative Policies & Procedures Manuals (APPMs): When the university was under the umbrella of the Oregon University System, it had several APPMs managed by Finance & Administration. These APPMs contained policies with university-wide applicability and were the precursors to our University Policies and Standards. Several of these manuals are still active; however, a few of the remaining policies are listed here for reference until they are re-homed on a unit's website:
Policies and Guidance Related to Accessibility: The university has "policies and guidance" around nondiscrimination, service and assistance animals, information technology, and the built environment. Information may be found on the university's Accessibility website.
The Faculty Senate represents faculty in all academic and administrative units. It has legislative responsibility regarding educational standards, curricula, academic regulations, and faculty welfare, and makes recommendations to university administration.
Procedures are descriptions of the tasks required to support and carry out university policies, university standards, or rules. Procedures articulate the process for accomplishing tasks or controls and are intended to ensure activities are accomplished completely and consistently. Procedures have a narrower focus than university policies or rules. They are often changed to improve the processes and are typically more detailed than University Policies, University Standards, or unit rules. Procedures often state who will accomplish a task, how it is performed, and when it must be done.
Examples of procedures may be found on the Emergency Management website (bomb threat, severe weather, evacuation, and more).