Adoption of the UNC Policy Manual, Promulgation of Policies, and

Use of Reporting Requirements

The Board of Governors adopts the University of North Carolina Policy Manual (UNC Policy Manual) as the official document articulating Board of Governors policies and the administrative regulations and guidelines of the president. Policies existing prior to the adoption of this policy and not included in the UNC Policy Manual are rescinded and are no longer in effect.

I. Definitions

A. Policies. Policies direct the University of North Carolina, its constituent institutions, and affiliated entities according to the Board’s mission and philosophies. Policies should articulate in a concise manner the official statement of the Board on issues it deems important to the governance of the University. The Board of Governors is the only entity that may establish a policy of the University.

B. Regulations. Regulations are those rules or requirements of the president that the UNC System Office, the constituent institutions, and the designated affiliated entities are required to follow.

C. Guidelines. Guidelines are interpretations of policies or other requirements that are issued for the assistance of the UNC System Office, the constituent institutions, and the University’s affiliated entities in conducting the affairs of the University.

D. Transmittal Letters. Transmittal letters will be used to transmit new or amended policies, regulations, or guidelines to the campuses. They will not contain information with long-term significance and will not be included in the UNC Policy Manual. Transmittal letters will be sequentially numbered.

II. Procedures for Adoption or Amendment of Policies, Regulations, and Guidelines

A. Before the Board may adopt, amend, or repeal a policy, a standing or special committee of the Board must give notice of its proposed action concerning the policy by making a public announcement at a prior meeting of the Board or by notice given to members of the Board at least 28 days prior to the meeting at which action on the policy is proposed. At the meeting of the Board at which the Board is to take action, the committee’s proposal may be adopted, adopted with amendments, or rejected.

B. Regulations and guidelines pertaining to Board policies, or other matters not addressed by a policy, will be promulgated only by the president. The terms “policy,” “policies,” or “procedures” will not be used to designate regulations or guidelines. Regulations or guidelines may be issued by the president on the president’s initiative or on the recommendation of a vice president after senior officers and staff designated by the president have had an opportunity to review and comment on the proposal. All regulations and guidelines issued by the president will be signed and dated by the president.

III. Limitation on Reporting Requirements in Policies, Regulations, and Guidelines

The Board of Governors, the president, chancellors, and University staff require access to business information, data, and reports in order to carry out their responsibilities for the governance and leadership of the University and the constituent institutions. University boards and leadership should rely on business information and data systems for reporting and oversight. Any data collection and reporting requirements that are established by the Board or the president should: (1) inform decision-making; (2) be relevant to strategic priorities or federal or state regulatory requirements; (3) be cost effective compared to the reporting burden; (4) support risk management and risk mitigation; and (5) be directed to the appropriate University board or official, such as the Board of Governors, the president, the chancellor, or the board of trustees.

It is the sense of the Board of Governors that University policies, regulations, and guidelines should generally not contain specific data collection and reporting requirements. When a clear need for a specific data collection and reporting requirement is identified, the president, as the chief administrative and executive officer of the University, may establish the requirement, and adjust or amend the requirement from time to time as the president deems appropriate. The president is encouraged to maintain and periodically update a master list of data collection and reporting requirements that is accessible to the leadership and staff and of the University and the constituent institutions who are responsible for fulfilling the requirements.

IV. Maintaining the UNC Policy Manual; Technical Corrections

A. The senior vice president and general counsel will assign each policy, regulation, and guideline a number and the secretary of the University will incorporate it in the UNC Policy Manual. The first page of every policy, regulation, or guideline shall note its promulgation date and dates of amendment. Policies, regulations, guidelines, and amendments thereto, shall state an effective date if that date is different from the date of adoption.

B. The secretary of the University will maintain a permanent record of each policy, regulation, and guideline adopted or amended by the Board of Governors or the president and will prepare a transmittal letter to transmit each to the senior officers, chancellors, and others, as designated by the president. The secretary of the University will control the numbering of transmittal letters and will keep a permanent record of each transmittal letter and the accompanying policy, regulation or guideline.

C. The UNC Policy Manual will be maintained in hard copy form and in a format accessible on the University’s website and will be updated regularly to include new or amended policies, regulations, and guidelines.

D. The secretary of the University, in consultation with the senior vice president and general counsel, is authorized to make technical changes to the UNC Policy Manual as defined below:

1. Correct typographical errors;

2. Make conforming changes to names, titles, statutory and regulatory references, and other designations;

3. Correct inconsistencies among policies that may result due to a more recent policy adoption, amendment, or rescission;

4. Assure that Board delegations and resolutions are accurately reflected throughout The Code and the UNC Policy Manual; and

5. Annotate policies, regulations, and guidelines to cross-reference other provisions of the UNC Policy Manual.

Any corrections or changes that are made pursuant to this policy shall be summarized and reported in writing to the chair of the Board of Governors and the Committee on University Governance.

V. Other Matters

Effective Date. The requirements of this policy shall be effective on the date of adoption by the Board of Governors.

Relation to State Laws. The foregoing policies as adopted by the Board of Governors are meant to supplement, and do not purport to supplant or modify, those statutory enactments which may govern the activities of public officials.

Regulations and Guidelines. These policies shall be implemented and applied in accordance with such regulations and guidelines as may be adopted from time to time by the president.

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