UAF policies

Process for the Approval, Revision or Rescission of UAF Policies

Faculty and staff employed through the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF), students enrolled at UAF, UAF governance bodies, and standing or ad hoc UAF advisory committees (hereinafter referred to as "requestor") may propose the adoption, revision, or rescission of a UAF policy by emailing:  

UAF Chancellor's Office
uaf.chancellor@alaska.edu.

  1. The written communication must include:
    1. Subject line describing the proposed policy action (adoption, revision, or rescission).
    2. Requestor's name, current UAF affiliation email address, and phone number.   If this information is not provided, the proposal will not receive consideration.
    3. If the requestor is proposing a new policy: Complete the policy template (Word document). Submit an electronic version (in Microsoft Word) of the completed policy template.
    4. If the requestor is proposing revisions to an existing policy: Justification for the proposed revisions and a copy of the policy with the specific revisions noted.
    5. If the requestor is proposing the rescission of an existing policy:   Justification for the rescission and a copy of the existing policy. 
  2. The UAF Chief of Staff will review the written proposal and may contact the requestor to clarify wording or request additional information.  
  3. The UAF Chief of Staff will notify Chancellor's Core Cabinet of the proposal and work with Core members and Governance to:
    1. Appoint a committee to evaluate and make recommendations on the proposal. Composition of the committee is at the discretion of the Core cabinet members.
    2. Work through the policy proposal or policy to evaluate and make recommendations for changes.
    3. Refer the proposal to the UA Office of the General Counsel, UAF Risk Management, UAF governance bodies,  UAF Provost Council, Chancellor's Cabinet, and/or affected departments or constituencies for comment.
    4. Cease further consideration of the proposal.
  4. During the review process many factors will be considered, including but not limited to:
    1. Compliance with federal, state and local laws and regulations, UA policies and regulations, and other UAF policies.
    2. Which UAF department or office will be responsible for compliance, and the consequences for noncompliance.
    3. Whether the proposal represents a document better implemented as a guideline, rather than as a formal UAF policy. 
  5. After the review process, a new draft policy, a recommendation for policy rescission (with justification for the rescission), or a recommendation to cease further consideration of the proposal (with justification for the decision) is completed. The UAF Chief of Staff then advances the matter to Chancellor's Cabinet for its consideration and feedback, and ultimately the Chancellor's final, written approval of the proposed policy adoption, revision, rescission, or no action. Unless otherwise specified, the effective date or rescission date of a policy is the date the Chancellor signs the policy or rescission.
  6. After the Chancellor's written approval of a new, revised or rescinded UAF policy, it will be communicated to the UAF community by at least one of the following methods:
    1. UAF Policy website.
    2. Email communication from the Chancellor; responsible Chancellor's Cabinet member, department or office; or University Relations.

The Chief of Staff will notify the requester of the final decision made relative to his/her proposal.

When required, the UAF Chancellor may enact an “interim” policy while a policy is being requested to go through the approval, revision, or rescission process. Interim policies, may only be in place for periods of 6 months or less and must be expedited through the policy review committee process. Interim extensions are at the discretion of the Chancellor or designee.