Introduction

This manual contains basic policies related to the University's administrative, academic, fiscal, and personnel operations. It represents a description of principles and procedures on which the University operates, but neither the manual nor individual policies are contracts of any kind.

University policy is developed, revised, and issued as conditions warrant, as the Board of Trustees' action dictates, or as new state or federal legislation is enacted. In cases of conflict, state and federal law supersede University policies. Responsibility for administration and coordination of the policies in this manual is delegated by the President to the Vice President for Business Affairs. To facilitate a clear understanding and prompt implementation of changes in official policy, the Vice President consults with: Faculty Council and other appropriate faculty committees before implementing a change that will directly affect the faculty; officers and staff before introducing a change that will affect administrators and staff; and, elected officers of the Student Government Association or other appropriate student organizations concerning a change that will affect students. Department heads are responsible for the administration of policies and procedures as they pertain to their areas of responsibility.

Occasionally, the University must make decisions without prior consultation with affected individuals or groups and reserves full authority to do so. The University also maintains exclusive discretion to exercise the customary functions of management including, but not limited to, the discretion to select, hire, promote, transfer, demote, suspend, dismiss, assign, supervise, and discipline employees; to determine work schedules; to determine the size and composition of the work force; to establish, change, modify, and abolish policies, procedures, rules, and regulations; to evaluate policies on a "case-by-case" basis before making employment decisions; to consider extenuating circumstances in the interpretation or application of policies, as appropriate; to determine and modify job descriptions and job classifications; to assign responsibilities to employees; and to establish and change salary and wage rates in accordance with needs and requirements determined by the University.

Approved 8/99

Last Revised 8/01