Introduction

Last Revised:08 June 2018

Introduction

The Administration and Operations Manual contains Board approved and administration approved operating policies for Gallaudet University. Policies that are submitted to and approved by the Gallaudet University Board of Trustees are usually those which relate to and have a significant impact on institutional direction, values, priorities and principles and/or on the human, fiscal or physical resources of the Institution. The President is authorized by the Board of Trustees to implement administrative policies that relate to and have an impact on major functional operations, service delivery, and University practices. The Administration and Operations Manual is a resource document; it is in no way a contract of employment and should not be relied upon as such.

Each policy defines to whom or for what area(s) the statements apply (Scope). The policy statements provide the guiding principle(s) or practices(s) by which the University normally operates. Procedures, if necessary, describe the guidelines, form of action, or series of steps normally followed in implementing the policy.

All management personnel are expected to know policies and procedures fully and to ensure their effective implementation. While every effort is made to inform employees in a timely manner of new or revised policies, it is the employee’s responsibility to refer to the Manual from time to time to keep abreast of revisions, additions, or deletions. An up-to-date Manual is available for review on the Gallaudet University web page.

Procedures for adding, revising, or deleting a policy

The procedures described below support the practice of shared governance at Gallaudet University. They are designed to ensure that policy proposals are processed in a manner that leads to timely, intelligent, and humanistic decisions based on appropriate consultation with affected constituencies. Recommendations for new or revised policies may be initiated by any employee or committee within the organization. Ideas should be reviewed by the appropriate administrative officer who, in turn, consults with the Coordinator, Administrative Services, Administration and Finance, in the development of a draft policy. The Coordinator is responsible for providing for its review by appropriate administrator(s), the President’s Executive Team, and appropriate campus constituencies. Policies are ultimately submitted to the President and, if appropriate, to the Board of Trustees for final approval.

Minor or editorial changes in policies require only administrative review and do not require full Board approval. Laws, regulations or interpretations of laws and regulations of the District of Columbia or the Federal Government may supersede a policy statement and are implemented immediately by the University. Any resulting changes in policies are submitted for approval as soon as possible.

Nomenclature

Administrative officer refers to the President, the Provost, the Vice President, Administration and Finance, the Vice President, Development and Alumni and International Relations, and the Vice President, Clerc Center. Senior administrator refers to the special assistants reporting to the President, and to the deans (including associate deans), executive directors, and directors reporting to the Provost or Vice President. Unit administrator refers to directors, managers, and department heads reporting to a senior administrator. All are considered budget unit heads for the accounts under their control.