University Policies
Official policies, policy definitions and policy revision/development procedures at the University of South Dakota.
The USD Policy Website contains University-wide policies only. All policies documented on this site are official and supercede policies located elsewhere.
Policy Statement
The University of South Dakota's policies provide university faculty, staff, and students guidance to:
- Help the university accomplish its mission and clarify institutional expectations
- Support compliance with state and federal laws and regulations
- Enhance productivity and efficiency in the university's operations
- Maintain adequate internal controls to safeguard the university's assets
- Mitigate institutional risk
University Policies will be:
- Presented in a common format
- Formally approved
- Maintained centrally and easily accessible
- Kept current by the individuals engaged in developing and maintaining the university policies
Policy
A policy is a statement of the university's philosophy and direction on a particular issue, established to provide guidance and assistance to the University community in the conduct of University affairs. A University policy will include the following criteria:
- It is a governing principle that mandates or constrains actions.
- It has broad application throughout the university.
- It will change infrequently and sets a course for the foreseeable future.
- It includes procedures for compliance, enhances the University's mission or reduces institutional risk.
- It is approved at the senior levels of the University.
Procedures
A procedure is a series of interrelated steps that are taken to help implement the policy. Procedures are defined using the following guidelines:
- Procedures are statements that prescribe specific actions to be taken to comply with established policies.
- Procedures should identify and link to the applicable University policy.
- Procedures should be written in a format that is easy to follow, using numbers or bullets to designate steps to be followed.
- Procedures should be reviewed and updated as necessary to ensure agreement with the most recent revision to the policy.
- Procedures generally do not require formal approval by senior University officials.
Guidelines
A guideline is any document that aims to streamline particular processes according to a set routine.
Colleges, Schools, departments, and other University units may have additional policies that are specific to them and do not meet the University policy criteria. Each area is responsible for maintenance and communication of their policies. Unit policies must not conflict with University policies; however, they may be more restrictive. Questions regarding a specific unit's policies should be referred to them directly.
Rather than restating and maintaining policies in multiple locations, portal sites and other documents should provide links or references to policies on the University policy site in order to avoid redundant, inconsistent, or outdated policy statements. Statements of University policy published elsewhere are not official as they may not reflect recent changes.
The Policy Administrator assists Division units in the development of new University policies and the revision of existing policies. While the Policy Administrator is responsible for maintaining the policy document's integrity and guiding the development, responsibility for its content resides with the policy's Originating Office. All policies must align with governance by the Board of Regents, the State of South Dakota, and Federal Law.
Laura McNaughton
Slagle Hall Room 136
E-mail: Laura.McNaughton@usd.edu
Phone: 605-658-5642
