1-11: Policy Review Process Procedures

1. The Policy Officer drafts the Policy Review Schedule for the academic year and presents it to the Executive Team.
2. The Policy Officer presents the Policy Review Schedule to the Governing Board at the August Board meeting.
3. A Constituency Group, Governance Group, or Executive Team member identifies the need to update an existing policy or establish a new policy. They:
   1. Thoroughly research the need for updating an existing policy or establishing a new policy,
   2. Use track changes to prepare a draft of the changes to an existing policy or of a new policy,
   3. Share the well-researched draft with the President, Vice President/Executive Director, Policy Owner and the Policy Officer in advance of shared governance policy review.
   4. Schedule a meeting to consult with the President, Vice President/Executive Director, Policy Owner and Policy Officer to go over the draft.
4. The Policy Owner decides whether to move forward with the draft.
5. If yes, the Policy Owner meets with the Policy Officer to schedule policy review dates.
6. The Policy Officer sends the draft to legal for review. Once legal review is completed and any edits are incorporated into the draft, policy review begins.
7. The Policy Owner presents the policy draft to Governance Groups and requests written input sent via email.
8. Using track changes, the Governance Group leaders/officers compile all feedback into the draft and email it to the Policy Owner and Policy Officer. All feedback must be in writing.
9. Governance Groups are encouraged to submit revisions via email as soon as they are available and no later than one month after the Policy Owner presents to the Governance Group.
10. Governance Groups serve in an advisory capacity; votes are not taken by the groups.
11. The Policy Owner considers the suggested amendments and determines whether to accept them.
12. The Policy Officer sends this draft to legal and incorporates any accepted amendments into the draft.
13. The Policy Owner meets with the Governance Council to present this next version of the draft and to explain whether/why any suggested changes were not adopted.
14. The Governance Council serves in an advisory capacity; no votes are taken.
15. The Governance Council provides feedback which the Policy Owner takes under consideration.
16. The President may direct the Policy Owner to make revisions.
17. If required based on the President’s amendments, the Policy Officer sends this draft to legal and incorporates any edits into the draft.
18. The policy review process concludes: no additional changes are accepted after this point and the draft is not redistributed to the Governance Groups.
19. Two weeks in advance of the Board meeting, the Policy Officer submits the draft to the Governing Board Executive Assistant for the Board meeting packet.
20. The Policy Owner and Policy Officer present to the Governing Board for the First Reading. The Policy Officer captures any edits from the Board.
21. After the First Reading, the draft is not redistributed to the Governance Groups.
22. The Policy Officer submits the draft for the Governing Board’s meeting packet two weeks in advance of the meeting for a Second/Final Reading.
    1. If there are no changes from the First Reading, the policy is added to the Consent Agenda.
    2. If there are changes from the First Reading, the policy is added to Action Items and the Governing Board considers the policy and votes to adopt.
    3. If there are extensive changes from the Second/Final Reading, and the Board requests it, the Policy Officer may schedule the policy for consideration and a vote to adopt at the next Governing Board meeting.
23. When the Governing Board approves the policy it takes effect immediately.
24. Upon Governing Board approval, the Policy Officer:
    1. Sends the final version to the Governing Board Executive Assistant for proofing and confirmation that the version is exactly as approved by the Governing Board;
    2. Posts the revised or new policy to the website; and
    3. Communicates the policy to the campus community.

Contact:          Becky Rowley, Ph.D., President, 505-428-1201
Audrey Lucero, Executive Assistant to SFCC Boards
audrey.lucero@sfcc.edu, 505-428-1148

Updated:        8/31/2021