A university policy is a set of governing principles formally approved to provide assistance in the conduct of university affairs. University policies apply across the university and have an impact on a substantial segment of the campus population. University policies authorize or constrain actions to enhance the university mission and operational efficiency; mitigate and manage institutional risk; and in some cases, ensure compliance with federal, state, and local laws and regulations.

The Policy Library, maintained by the University Policy Office (UPO), provides public access to University policies. 

The UPO does not include all guidelines, procedures, or policies for specific departments or units within the University. Many of these can be found on the websites of individual University Departments or units. Our UPO Resources page does provide access to many policies and rules within the University system. If you know of a resource that should be listed please contact the University Policy Office.

The UPO coordinates and provides support within the University in policy review and development. Standardization or development of a policy requires consultation with individuals from all parts of the University, such as administrators, business managers, vice presidents, deans, University Counsel, etc. In meetings and consultation with these different groups, the UPO gathers information and assists in the crafting of a cohesive document that is complete, comprehensible, and easy to use. Steps in becoming a policy are included under the Policy Development Process section of this website. The Office of the General Counsel (OGC) is also directly involved in the policy development process.

The UPO and OGC both help university units in the development of policies that have application throughout the University, as represented by those included in the University Policy Library. These policies cover a wide range of topics and affect faculty, students, staff, volunteers, and visitors.

As a policy is standardized or developed, it goes through a rigorous review and approval process (see: Policy Development Process). The responsible executive, with assistance from the UPO, writes the impact statement, which is reviewed by the Operations Committee of the University President’s Executive Leadership Team (ELT). The Operations Committee of ELT may forward the proposed policy to the next step in the process where the policy is carefully drafted. Stakeholder input is gathered and considered throughout with a major emphasis in the drafting and editing phase. A comprehensive legal review is a vital part of the preparation during drafting. Upon completion of the drafting and editing process, the proposed policy is ready for President’s ELT review.  The ELT will evaluate the proposed policy and may make a recommendation to the President for final action. Final action resides with the University President.

The University President and ELT can approve an interim policy in case of an emergency. An interim policy would have the same force and power of a regular policy except it is temporary and must include a sunset date within. This expedited policy process is to be used only to address an emergency or unforeseen situation that warrants such action until the normal policy adoption process can be completed in a reasonable amount of time.

The policies and procedures outlined in the Academic Faculty and Administrative Professional Manual are for all academic faculty and administrative professionals’ information and guidance as Colorado State University Employees. All academic faculty and administrative professionals are advised to consult the Faculty Council website for the most current version approved by the Board of Governors of the Colorado State University System. The Manual is available at www.facultycouncil.colostate.edu.The Manual is approved by the Board of Governors and therefore any conflict with a University Policy that has not been approved by the Board should be controlled by the Manual, except as otherwise determined by the General Counsel or by the Board itself.

The UPO website includes a Policy News page highlighting recently approved policies and revisions. Check back periodically to keep current on policies of interest to you.

If you still need assistance, please contact the UPO.

Almost all of the policies issued through the UPO have a contacts section directing you to the appropriate office for answers to your questions. For policies that do not have a contracts section, or if you are unsure of where to call, contact your department’s administrative office or the office responsible for the policy. You may also contact UPO for assistance by accessing the Contact Us page from the menu above.

Send comments or suggestions about this website to the UPO by accessing the Contact Us page. Your input is appreciated.  If you find a broken link, please let us know so it can be corrected.