Engaging Faculty in Policy DevelopmentMichele Gross, Director

University of Minnesota Policy ProgramMay 6, 2012

www.acupa.orgACUPA

The Association of College and University Policy Administrators

Twin Cities 1

Faculty: 3,423Undergraduate Students: 30,610Graduate Students: 13,562

Crookston

Faculty: 49Undergraduate Students: 1,600Graduate Students: 0 Faculty: 589

Undergraduate Students: 9,782Graduate Students: 765

Morris

Faculty: 96Undergraduate Students: 1,822Graduate Students: 0

RochesterFaculty: 11Undergraduate Students: 257Graduate Students: (see Twin Cities)

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Duluth

The University of Minnesota

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Faculty Governance: U of MUniversity-wide governance group:

University SenateTwin Cities/Morris/Rochester: Faculty

Senate◦ Three executive committees◦ 26 other committees (e.g., Faculty Affairs,

Educational Policy, Finance and Planning)Faculty on two campuses (Duluth and

Crookston) are represented by the UEA (University Education Association)

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Our Talented FacultyVery focused on their research, scholarship or teachingNot a fan of constraints, like a lot of

flexibilityExpect staff to handle the burden of

processingSome rely on faculty governance to

watch out for collective faculty interestsFree to act/react as individuals to

proposed changes

Policy owner definition

Policy owners must consult with representatives from target audiences during the development phase of both new and significantly revised policies.

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Ownership: Admin Policies

A person responsible for the operational administration of policies and their related procedures, processes, instructions, and forms. Depending on the scope of the subject matter, a policy may have more than one policy owner.

Education Policies: Our Case Study

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The Starting PointEnhanced our library, process, organizational

alignment, and tools in 2007Major effort to convert all administrative

policiesLaunched a comprehensive review of policiesCautioned about “Senate” policies (primarily

education) – was deemed out of scopeSelect engagement with faculty on policies Minimal use of the library/feedback

mechanisms

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The Turning PointThe Policy Advisory Committee includes

the coordinator of the University Senate.The Senate Committee on Educational

Policy (SCEP) acknowledged that there was significant opportunity to improve the current policies.

A subcommittee was launched with a original goal of reformatting/tweaking policies.

Once started, the need for major overhaul was recognized.

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The Policies: Then and Now

“Senate” policies were on the Senate website

Policies were often outdated and content was frequently a mixture of subjects

Duplicate or conflicting content in multiple policies

No standard format or writing style

Few faculty knew where the policies existed

Implementation was inconsistent

Housed in the Library Policies are current Similar content is

consolidated – mostly The standard template is

used The writing style

matches other admin policies

More regular feedback from students and faculty

Consistent process for review, approval, and implementation

Then Now

The Process: Then and Now Policy issues were

raised, discussed, and handled within one or more of the faculty governance groups

Uneven involvement with administrative policy owners

No alignment with the University-wide policy development and maintenance process

No coordination with the University Policy Office

Policy issues still handled within one or more of the faculty governance groups

Regular involvement with administrative policy owners

Follow the University-wide policy development and maintenance process incorporating their governance structure

Regular coordination with the University Policy Office

Then Now

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Process with Faculty Touch Points

Faculty Faculty

Faculty

Faculty

Faculty

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The Matrix

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Expanded Faculty Consultation

Faculty governance requested consultation on other administrative policies

Subcommittees of the Senate reviewed the list of policies

Identified areas in which they had greater interest

Created a “matrix” for preferred consultation

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Touch PointsPolicy owners are guided towards

consultation with faculty◦ Matrix◦ The Senate representative◦ The Director of the Policy Program

Consultation with the Senate is noted on each applicable policy

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Making A DifferencePolicy dialogues are more regular with

the various Senate committees.The number of questions via our policy

library mechanisms have increased.Faculty now regularly contribute to the

final policy by participating in the 30-day open review period.

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The CostThe consultation request went far

beyond what was originally planned (“should only be a handful”)

Adds time for the policy ownerConsultation often requires multiple

committeesOur definition of minor changes didn’t

necessarily match theirsThe Senate feedback didn’t necessary

mirror their constituents

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Things to ConsiderAt what points do you engage your

faculty?What type of involvement do they

have?◦ Identify needs or changes◦ Review draft versions◦ Respond to public versions◦ React after policy is in place

Is your current process working…from your perspective and theirs?

Reaching Out to Faculty

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Necessary to garner support or at least understanding of the policy and associated purpose/reason

The communication needs to address specially, those items that directly impact them

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Effective Communication

“No single communication method will reach

all faculty from my experience. Regular

reminders will enhance compliance. The

changes or parameters need to remain

visible.”

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Standard CommunicationsPromoting new or revised policies

◦ Discussion notes in the faculty governance minutes

◦ Broadcast announcement in weekly e-newsletter (The Brief)

◦ Quarterly Policy Post distribution – 1000 recipients, including some faculty

◦ Article on front page of the Policy Library

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Targeted CommunicationsConsider direct mailings to the target

audienceUse key groups to help publicize the

changes◦ Notes from faculty governance committee

meetingsTake advantage of existing

communication mechanisms (newsletters, forums)

Enlist the help of support staff***For critical policies, may want to

partner with deans or department heads

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Communication Efforts: International Travel Reporting

Broadcast announcements: U-Wide e-newsletter

Articles: Research Review and the Policy PostDiscussions/announcement: Executive

Oversight Compliance Committee, the President’s cabinet

Targeted email: deans, directors, and department heads

Announced proposed change at the Grants Management Administrators Network

Policy owner did not contact faculty/staff that traveled internationally in the past year

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TipsDetermine the areas in which you have

the resources/interest to work more closely with faculty

Partner with the key contact(s) in the Senate Office or Academic Affairs Office

Meet with faculty governance leadersEnhance communication effortsCheck back regularly to see if it’s

working and to modify when/where necessary

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New Features

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Two New FeaturesDeveloped a version of the policy

library that is smart-phone readyCreated a customized policy page that

allows for an end user to identify the type of individual they are (student, faculty, etc.) and one or more key responsibilities (research, teaching)◦ The return is a policy list that is targeted to

their responses

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Who Plays What RoleFor any audience, a policy

administrator’s role is to provide the path and door to current policies◦ Location, location, location◦ Fix any barriers to quick access◦ Enforce consistency in policy development

and communicationEnforcement of the policies typically

rests with the policy owners and the individual’s management

Happy Endings and Horror Stories

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Your TalesWhat have you experienced and how

did you survive?What did your successes look like?What additional suggestions might you

have for your colleagues?

University of Minnesota Policy Program

http://policy.umn.edupolicy@umn.edu

Michele Gross, Director612-624-8081

m-gros@umn.edu

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ACUPA

The Association of College and University Policy Administrators

www.acupa.org