System policy office prepares biannual rollout of APS changes

The University of Colorado will revise 12 administrative policies, eliminate 19 and implement two new ones on July 1 as part of ongoing efforts to streamline and reduce paperwork.

The changes will take effect in fiscal year 2009-10 and are the result of a comprehensive analysis by the Office of Policy and Efficiency (OPE), campus and system subject matter experts, and the President's Task Force on Efficiency, which issued 36 recommendations to CU President Bruce D. Benson in March.

A detailed list of these changes, including draft policies, stakeholders involved, and justifications for the changes, can be found at the OPE Web site under "Policies Under Review."

"This is a big step in responding to the concerns of the campuses and in fulfilling the original charge of the task force and the Office of Policy and Efficiency," said CU President Bruce D. Benson.

The university's two new policies stem from recent state statutory requirements granting in-state tuition status to military veterans who have been honorably discharged and to students whose parents relocated to Colorado to work for companies that will contribute to the state's economic development.

OPE Director Dan Montez, who oversaw the work of the task force along with Vice President for Administration and Chief of Staff Leonard Dinegar, said the July 1 policy changes would result in a net reduction of 17 administrative policy statements (APSs).  Since last fall, the administration's cleanup of duplicative and cross-listed policies and other streamlining efforts have reduced the number of policy statements on the system Web site from 210 to 106, he said.

Montez credited the administrative offices that develop policy statements, or the "policy owners," for taking on the challenge of improving efficiency by eliminating unnecessary or duplicative policies.

"They've been more aggressive in responding to the campus concerns, 'Do we really need these things,'" he said.
Among the Task Force on Efficiency's recommendations to the president was a call to simplify the way system administration communicates policy changes to faculty and staff. The result is that OPE will strive to issue policy updates no more than twice a year beginning in July.

Administrators believe the twice-a-year updates will reduce confusion, improve compliance, and help faculty and staff keep track of new, revised or rescinded policy statements. Under consideration is a plan to announce policy statement changes in September and March to coincide with the academic calendar.

"We're just trying to simplify and make it easy for people to find policies. It's hard to hold people accountable for things they don't know exist," Montez said.

To read more and to comment on efforts to reduce and streamline policy statements, visit https://www.cu.edu/content/provideyourfeedback