UAPPOL Vision
University of Alberta Policies and Procedures On-line (UAPPOL) will be the single source of University of Alberta institution-wide policy and procedure, and related supplementary information not otherwise available in other official source publications. UAPPOL will serve the University as an integral part of its operations information framework by providing ready access to information.
Principles
- Over time, all institution-wide procedure and underpinning policy will move into UAPPOL.
- The UAPPOL version of policy and procedure is the official version.
- University policy and procedure applies to all members of the University community.
- All policy and procedure will share a common on-line publication presentation style.
- Electronic approval processes (workflow) will be attached to all policy and to selected procedure as deemed necessary by the procedure’s approving office.
- Policy and procedure will have an approval date, a publication date, and an effective date. Lag time between the approval date and publication date (in UAPPOL) will be minimized. Unless a policy is to take effect retroactively or at some time in the future, the approval date is also the date the policy or procedure takes effect.
- Policy may not necessarily have associated institution-wide procedure.
- Procedure cannot be published in UAPPOL without its associated parent policy.
- Each policy will have an Office of Accountability. See Definitions below for responsibilities.
- The role of a policy’s Office of Accountability extends to its associated procedure.
- A policy’s Office of Accountability will appoint the Office of Administrative Responsibility. That unit's most senior officer (or designate) shall accept the associated responsibilities (see Definitions below).
- For each procedure, its parent policy’s Office of Accountability will appoint an Office of Administrative Responsibility. That Office’s most senior officer (or designate) shall formally accept the associated responsibilities (see Definitions).
Definitions
University of Alberta Policies & Procedures On-Line (UAPPOL)
The on-line single source repository of University of Alberta policy and institution-wide procedure not otherwise available in another official source publication (i.e. the University of Alberta Calendar, applicable collective agreements).
University Policy
A statement outlining expectations of behaviour pertaining to certain activities or matters set out in relevant legislation (i.e. the Post-secondary Learning Act) and approved at the University’s senior levels of governance: the Board of Governors (BOG) and/or General Faculties Council (GFC); committees of the BOG and GFC having the delegated authority to approve certain policy; and the President, President’s Executive Committee, the Executive Planning Committee, or Vice-Presidents.
University Procedure
Procedure serves to operationalize policy. A University procedure is an institution-wide or standardized procedure outlining a required process and/or set of instructions to be followed for achieving a specified purpose/outcome.
Approver
Pursuant to the powers imparted by the Post-secondary Learning Act, the approver of University (institution wide) policy or procedure. The Approver will ensure appropriate rigour and due diligence in the development or re-development of University policy and procedure and appoint an Office of Accountability for each policy.
Office of Accountability
The office, appointed by the Approver, accountable to 1) ensure awareness (knowledge and understanding) of University policy and any associated procedure; 2) ensure policy and associated procedure compliance; 3) regularly review policy and associated procedure and ensure consistency with current practice; 4) sponsor needed development or re-development and appoint an appropriate party to lead this activity; 5) appoint and ensure that Offices of Administrative Responsibility carry out their respective responsibilities. The term ‘Office’ may refer to a collective body (i.e. Executive Planning Committee).
Office of Administrative Responsibility
The office that works closely with the appointing Office of Accountability to 1) operationalize and manage a policy through appropriate activities and/or implement associated institution-wide procedure; 2) assist in related development or re-development activities; 3) document and ensure ready-access to policy and any associated procedure; 4) assist in monitoring policy and procedure compliance. The term ‘Office’ may refer to a unit, office or standing committee (i.e. administrative unit, committee of GFC).
Normally the Office of Accountability appoints only one Office of Administrative Responsibility for a specific policy or procedure. If for extraordinary reasons there need be multiple appointments, the respective responsibilities must be clearly discernable and detailed in the policy or procedure.
Where a policy has more than one associated procedure, the Office of Administrative Responsibility may or may not be the same for each procedure.
Guidelines - Suggested approaches, best practices and/or additional information related to a procedure. Guidelines differ from procedure in that compliance is not required.
Approval Date (in the UAPPOL context)
The date a University policy or procedure is approved. Unless a policy is approved retroactively or as of some time in the future, the ‘Approval Date’ is also the date the policy or procedure takes effect.
Effective Date (in the UAPPOL context)
If a policy is approved retroactively or a policy or procedure is approved as of some time in the future, the date when policy came or will come into effect. If applicable, the ‘Effective Date’ will be published in UAPPOL along with the Approval Date.
Publication Date (in the UAPPOL context)
The date a version of a University policy or procedure first appears in UAPPOL.
