Academic Senate Policy #S08-247

Mandatory Periodic Review of Academic Senate Policies

Rationale

The Academic Senate at San Francisco State University has policies on record dating back to 1962. There are 39 policies still in existence that were created just between 1962 and 1975. Not all of these policies are relevant anymore—some have been supplanted or revised and some have been made irrelevant by practice.

Practically none of these policies contained any provisions requiring them to be reviewed or updated or setting out a timetable for their eventual rescinding (if relevant).

It is apparent that no Senate systematically has gone back and reviewed old policies. In fact, some new policies have been established without regard for previous policies existing on the same topics, so that now competing policies are actually in existence.

In government, legislatures sometimes include provisions which require that policies, laws or programs automatically die within a certain time period unless they are specifically renewed. This gives the lawmakers the opportunity to review old policies or programs and ensure that they are still relevant and if not, to make needed changes. These provisions make for intelligent policy-making.

This policy, the Mandatory Periodic Review of Academic Senate Policies, is in this category and would ensure that all policies are periodically reviewed by the Academic Senate and old policies that are no longer needed are rescinded.

Mandatory Periodic Review of Academic Senate Policies

Beginning with the 2007-2008 Academic Year, it will be Academic Senate policy to require periodic review of all Senate policies.

Unless provisions for periodic review or automatic expiration are made within the policy, each policy will be reviewed within seven to ten years after the last substantive Senate action on that policy. During this review, the appropriate committee will make a recommendation to the full Senate that the policy be continued, amended or rescinded. If the full Senate fails to continue or approve the amended policy, the recommendation will be that the policy be rescinded.

It is the responsibility of the Academic Senate Vice-Chair to organize this periodic review of Senate policies and of the Executive Committee to schedule policies for review by the appropriate Senate Committee and to track the periodic review calendar.

Upon approval of this policy, the Academic Senate Vice Chair will have five years to organize a review of policies that are already more than ten years old (those passed prior to Academic Year 1997-1998).

***Unanimously Approved by the Academic Senate at its meeting on March 11, 2008***