On July 1, 2015, the former State Board of Higher Education and Oregon University System were dissolved and the Western Oregon University Board of Trustees assumed all governing authority over the University.  In preparation to assume responsibility for the University, the Board of Trustees adopted several core organic governance documents, including a Board Statement on the Delegation of Authority. This Board Statement includes direction on how the Board and University will devise the policy framework for the University, including the formation of a Policy Council, representing many of the major functional units and departments, as well as representatives from the faculty, staff, and students. The Policy Council serves as the final step in the policy development process before a draft works its way to the President for approval.  It is expected that before a draft reaches the Policy Council, and eventually the President, experts, campus committees and work groups, shared governance groups, and other stakeholders will have been consulted, just as before when the University was governed by the State Board of Higher Education.

A key element of the higher education governance reform was that all of the administrative rules, policies, and internal management directives of the State Board of Higher Education and Oregon University System transfer to the new governing boards.  Prior to its dissolution, the Oregon University System organized all outstanding policy statements and repealed dozens of policies that would not apply to a separate university with a governing board so they would not transfer by operation of law.  Those policies that did transfer still apply to Western Oregon University, until and unless the University decides to repeal, amend or otherwise replace the policy statement.  The website below is organized into two sections.  On the left-hand side, the new organizational structure is labeled Updated Policies & Procedures.  When the project of reviewing inherited policies is complete, this will represent WOU’s Policy Library.  Separately, four boxes reside on the right-hand-side of site: OUS Administrative Rules, OUS Policies/IMDs, WOU Administrative Rules, and WOU Policies.   This, substantially, is the policy universe that still applies to the University.  Over the coming months, the functional units and Policy Council will review the inherited policies and determine whether or not to amend, edit, or repeal the statement.  Once approved, the old policy will move to the new organizational structure on the left-hand side of the site until there are no more old policies or rules to review.  For purposes of the former OUS rules, policies, and IMDs, until revised, all will be read as if the OUS, Office of the Chancellor, and State Board of Higher Education no longer exist.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate in contacting the Policy Council staff at policies@wou.edu, Ryan Hagemann at hagemannr@wou.edu, or Marlee Richter at richterm@wou.edu.

Policies under Revision

Other Resources