Every administrative unit within IANR is to have documentation of the governance structure of the unit and the policies and procedures defining how the work of the unit is carried out.
Bylaws define what and who makes up the unit and the role of each to its functioning. The bylaws describe the organizational structure and how decisions are made. Bylaws are usually only changed by the vote of the faculty.
Policies define what is allowed and not allowed, including the rules or parameters governing decision-making. They describe why things are done the way they are done. Policies may be created or changed by the unit’s administrator or appropriate subunit of the unit and may or may not be subjected to the vote of the faculty.
Procedures describe how and when policies and bylaws are enacted. They provide the step-by-step instructions that document how the unit and its subunits function. Procedures are typically established by the group charged with carrying out the policy and/or function established by the bylaws.
Caution: Becoming overly focused on distinguishing between these three can be a distraction to the governance of the unit. It is okay to refer to the collective governance documents as “the bylaws” or something similar as long as there is clarity about what aspects can be modified and by whom. The practical reason for distinguishing between bylaws, policies and procedures is to bring order to how they are established, implemented and changed. Bylaws, being the most stable of the three, generally require a majority (or super-majority) vote of the faculty to change. Policies, while designed to provide a stable and transparent framework for decision-making, can be implemented and changed with greater flexibility by the authority of the unit leader to accommodate the evolving context. Procedures are implemented and changed by the group or individual charged with carrying out the function.
Principles
- Simple is better than complex.
- Emphasize transparency in how things are structured and done.
- Rules should exist, but not be so rigid that they can’t, in good faith, be flexible enough to accommodate evolving contexts and unique circumstances.
- Rules and guidelines should be written in a way that allows each individual and group to carry out their unique responsibilities and functions without interference (e.g., micromanagement).
Bylaws should include:
- The official name of the unit and approved alternative names and acronyms (e.g., Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources; IANR).
- Identification of the unit administrator (by role, not by name) and who the person reports to (e.g., IANR Vice Chancellor; UNL Chancellor)
- Who constitutes the faculty (e.g., all tenure-line and specialized faculty with an appointment in the unit).
- Who the voting members are (e.g., all faculty with an appointment in the unit of greater than X% except those holding adjunct, visiting, courtesy, or research associate (post doctoral) appointments).
- How voting occurs.
- The governance structure of the unit, including the permanent leadership team (if there is one) and the permanent committees (including why the committee exists, the committee membership, terms of service, and how committee membership is determined).
Policies should include:
- Statement of the policy
- Description of:
- why the policy exists (the rationale).
- who it affects.
- when and under what circumstances it applies.
- general guidelines for how it should be executed.
Procedures documents should include a description of:
- The charge or function, including a clear linkage to the relevant policy or bylaw if appropriate.
- The person or group that is carrying out the function.
- The accepted guidelines that define the parameters and/or limits.
- The procedures and activities to be taken in carrying out the function.
- The timeline for when certain activities are to be carried out and/or completed.