Comprehensive Standard 3.4.5
The institution publishes academic policies that adhere to principles of good educational
practice. These are disseminated to students, faculty, and other interested parties through
publications that accurately represent the programs and services of the institution.
Judgment:
Compliant
Response:
Columbia and System
The University of South Carolina widely publishes academic administrative policies that adhere
to principles of good educational practice. These are disseminated to students, faculty, and other
interested parties through a variety of publications, both electronically and in print, that
accurately represent the programs and services of the University's colleges and schools. All of
these publications are available online and each document is periodically reviewed by faculty
and the administration as appropriate.
University- and System-Wide Policies and Procedures
At the University and System levels, all policies are governed by University Policy UNIV 1.00
Policy on Policies: Development and Oversight of University Policies. University Policies and
procedures are listed on the University of South Carolina Policies and Procedures Manual
website. The policies are divided by administrative unit and address issues for one, several or all
campuses, depending on the subject. Updating the sections of the University of South Carolina
Policies and Procedures Manual is the responsibility of the administrative division head and
each unit and campus has a Responsible Officer and a Policy Liaison. The University of South
Carolina policy approval process begins within the respective unit. Draft new policies, draft
revisions to existing policies, and policies recommended for repeal are posted to the University
Policies website for comment by University faculty and staff. Policies are also reviewed in detail
by the President's Executive Council and the Council of Academic Deans when appropriate. All
University Policies are forwarded to the President for final approval.
Other significant documents outlining academic policies and procedures on the Columbia
campus include the Undergraduate Bulletin, the Graduate Bulletin, the School of Law Bulletin,
the School of Medicine Bulletin and USC Columbia Faculty Manual. On the Regional
campuses, each campus has its own Academic Bulletin (Lancaster, Salkehatchie, Sumter, and
Union) as well as the Regional Campuses and Extended University Faculty Manual.
Academic Policies
"The faculty of the University has legislative authority over matters pertaining to the curriculum
on the campus where they serve," (University Policy ACAF 2.00 Creation and Revision of
1
Academic Programs). On the Columbia campus, all academic policies relating to the curriculum
are reviewed and approved by the Faculty Senate and the Graduate Council. Both bodies also
have standing and ad hoc committees that meet regularly to review program or course curricular
changes or proposals as well as broader academic policy issues in preparation for discussion and
approval by the full Senate or Council. Minutes of these meetings are published online (Faculty
Senate, Graduate Council) and readily available for faculty review across campus.
On the Regional campuses, academic policies relating to the curriculum are reviewed and
approved by the Regional Campus Faculty Senate and forwarded to the Columbia campus
faculty governance bodies when appropriate. Minutes of Regional Campus Faculty Senate
meetings are available online and readily available for faculty review across the campuses.
At the program level, the Provost’s Office oversees the system-wide approval process for
academic programs and ensures that all ongoing academic program development is in
compliance with CHE and SACS regulations and in alignment with University strategic goals
and priorities. These processes are governed by a set of five Academic Affairs policies and
related forms and procedures. A System-wide representative committee of Academic Program
Liaisons works in collaboration with the Provost's Office to review and implement these policies
and procedures. All policies, meeting minutes, forms and other related documents are easily
accessible on the Academic Program Development website.
The USC Columbia Faculty Manual governs the responsibilities and authority of the faculty, and
is reviewed and approved by the Faculty Advisory Committee. All revisions to the Faculty
Manual are reviewed by the Faculty Senate and approved by the General Faculty. On the
Regional campuses, revisions to the Regional Campus and Extended University Faculty Manual
are reviewed and approved by the Regional Campuses Faculty Senate. After the appropriate
governing body Faculty has voted, the Faculty Manual revisions are forwarded to the provost
and then presented to the president who, if he agrees with the recommended changes, forwards
them to the Board of Trustees. If the president is not in agreement with the recommended
revisions to the Faculty Manual, the president engages in discussions with the faculty to obtain a
resolution. The Board of Trustees must approve all revisions to any Faculty Manual within the
USC System. All Faculty Manuals are maintained as electronic documents on their home
websites as well as the system-wide University Policies and Procedures website.
Student-Related Policies and Admissions Publications
On the Columbia campus, University websites publishing academic policies relating to students
include the Office of the University Registrar, the Division of Student Affairs, and the Office of
the Provost. Academic Regulations are also included in the Undergraduate and Graduate
Bulletins. The Carolina Community serves as the handbook for all students and is a critical
source of information regarding policies and procedures governing student conduct. The
Carolina Community is available online and describes policies and systems such as the judicial
system (including the Honor Code) and the Student Code of Conduct. On the Regional
campuses, each campus maintains a website for its students describing policies and proc
The University maintains and publishes online admissions publications for its various campuses,
degree levels and colleges and schools, including the Columbia Undergraduate Admissions
2
policies website, the Undergraduate Admissions website, the Graduate Admissions Website.
There are also online admissions websites for Graduate School Admissions, the School of
Medicine, the School of Law, the College of Pharmacy, and the Regional Campuses (Lancaster,
Salkehatchie, Sumter, and Union).
Campus, College and Departmental Level Academic Policies
In addition to issues of institutional governance described in the Faculty Manuals, individual
colleges, schools and departments on any campus may create and publish academic policies for
their own units (e.g. College of Arts and Sciences or College of Education). Academic
departments also have the option to create their own by-laws, which govern academic decisionmaking in those departments (e.g. Department of Educational Studies, College of Education).
Lancaster
USC Lancaster published academic policies adhering to principles of good educational practice
in a variety of formats depending on the constituencies. The major document outlining USCL’s
academic policies, procedures, and information is the USC Lancaster Academic Bulletin, which
is accessible to students, faculty, and other interested parties on the university’s web site.
Students also are introduced to these policies at orientation sessions for new students; each
student receives a flash drive with a .pdf copy of the USC Lancaster Student Handbook and other
campus information and policies. Although the Handbook is also posted online in the Student
Life website, distribution in this form reliably reaches a greater proportion of our student
population. Students are also governed by university-wide policies, such as the University of
South Carolina Honor Code and the Carolinian Creed, which are disseminated online.
Academic policies are developed on the campus level by the USC Lancaster Faculty
Organization, which maintains policy documents online at Resources for Faculty and which
publishes procedure for appropriate development, approval, and review of policy in the Faculty
Organization Bylaws. On the USC system level, faculty are elected to participate in the
Regional Campuses Faculty Senate to determine and establish good academic policies, which are
then published in the Regional Campuses Faculty Manual. The USC Policies and Procedures
Manual also governs USC Lancaster students, faculty, staff, and administration.
All academic policies at USC Lancaster conform to the rules governing academic policies as
established by the South Carolina Commission on Higher Education.
Salkehatchie
The University of South Carolina Salkehatchie publishes academic policies that adhere to
principles of good educational practice and are disseminated to students, faculty, and other
interested parties. The major document outlining USC Salkehatchie’s academic policies,
procedures, and information is the Salkehatchie Bulletin, which is accessible to students, faculty,
and other interested parties on the university’s web site. Additional policies are outlined in the
Salkehatchie Faculty Handbook (which includes local campus policies as established by the USC
Salkehatchie Faculty Organization) and the Regional Campuses Faculty Manual (regional
campus policies as established by the Regional Campuses Faculty Senate). All academic policies
3
at USC Salkehatchie conform to the rules governing academic policies as established by the
South Carolina Commission on Higher Education and adhere to the USC System Policies and
Procedures.
Sumter
The University of South Carolina Sumter publishes academic policies that adhere to principles of
good educational practice and are disseminated to students, faculty, and other interested parties.
The major document outlining USC Sumter’s academic policies, procedures, and information is
the USC Sumter Academic Bulletin, which is accessible to students, faculty, and other interested
parties on the university’s web site. Additional policies are outlined in the Regional Campuses
Faculty Manual (regional campus policies as established by the Regional Campuses Faculty
Senate).
USC Sumter adheres to all USC System Policies and Procedures. In addition, all academic
policies at USC Sumter conform to the rules governing academic policies as established by the
South Carolina Commission on Higher Education.
Union
USC Union widely publishes academic policies that adhere to principles of good educational
practice. These are disseminated to students, faculty, and other interested parties through
publications, both electronically and in print, that accurately represent the programs and services
of the University.
USC Union's mission statement and statement of institutional goals provide the basis for the
creation of specific academic policies. As a regional campus of USC, USC Union academic
policies typically mirror the academic policies on the Columbia campus found in the
Undergraduate Bulletin. The major document outlining USC Union’s academic policies,
procedures, and information is the USC Union Academic Bulletin. The USC Union Academic
Bulletin is printed and distributed in the summer before the fall semester of an odd calendar year
and is made available in electronic form on the USC Union website in a special section for
Current Students. Specific academic policies in the Bulletin are contained in Academic
Regulations, Student Life and Academic Programs. Additional policies are outlined in the USC
Union Faculty Handbook (local campus policies as established by the USC Union Faculty
Organization) and the Regional Campuses Faculty Manual (regional campus-specific policies as
established by the Regional Campuses Faculty Senate). All academic policies at USC Union
conform to the rules governing academic policies as established by the S.C. Commission on
Higher Education.
4
Supporting Documentation:
University Policies and Procedures
Policies and Procedures Manual
By Division
Academic Affairs Policies
Student Affairs Policies
University Administration Policies
UNIV 1.00
Policy on Policies: Development
and Oversight of University Policies
Policy Contacts
Policy Approval Process
Policy Drafts
Academic Policies
Columbia Campus Bulletins
Undergraduate Bulletin
Front Matter
Graduate Bulletin
Front Matter
School of Law
School of Medicine
Regional Campus Bulletins
USC Union
USC Sumter
USC Salkehatchie
USC Lancaster
Current Students Bulletin Section
Academic Regulations Bulletin
Section
Academic Programs Bulletin
Section
University Registrar Policies
Faculty Manuals and Handbooks
Faculty Manual – Columbia
Regional Campuses Manual
http://www.sc.edu/policies/index.shtml
http://www.sc.edu/policies/policiesbydivision.php
http://www.sc.edu/policies/policiesbydivision.php#ACA
F
http://www.sc.edu/policies/policiesbydivision.php#STA
F
http://www.sc.edu/policies/policiesbydivision.php#UNI
V
http://www.sc.edu/policies/univ100.pdf
http://www.sc.edu/policies/policyliaisons.shtml
http://www.sc.edu/provost/forms/
PolicyApprovalFlowchart.pdf
http://www.sc.edu/policies/policiesdraft.php
http://bulletin.sc.edu/
http://bulletin.sc.edu/content.php?catoid=10&navoid=18
64
http://bulletin.sc.edu/
http://bulletin.sc.edu/content.php?catoid=9&navoid=188
0
http://bulletin.law.sc.edu
http://bulletin.med.sc.edu
http://bulletin.uscunion.sc.edu
http://bulletin.uscsumter.edu
http://bulletin.uscsalkehatchie.sc.edu
http://bulletin.usclancaster.sc.edu
http://www.sc.edu/currentstudents/
http://bulletin.uscunion.sc.edu/content.php?catoid=24&
navoid=1864
http://bulletin.uscunion.sc.edu/content.php?catoid=24&
navoid=2336
http://registrar.sc.edu/
http://www.sc.edu/policies/facman/
Faculty_Manual_Columbia.pdf
http://saeu.sc.edu/RCFaculty/docs/
RCmanual2009.pdf
5
Lancaster Resources for Faculty
Lancaster Faculty Organization
By-laws
Salkehatchie Faculty Handbook
Union Faculty Handbook
Faculty Governance
Columbia Faculty Senate
Faculty Senate Standing Rules
Faculty Senate Meeting Minutes
and Agendas
Graduate Council
Curricula and Courses
Committee
Curriculum Committees of the
Graduate Council
Regional Campuses Faculty Senate
Regional Campuses Committees
Regional Campus Minutes
Admissions Websites/Catalogs
University Admissions Website
Undergraduate Bulletin –
Admissions Policies and Procedures
Carolina Community (Student
Handbook)
USC Lancaster Student Handbook
USC Lancaster Admissions Website
USC Salkehatchie Admissions
Website
USC Sumter Admissions Website
USC Union Admissions Website
South Carolina Commission on
Higher Education
http://usclancaster.sc.edu/faculty/faconly.htm
http://usclancaster.sc.edu/faculty/faculty_org_bylaws.pd
f
http://uscsalkehatchie.sc.edu/SACS/
FacultyHandbook.pdf
http://uscunion.sc.edu/handbook/handbook.htm
http://www.sc.edu/faculty/index.shtml
http://ipr.sc.edu/pdf/FacultyManualColumbia.pdf
#StandingRules
http://www.sc.edu/faculty/meetings.shtml
https://gradschool.sc.edu/gradcouncil/minutes/
http://ipr.sc.edu/pdf/FacultyManualColumbia.pdf#Curri
cula
http://ipr.sc.edu/pdf/GradCouncilManual.pdf#CurricCo
mm
http://saeu.sc.edu/RCFS/senators.html
http://saeu.sc.edu/RCFS/committees.html
http://saeu.sc.edu/RCFS/minutes.html
http://www.sc.edu/admissions/
http://bulletin.sc.edu/content.php?catoid=10&navoid=18
68
http://www.sa.sc.edu/carolinacommunity/
http://usclancaster.sc.edu/studentlife/20092010StudentHandbook.pdf
http://usclancaster.sc.edu/admissions/index.html
http://uscsalkehatchie.sc.edu/admissions/index.html
http://www.uscsumter.edu/index.php/newadmissions.html
http://uscunion.sc.edu/admissions/admissions.html
http://www.che400.state.sc.us/
6