VII. MISCELLANEOUS ADMINISTRATIVE POLICIES

The annual financial operations of Andrews University extend from May 1 through April 30 on the basis of a budget recommended by the president and voted by the Board of Trustees.

Once the Board of Trustees has voted the budget, implementation becomes the domain of the vice president for financial administration assisted by the controller and the treasurer and in consultation with the president.

The proposed budget is normally put together for the president by the Vice President for Finance, after the president had been advised by the vice presidents, deans, and such other associates with respect to the areas they have responsibility for and had taken due cognizance of the various academic and other related programs and projects of the university.

Only the president may accept gifts, donations, endowments and bequests to the university. He/she may delegate this responsibility to the vice president for university advancement or his/her designee. Gifts of any kind that commit the university in ways, which would be out of harmony with the principles of the university, may not be accepted.

The vice president for university advancement initiates, coordinates and supervises all fund-raising activities for entities or functions of the university.

No university employee, department, school or entity may raise funds or solicit gifts from any individual, corporation, foundation, institution or private sector entity without prior consultation with the vice president for university advancement or his/her designee.

After such consultation the vice president for university advancement or his/her designee may authorize private sector solicitation. Collaboration to assist with grant writing is available from the office of development.

The offices of University advancement and Research and Creative Scholarship will coordinate their approaches in raising funds to optimize the chances of successful fund-raising.

In naming its buildings, special rooms and campus areas, Andrews University recognizes persons and organizations for their philanthropy or professional service and personal contributions to society and the university.

A Sub-committee for Naming University Facilities, appointed annually by the president, has responsibility for naming facilities. The sub-committee consists of five (5) members with the president as chair and the vice president for university advancement as secretary. The president who may select from among faculty, staff, administration, students or alumni determines the other three (3) members of the sub-committee. Membership is for duration of three (3) years with one retiring annually. No more than three (3) consecutive terms are allowed. The sub-committee reports to the Committee on University Honors and Awards.

The following are used as guidelines for naming of university facilities:

A new, unnamed existing building or newly renovated building may be named after a person/ organization if at least one half of the total funding needed (excluding the endowment amount) for the building, the current value of the existing building or at least half of the funding needed for the renovation of an existing building is donated by the donor person/organization.

A room or campus area may be named after a person/organization if the total funding needed for it is donated by a donor person/institution or if a dollar amount considered significant is donated.

An unnamed existing building may be named after a particular person/organization if the person/organization shall have paid all of the remaining debt on it or paid at least half the total renovation of it, or paid an endowment amount equal to 30% of the current value of the building in order to ensure its future maintenance without university capital/operating funding.

A new facility or unnamed existing facility may be named after a person or organization on the basis of an acknowledged and sustained contribution to the ideals, mission and objectives of the university even if such person is not, or has not been, an employee of the university. In such cases the following considerations may be taken into account:

1. General appreciation of the university family and alumni for the reputation and contributions of the person/organization to the welfare of society, the church or the university;
2. General societal appreciation for the services of the said person/organization;
3. Whether the service to the mission and objectives of the university has been largely philanthropic and humanitarian to society, the church and the university rather than for gain or remuneration;
4. Whether the service to the mission and objectives of the university has been sustained over a number of years;
5. Whether the act of recognizing the person/organization might prompt for additional financial contributions or fund-raising; and
6. Whether the person is alive or deceased. (It is customary to name buildings only posthumously).

A university facility may be named after a person on the basis of past service to the university. In such cases the following considerations may be taken into account:

1. Length of service rendered;
2. Quality, importance, sacrificiality, and uniqueness of the service rendered;
3. General student, alumni and faculty appreciation of the service rendered;
4. Whether the building, room or campus area can be easily associated with the honoree by virtue of past service;
5. Whether the person is deceased. (Generally, buildings are named after a person posthumously but rooms and campus areas may be named after persons who are still living.)

The legal documents of the university such as the charter, titles, deeds, and seal, rest in the custody of the president who may delegate responsibility for protection of these items to other officers of the university.

The Andrews University Archives (AUA), located at the Center for Adventist Research in the James White Library, manages all university records and protects the archives of the university. The University Archives Committee (see policy #1:610:10) establishes policies for management of records and archives in harmony with generally recognized standards.

University records are defined as all official administrative records, regardless of their form or format, whether published or unpublished, paper, audio visual or electronic, that are created, owned, used, in the possession of or retained by the executive officers and staff of central administrative offices, deans and staff of the respective colleges, schools, departments, administrative offices, centers, institutes, museums, the library and any other university entity. Faculty teaching materials and class records are not considered university records.

All university records belong to Andrews University and are managed according to established Andrews University policies.

Retention and disposition of records generated by university entities follow the procedures outlined in the Andrews University Archives and Records Management Manual. The above mentioned university administrators, faculty and staff in cooperation with the Andrews University Archives are responsible to ensure that these records are properly managed and transferred to the AUA for retention in accordance with the established records retention schedules (see Appendix 2-E).

All university records are closed to users outside the office of origin unless specifically opened by the originating office. Closure decisions and closure durations are subject to compliance with university policy and applicable laws. The University Archivist supervises closure and release of University records.

The auditor of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists (or one of the associates designated by him/her) and a public auditing firm annually audit the financial records of Andrews University. The University Retirement Center, a subsidiary corporation, is audited by an independent auditing firm.

The president allocates available space for all activities of the university. This responsibility may be delegated to a vice president. Classroom and laboratory spaces are allocated to each school of the university through the provost, the dean of the particular school then determines the specific use of such facilities after counseling with the department chairs and faculty concerned. The provost assigns faculty offices after counseling with the dean(s), department chair(s) and faculty. Requests for office and laboratory or similar equipment for schools are made to the capital expenditures committee through the department chair and the relevant dean (see also policies #1:601:9 and #2:748).

The university often permits organized groups to hold meetings on campus if their objectives are compatible with those of Andrews University and the Seventh-day Adventist Church. University approval of such meetings does not imply sponsorship by the university, financially or otherwise. Participation in the meetings by university personnel does not imply approval by them or by the university for actions and resolutions taken by the group.

Andrews University encourages exposure of the university community to the ideas of leading scholars and thought leaders. Invitations do not necessarily imply approval of the viewpoints or positions of such guests.

The president issues invitations to off-campus speakers for general university programs when the purpose of such an invitation is consistent with the standards of the university. Requests by faculty and students for the issuance of invitations, should be made to the president early enough to provide adequate time for review and counsel with various members of the university community. Proposed invitations to off-campus speakers should be discussed with the president before any approach is made to the prospective speaker.

The chair of the department should approve visiting speakers who appear in classes or departmental meetings. If the proposed guest is considered controversial or deals with especially sensitive subjects, counsel and endorsement of the invitation should be obtained from the dean of the school, who may also consult with the provost.

The procedures required regarding off-campus guests are intended to ensure orderly scheduling of facilities, adequate preparation for the event and conduct appropriate to an academic community.

The president may require any or all of the following:

1. That a member of the faculty on tenure chairs the meeting.
2. That the speaker dialog with the audience during the speaker’s appearance.
3. That the speaker be paired on the program with a person(s) of contrary views.
4. That the meeting be restricted to members of the university community or to selected groups within the university community.

Keys are issued under the general supervision of the director of plant administration. They are issued upon receipt of an authorization signed by the person requesting the key and by an official authorized to approve the issuance of keys as indicated below. Issuance of master keys or sub-master keys requires authorization from the president, a vice president or the director of plant administration.

Administrators, faculty and salaried staff who are assigned an office may receive one or two keys to the office and one key to the building in which the office is located. Keys will be issued upon presentation of an authorization signed for faculty members by the dean or department chair, and for others by the director of plant administration.

Generally, keys to entrance doors of the university buildings will be issued only to faculty members, but secretaries and other non-faculty personnel may be issued keys to entrance doors of buildings in which they work on authorization of the appropriate dean, vice president and/or the director of the plant administration. Keys to entrance doors will not be issued to students. Student helpers may occasionally be issued a key to the office in which they work, but only upon presentation of an authorization card signed by the department chair. Upon termination of enrollment or employment, a fee will be charged to the student or faculty member for each key not returned to the plant administration office.

Keys may not be duplicated except as authorized by the director of plant administration. A key may not be loaned to a person who is not authorized to work in the office or room or building concerned. Persons to whom keys have been issued may not give them to another person. Keys no longer needed must be returned. A fee is charged for lost keys. The director of plant administration must be notified immediately if a key is lost.

The Andrews University alumni association is a self-governing organization, which includes all graduates of Battle Creek College, Emmanuel Missionary College, Clinton Theological Seminary, Broadview College, the Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary, Potomac University, Griggs University, and Andrews University. Each person who holds a degree or diploma from one of these institutions is a member. The association does not require a membership fee from its members, and the university provides the annual budget for the administrative and other expenses of the association.

The Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (including the Bullard-Plawecki Act and certain other laws which may also apply) prohibits the release of non-directory information concerning students and employees without their consent and knowledge (see policies #2:151 and 2:152 for details on how the university is to comply.

Confidential information about students, university employees and its operations, to which an Andrews University employee may have access through written material, technology or other means, may not be released without specific authorization. Nor may it be used to personal advantage by any employee of the university. Every employee at the time of employment signs a statement of support for safeguarding university, faculty and student information as described in this policy and policy #2:151. Persons found guilty of misusing information, or of failing to report or act on the misuse of information, may be subject to disciplinary and/or legal action.

In order to prevent unauthorized persons from having access to files, which contain confidential information, and from using computer resources, which allow access to confidential data, employees must guard access to their files, records and passwords.

The office of human resources administers employee policies. Descriptions of general employee policies are provided in the Employee Handbook, which is located on the Human Resources website: www.andrews.edu/HR/documents.html. Specific policies applying to faculty are given in Section 2, the Faculty Handbook.

An employee may apply for insurance of personal property that must be kept on university premises and is mandatory to fulfill an employee’s job responsibilities. The university does not insure personal property that is not essential to an employee’s job against loss or damage. Employees are advised not to bring personal property of value to their workplaces unless it is covered by personal insurance.

Robert’s Rules of Order shall be used as a guide for the conduct of all university meetings unless otherwise agreed.

A quorum of the membership must be obtained before a meeting, council or committee can take official actions. Each constituent school, council or committee annually at the first meeting of the year (unless provisions are in place) defines its quorum for regular and special meetings. The usual quorum adopted for doing business is fifty (50%) percent plus one person of the total membership but the quorum rule adopted for a specific committee may require more than fifty percent plus one person number.

Minutes shall be kept of all official meetings of schools, departments, councils, committees, institutes, research centers and advisory councils. Copies of such minutes should be sent to the president, the provost, deans of the relevant schools and to the relevant vice presidents and upon request made available to the University Senate. Minutes will be transferred to the Archives and Records Center according to the established records retention schedules (see Appendix 2-E).

Special or emergency meetings are meetings called outside of the regularly scheduled meetings. If possible, they should be called with at least three days’ notice. At special or emergency sessions only the matters of business for which the meeting was called may be transacted. Special or emergency meetings may be held via teleconference, videoconference, or other methods that provide for full participation of the voting members.

Academic policies are voted by the undergraduate and graduate councils and the relevant faculties on the basis of recommendations from committees, councils or officers. The president, or other officer or an associate charged with the application of policies, may issue procedures to be followed by students and faculty and staff members in adhering to the implementation of academic policies.

The Andrews University Working Policy is posted online and updated annually.

Revisions to the Andrews University Working Policy are recommended by the president after having been advised by any or all of the following: the General Faculty, the President’s Cabinet and the Andrews University Senate. Revisions to the Andrews University Working Policy include rearrangement of content material, editorial corrections, addition of descriptive information and substantive policy changes. Revisions regarded by the president and the Andrews University Board of Trustees’ as non-substantive may be made without formal action of the Andrews University Board of Trustees. Substantive is defined here as proposed policy, the deletion or replacement of existing policy, or items related to institutional mission or governance.

Proposals for amendments to the Andrews University Working Policy may arise with a faculty member, administrator, university committee, or from the Andrews University Board of Trustees. Normally such proposals will be channeled to the appropriate university committee for study. Faculty policies shall be channeled through the Faculty Policy Development Council.

New policies, or substantive changes to policy, take effect from the time they are voted by the Andrews University Board of Trustees. Non-substantive changes take effect immediately on publication of the policy change. 

Where differences arise over the interpretation of the Andrews University Working Policy, the ruling of the university president shall prevail.

The University Strategy and Policy Committee, except where a referral to the faculty is appropriate, shall be responsible for maintaining the Administrative section of the Andrews University Working Policy.