SACS Accreditation

3.2.6 Board/Administration Distinction

Comprehensive Standard: There is a clear and appropriate distinction, in writing and practice, between the policy-making functions of the governing board and the responsibility of the administration and faculty to administer and implement policy

X  Compliance
     Partial Compliance
     Non-Compliance

The BOR Policy Manual [1] clearly states that the BOR will set policy and vest the USG Chancellor and the institution presidents with the authority for implementation of policy.  Excerpts from this paragraph include:

“The Board of Regents shall rely on the Chancellor, the presidents of the several institutions in the System, and their deans and faculties to develop, adapt, and administer the academic methods and procedures deemed by them to be most effective in promoting efficiency of operations and most appropriate to the advancement of learning.

Without limiting the generality of the preceding paragraph, it is recognized that the following are proper functions of the academic authorities rather than of the Board:
A. To prescribe the teaching load to be carried by each member of the faculty;
B. To determine the maximum and minimum number of students permitted in a class; and
C. To define the nature and form of records, if any, to be kept of the members of the faculties and of activities of administrative personnel.

The Board of Regents shall expect of each president, his or her faculty and staff, the deans and the faculties of each institution in the System efficient service measured by approved academic standards, and shall look to them to promote effective higher education, having in view resources available to them, and, in the discharge of its duties as a Board, must hold them responsible for a failure to achieve these results. The Board is of the opinion that it would not be reasonable to make academic authorities in the System accountable for results obtained and at the same time deny them the power to choose ways and means they believe to be best adapted to achieve the ends desired.”

A simple example of this policy in practice is Parking Services.  According to the Board of Regents Policy Manual: “auxiliary enterprises shall be placed on a self-supporting basis, and the state will not make appropriation to finance its operation.” [2] Georgia State University is free to develop and implement the methods of enacting this policy.  For example, setting parking fees, differentiating parking fees for time of day, offering monthly fee plans, and methods of collecting fees are all under the purview of the Georgia State University administration.

1. BOR Policy Manual (Section 300, paragraph 301)
2. BOR Policy Manual (Section 700, paragraph 702.0102)