Comprehensive Standards: Educational Programs 3.4.5 (publishes accurate policies)
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.

Compliance
North Carolina State University is in compliance with this standard.

Explanation
NC State University follows policies, regulations and rules designed to adhere to academic best practices.  The university publishes these guidelines and posts them on the Web.  Further, the administration and faculty work together to perfect the university’s academic regulations and rules. 

Academic Policies, Regulations and Rules
NC State University is governed by policies, regulations and rules.  The university’s policies include any standard, statement, or procedure of general applicability adopted by the Board of Trustees of North Carolina State University (BOT) pursuant to authority delegated by law or the Board of Governors of the University of North Carolina (BOG). 

A regulation is defined as any standard, statement (which may include a policy statement), or procedure of general applicability adopted by the chancellor or chancellor's designee addressing any of the following matters:

• Compliance with fiscal, academic, research, human relations, or other management standards and requirements imposed by federal or state laws or implementing regulations

• Procedures and reporting requirements related to implementation or compliance with policies of the BOT or BOG, or regulations of the president of the University of North Carolina

• Matters not specifically addressed in BOT or BOG policies or regulations of the office of the president that are within the general context of the chancellor's responsibilities in administering the institution

A rule is a standard, statement or procedure, other than a policy or regulation, adopted by an academic or administrative unit of NC State University pursuant to specific authority granted in a university policy or regulation.  A rule that is adopted by a unit must be approved by the executive officer of the unit.

Publications and Postings
NC State University’s academic policies, regulations and rules are located on the university's Policies, Regulations and Rules website and are available to all faculty, students and staff.  In addition, the procedure for adopting or revising academic regulations is also located at this site.

The process of developing and revising academic regulations or rules requires the engagement of multiple university constituencies.  The faculty plays an essential leadership role in the evolution of academic policies and the general improvement of educational programs at NC State University.  The forms of faculty participation in academic affairs and related matters are published in the Faculty Handbook.  The Handbook on Teaching and Advising contains additional guidelines for faculty. 

Assurance of Good Practice
The university is confident that these academic policies, regulations and rules adhere to good educational practice because they are often compared with practices at peer institutions.  

The university faculty is an essential part of this process of institutional benchmarking.  NC State University's main structure for faculty governance is the Faculty Senate.  The entire voting faculty is involved in electing this body, which, along with its committees and the University Standing Committees, plays an active role in advising the chancellor, provost and other administrators on all matters involving academic affairs and topics that concern the faculty. 

Students can locate academic policies, regulations and rules in the Undergraduate Catalog and the Graduate Catalog.

Distance education students are governed by the same academic policies, regulations, and rules as on-campus students.  Information on the university’s policies, regulations, and rules is distributed in a student handbook to all distance students when they register for courses, and links to these policies are also posted on the Distance Education website.  Credit Programs and Summer Sessions, the campus entity that provides registration and advising services for distance students, and the distance education office have help desk services to answer student questions or provide referrals regarding policies and procedures.

References

• Credit Programs and Summer Sessions (http://www.ncsu.edu/acp/)

• Distance Education (http://distance.ncsu.edu/) 

• The Faculty Handbook (http://www.ncsu.edu/provost/faculty_handbook/section5.htm) provides an overview of the forms of faculty participation in following and perfecting academic best practices

• The Graduate Catalog (http://www.fis.ncsu.edu/grad_catalog/catalog.htm) and the Undergraduate Catalog (http://www.ncsu.edu/reg_records/ug_catalog/UGC2003.pdf) overview academic policies, regulations and rules for students

• The Handbook on Advising and Teaching (http://www.ncsu.edu/provost/hat/) contains other academic policies, regulations and rules necessary for the faculty

• The Policies, Regulations and Rules site (http://www.ncsu.edu/policies/toc.php) is the main source for information about the academic and administrative policies that govern the university

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