1. Statutory Authority
1.1 The Board of Trustees, under RSA 187-A:16, has the authority to manage the operation and affairs of the University System and its component institutions. That authority includes the power to adopt policies concerning the general administration of the University System. Those policies shall be called "Board of Trustees Policies" and designated by the initials "BOT."
1.2 The Chancellor, under RSA 187-A:16, has the authority to lead and coordinate the efforts of the component institutions and the responsibility to discharge any such other duties as the Board of Trustees may assign.
1.3 The chief executive officers of the component institutions, under RSA 187-A:16, are responsible for the general administration and supervision of all aspects of the institutional, research, and service programs of their respective institutions.
2. Delegation of Authority
2.1 The Board of Trustees delegates to the Chancellor the authority to adopt University System policies which shall be consistent with Board of Trustees Policies and generally applicable across the component institutions of the University System. Those policies shall be called "University System Policies" and designated by the initials "USY."
2.2 The Board of Trustees delegates, through the Chancellor, to the chief executive officers of the component institutions the authority to adopt policies applicable to their respective institutions. Those policies shall be consistent with Board of Trustees and University System Policies. Those policies shall be known as "Institutional Policies" and designated by the relevant institutional initials, e.g. "KSC," "PSU," "GSC," and "UNH."
3. Adoption, Amendment, and Repeal of Policies
3.1 Proposals to adopt, amend, or repeal a Board of Trustee policy ordinarily will be reviewed by the Chancellor in consultation with the Administrative Board and, if recommended, reported to an appropriate Trustee committee as determined by the Board Chair. That Trustee committee shall review the proposal and report its recommendation to the full Board.
3.2 A Board of Trustees Policy can be adopted, amended, or repealed only by a vote of the Board of Trustees taken in accordance with the Bylaws.
3.3 A University System Policy can be adopted, amended, or repealed only by written decision of the Chancellor after consultation with the Administrative Board.
3.4 An Institutional Policy can be adopted, amended, or repealed only by written decision of the chief executive officer of the relevant component institution.
4. Publication and Distribution of Policies
4.1 The Chancellor shall develop and administer a system for publishing and distributing the policies adopted by the Board of Trustees, the University System, and the component institutions.
4.2 The publication system shall require that uniform numbering and format conventions be followed in the development and adoption of any policy.
4.3 The distribution system shall be designed to provide faculty, staff, and students access to all USNH policies. At a minimum, a hard copy of each policy shall be available at the reserve desk of the main library within each component institution.
5. Interpretation and Priority of Policies
5.1 The policies of the Board of Trustees, the University System, and each component institution shall be interpreted liberally to give the greatest possible effect to the purposes for which they were adopted.
5.2 In the event of an irreconcilable conflict between policies, a policy of the Board of Trustees shall have priority over any conflicting policies of the University System and the component institutions. Similarly, a policy of the University System shall have priority over any conflicting policies of the component institutions.
6. Effective Date of Policies
6.1 Unless otherwise specified, a policy shall be effective immediately upon adoption.