Policies and Guidelines

The Board of Regents has established policies and guidelines that are implemented on a system-wide basis. Both policies and guidelines work their way through the appropriate sub-council or sub-councils, then go to the presidents council for approval. Approval at that level is all that is required to establish guidelines, which generally describe the process of policy implementation. Policies themselves must go on to the full board for consideration after being approved by the presidents council.

All TBR Institutions are required to follow system policies and guidelines and incorporate them into their campus policies and guidelines. As the need arises, policies and guidelines are updated and re-posted to the website.

Index Codes

The following index is provided as an aid to finding the correct policy or guideline.

Policies:

1 = Governance, Organization, and General (1.01.00.00, etc.)
2 = Academic (2.01.00.00, etc.)
3 = Student (3.01.00.00, etc.)
4 = Business and Finance (4.01.00.00, etc.)
5 = Personnel (5.01.00.00, etc.)
6 = Sexual Discrimination/Harassment/Misconduct (6.01.00.00, etc.)
7 = Safety and Security (7.01.00.00, etc.)
8 = Athletic (8.01, etc.)

Guidelines:

A = Academic (A-010, etc.)
B = Business and Finance (B-010, etc.)
G = General (G-010, etc.)
P = Personnel (P-010, etc.)
S = Student (S-010, etc.)
TCAT = Tennessee Colleges of Applied Technology (TCAT-010, etc.)

Recent Updates

NOTE: All Policies and Guidelines in effect on July 1, 2016 apply to all State Universities in the State University and Community College System, unless superseded by the individual institution's board approved policy.

March 31, 2022

4.02.10.20 Gift Card Policy (New Policy) and Exhibit

4.01.08.00 Financial Management of Student Organizations (New Policy)

3.01.01.00 Student Organizations

December 9, 2021

1.02.10.00 Annual and Institutional Reports

1.03.02.00 Duties of the Institutional President

2.01.00.05 Early Postsecondary Opportunities and Exhibits

October 14, 2021

4.03.03.00 General Travel - Annual revision of Per Diem rates for travel.

September 24, 2021 - Board approved the following Policy and Guidelines:

1.02.03.30 Conflict of Interest Policy for Regents and Exhibit 1 Disclosure form

2.03.01.05 Academic Retention and Readmission at the Tennessee College of Applied Technology

TBR Bylaw

August 10, 2021 - Guidelines approve at Presidents meeting

A-030 (formerly TCAT-010) Instructional Projects

P-080 Discrimination & Harassment - Complaint & Investigation Procedure

TCAT-023 Uniform Procedures for Grievances/Complaints by Students at TCATs

June 18, 2021 - Board approved the following Policy and Guidelines:

2.03.01.01 Undergraduate Academic Retention & GPA Standards

5.01.00.00 General Personal Policy

5.01.00.02 Employee Disciplinary Action

7.01.00.00 Firearms and Other Weapons

7.04.00.00 Program for Minors on Campus

1.06.00.05 Contested Cases Subject to the Uniform Administrative Procedure Act (Effective October 11, 2021)

March 25, 2021 - Board approved the following Policy and Guidelines:

2.03.00.00 Admission at the Community Colleges

TBR Bylaws

December 10, 2020 - Board approved the following Policy and Guidelines:

1.03.03.00 Selection and Retention of Presidents

October 9, 2020

4:03:03:00 General Travel - Annual revision of Per Diem rates for travel.

September 23, 2020 - Board approved the following Policy and Guidelines revisions:

1.02.01.00 Records Retention and Disposal of Records

2.03.01.05 Academic Retention and Readmission at the Tennessee Colleges of Applied Technology

August 12, 2020 - Special Call Board Meeting, the Board approved the following Policies & Guidelines revisions:

2.08.10.00 Development & Operation of Off-Campus International Educational Program

5.01.02.00 Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action

6.01.00.00 Sex Discrimination, Sexual Harassment or Sexual Misconduct

6.02.00.00 Sex Discrimination and Sexual Harassment

6.03.00.00 Sexual Misconduct

7.03.00.00 Infectious Disease

August 5, 2020 - Approved by the Presidents

P-080 Discrimination & Harassment – Complaint & Investigation Procedure

March 26, 2020 Quarterly Board Meeting (Rescheduled to a telephonic meeting on April 7, 2020). The Board approved the following Policies & Guidelines revisions:

2.01.01.02 – Inter-Institutional Relationships and Off Campus Offering (formerly A-010)

2.08.10.00 – Development & Operation of Off Campus International Education Programs

1.04.01.00 – Duties of the Chancellor

December 12, 2019 Board Meeting

Approved New TBR Policy 2.03.00.04 - Technical College Learning Support

September 19 & 20, 2019 Board Meeting

The Board approved the following Policies & Guidelines revisions:

TBR Policy 1.02.03.10 - Conflict of Interest with Exhibit 5

TBR Policy 1.02.03.20 - Code of Ethics for Members of the Tennessee Board of Regents

TBR Policy 1.03.02.00 - Duties of the Institutional Presidents

TBR Policy 1.03.03.00 - Selection and Retention of Presidents

TBR Policy 1.03.10.00 - Student and Faculty Participation in Development of Campus Policies and Programs

TBR Policy 1.04.01.00 - Duties of the Chancellor

TBR Policy 1.04.02.00 - Evaluation of the Chancellor

TBR Policy 2.01.02.00 – Technical College Program Review and Approval with Exhibit 1

TBR Policy 2.04.00.00 - Academic and Registration Calendar (Former Guideline A-09)

TBR Policy 2.07.00.00 - Cost of Textbooks

TBR Policy 5.01.01.08 - Parental Leave

TBR Policy 5.02.02.10 – Faculty Rank & Promotion at Technical Colleges

TBR Policy 5.02.03.30 – Academic Freedom and Responsibility

TBR Policy 5.02.03.70 – Academic Tenure for Community Colleges

TBR Policy 5.02.06.00 – Financial Exigency

TBR Policy 5.02.07.00 – Faculty Appointments at Community Colleges

The following are New Policies

TBR Policy 1.02.03.30 - Conflict of Interest for Regents with Exhibit 1

TBR Policy 1.04.00.00 - Selection and Retention of the Chancellor

The following Policies were Dissolution:

TBR Policy 1.05.00.00 - Tennessee Higher Education Commission

TBR Policy 2.01.01.01 - Permanent or Semi-Permanent Off-Campus Instructional Facilities

TBR Policy 2.02.00.00 - Associate Degree Programs

June 20 & 21, 2019

The following revisions to Policies & Guidelines were approved at the Board Meeting:

1:09:00:00 Diversity and Equity
1:11:00:00 Development and Approval of Policies and Procedures
2:01:00:00 General Education Requirements & Degree Requirements
2:05:00:00 Distance Education Policy
Guidelines A-070 & A-075 deleted as a result
5:01:00:00 General Personnel Policy
Guideline P-050 deleted as a result
5:02:02:30 Faculty Promotion at the Community Colleges
5:02:04:10 Faculty Compensation During Summer Session and Inter-Session

June 11, 2019

1:12:01:00 Ministerial revision to add new RDA approved by the Records Commission; RDA SW-U14 Child Care Facility Records.

May 14, 2019

The following was approved at the Board Special Called Meeting May 14, 2019:

New Policies requiring the deletion of Guidelines:
1:08:01:00 Enterprise Information Systems - Guideline G-050 deleted
1:08:03:00 Access Control - Guidelines G-051 & G-052 deleted
1:08:04:00 Personally Identifiable Information (PII) - Guideline G-053 deleted
1:08:05:00 IT Acceptable Uses - Guideline G-054 deleted

Revisions Approved on the following Policies:
2:01:00:04 Awarding of Credits Earned Through Extra-Institutional Learning to Community Colleges
2:02:00:01 ROTC Programs

The following Policy was deleted as obsolete:
5:02:05:00 Employment of Graduate Assistants

April 4, 2019

Rules of the Tennessee Board of Regents are now accessible on the Policies & Rules page under Rules. They consist of Statewide Administrative Rules and Systemwide Student Rules.