Standards for Institutional Documentation
Table of Contents

Chapter 2, Page 3

Standards for Institutional Systems

The standards in this area explain the systems and procedures which are essential to overall institutional health and development.

3.1 Institutions shall maintain working and efficient systems — defined as understood and regularly adhered to working arrangements — in the areas of finance, records, personnel, reporting and oversight, institutional planning, and any other such systems as individual institutions shall deem necessary.

3.2 Procedures for all institutional systems, including identification of individuals responsible for the oversight, use, and management of those systems, shall be maintained in writing in appropriate institutional documents, e.g., catalog, procedures manual, etc.

3.3 Procedures shall be maintained in writing and adhered to for each of the following areas of institutional finances:

3.3.1 Banking;

3.3.2 Payables;

3.3.3 Receivables;

3.3.4 Budgets;

3.3.5 Revenues;

3.3.6 Financial reporting;

3.3.7 Audits and/or executive reviews.

3.4 An orderly system of records shall be maintained for each of the following areas:

3.4.1 Students: To include application, transcripts, records of advisement, registrations, receipts, correspondence, and any other pertinent records. These records shall be kept in files locked away from general accessibility (see on, 3.7);

3.4.2 Faculty: To include application, transcripts of academic work, position descriptions, evaluations, correspondence, contracts, faculty development records, remuneration, and any other pertinent records. These records shall be kept in locked files away from general accessibility (see on, 3.7);

3.4.3 Fund development: To include records of giving through the current calendar year, samples of all fund-development vehicles (brochures, campaigns, letters, proposals), donor lists, correspondence, and other records deemed relevant or necessary by the institution;

3.4.4 Payables: To include invoices, correspondence, catalogs, etc.;
3.4.5 Personnel or human resources records: To include job descriptions, remuneration, relevant memos or correspondence, evaluations, etc. These records are to be kept in locked files away from general accessibility (see on, 3.7);

3.4.6 Correspondence;

3.4.7 Other records as deemed relevant and necessary.

3.5 An orderly system for processing applications and admitting students to programs shall be observed, which shall include the following:

3.5.1 Written application, including, personal data, statement of Christian faith, academic records, letters of reference, test scores (as required by the institution);

3.5.2 Review of application by relevant parties, as the institution determines, coupled with student interview;

3.5.3 Notice of approval (whether full or provisional, with explanation of the latter) or disapproval (with explanation).

3.6 A regularly and orderly system of institutional reporting shall be observed, including:

3.6.1 Staff reporting;
3.6.2 Reports to institutional governing board;

3.6.3 Reports to constituents;

3.6.4 Reports to relevant governmental and other agencies of institutional oversight (session or consistory, presbytery or classis, synod or general assembly, accrediting agency, etc.).

3.7 Other institutional systems, including general institutional policies and procedures; personnel policies; use of office equipment; files access, storage, archiving, redundancy, and disposal; etc.; shall be spelled out in writing, distributed to the relevant parties, and adhered to in a regular and orderly manner.

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