Washington State University
BUSINESS POLICIES AND PROCEDURES MANUAL

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Introduction to the Business Policies and Procedures Manual

The Business Policies and Procedures Manual (BPPM) is intended to guide and assist employees and administrators in the conduct of day-to-day administrative functions of the University.

Topics in the BPPM have general interest to many or all University departments. The BPPM does not include sections which exclusively describe internal central administration procedures or procedures which impact only one or two University units.

The BPPM contains instructions for completing forms and provides detailed procedures for requesting services from University units and external organizations.

Procedures are based upon approved University administrative policies and applicable state and/or federal statutes and regulations. Sections may include both policy and procedural statements.

Usually, central administrators initiate revisions or additions to the BPPM by routing a request to the Office of Procedures, Records, and Forms. Other changes may result from updated or new regulations from state or federal agencies. Any University employee or group may suggest a change or addition to any section of the BPPM.

While the substance of the BPPM is established by administrators, the staff of Procedures, Records, and Forms writes or edits the material prior to publication. This practice ensures consistent language, organization, and format throughout the BPPM and promotes comprehension and access.

University administrators who are responsible for described functions approve polices and procedures. Final approval is obtained in accordance with EP5.

Other individuals and groups may also review BPPM sections prior to inclusion, e.g., selected departmental administrators and employees who perform described functions. Employee union officials may be requested to review material which affects employee working conditions. Staff and faculty senate committees may also be requested to review drafts of materials which could affect their constituencies. Presidential committees likewise may be requested to review materials which apply to their areas of responsibility.

Subjects include finance, human resource management, position control, payroll, records management, insurance, retirement, purchasing, travel, property, security, sponsored projects, and other business activities.

In order to maintain current information in the BPPM, Procedures and Forms manages a review process.

When a section has not been revised in over three years, Procedures and Forms sends an Existing Section Review Request and a copy of the section to the responsible administrators.

The administrator determines whether or not the section requires updating. If the section requires updating, the administrator indicates the items to be changed on the review request form or attached copy. The administrator returns the signed review request and section to Procedures, Records, and Forms by the "Respond By" date.

If Procedures, Records, and Forms receives no reply within one month from the first respond date, the office sends copies of an Existing Section Review Request and the section to the responsible administrators and the unit's executive administrator.

If Procedures, Records, and Forms receives no reply within one month from the second respond date, Procedures, Records, and Forms submits a final request to the unit's executive administrator. The final request includes notification of the anticipated removal date.

Procedures, Records, and Forms removes the section from the BPPM if the administrator does not respond within one month of the final request date.

The Office of Procedures, Records, and Forms maintains a text-only version and a text and graphics version of the Business Policies and Procedures Manual.

Access both manual versions through an Internet connection.

View the text-only version, written in Hypertext Markup Language (HTML), with an Internet browser (such as Netscape). View the complete text and graphics version, written in Portable Document Format (PDF), with Adobe Acrobat Reader.

Download Acrobat Reader from Adobe by contacting:

http://www.adobe.com

or by selecting the Adobe icon on the Procedures, Records, and Forms Manuals web page at:

http://www.wsu.edu/~forms/manuals.html

Adobe distributes Acrobat Reader free-of-charge.

Internet browsers attach an Acrobat Reader plug-in in order to read PDF files. For ease of file loading and viewing, Procedures, Records, and Forms recommends saving individual BPPM sections to the hard drive. The user then opens the files directly with Acrobat Reader.

In the event of a conflict between the HTML and PDF versions of the BPPM, the PDF is the authoritative version. The PDF version of the manual contains all of the text, tables, and forms and maintains a full-page layout. The text-only (HTML) version contains only the text and tables.

To request further information about the online manuals, contact:

Office of Procedures, Records, and Forms
Information Technology Building 3089
Mail code 1225
Telephone (509) 335-2005
E-mail forms@mail.wsu.edu

Each WSU office that conducts administrative and business functions should have access to the online versions of the BPPM. For those desiring or requiring hard copy, sections of the manual can printed on paper by the individual office or department as needed.

Procedures, Records, and Forms does not provide paper copies of the manual.

Refer to the main Table of Contents to locate chapters. Selecting a chapter takes the viewer to the Table of Contents for that chapter.

For ease of use, sections or topics may be found by accessing the search engine available on the Manuals web page at:

http://www.wsu.edu/~forms/manuals.html

The Office of Procedures, Records, and Forms periodically revises sections of the BPPM. Procedures, Records, and Forms places a revision notification in WSU Announcements with general information about changes in policy or procedure.

Copies of revision notifications can also be viewed by selecting the link to the BPPM "Revision Memos" on the Manuals web page.

Substantive revisions are identified by a black line in the left margin of the PDF version.

Refer to the chapter Table of Contents to look up the issue date of a section in the BPPM. The number of pages applies only to the PDF version.

Unit administrators are responsible for ensuring that unit employees and students have ready access online for viewing the BPPM.

Individuals not having online access can request their unit administrative offices to print paper copies of sections as needed.