Publications Control Policy

In early 2005, the Tennessee Higher Education Commission, along with the Tennessee Board of Regents and University of Tennessee, began a revision of its publications control policy, which is based on Tennessee Code Annotated 12-7-106-8. Revisions, which will be formalized after meetings of the Higher Education Publications Committee and THEC, include new requirements for campus reporting. Here is the text of the revised section of the policy (section A of TCA 12-7-106-8):

Reporting by Campuses

Pertinent information on institutional publications must be recorded and maintained by campuses on a continuous basis. A copy of the publications log showing all publications other than standard forms such as purchase orders, housing and financial aid applications, employment applications, admissions applications, and the like, shall be submitted by campuses to the Higher Education Publications Committee annually within 30 days of the close of each fiscal year. Information recorded and submitted shall include the following:

(A) Name of publication;
(B) Department producing publication;
(C) Purpose and brief description of publication's contents, and brief description of how such publication serves the institution and the department, division or program producing such publication, and brief description of the audience for such publication;
(D) Number of copies authorized to be printed;
(E) A general list of distribution; and
(F) Estimated cost of printing and distribution.

The Higher Education Publications Committee shall meet within 90 days of the end of each fiscal year to review the logs and determine whether all publications are necessary and cost-effective. In the event of a problematic recurring publication, the committee may direct the campus to cease publication. In the event of a pattern of problematic one-time publications on a campus, the committee may require prior approval by the committee of campus publications for a specified period of time.

New publications (as distinct from continuation publications in an existing series), intended primarily for off-campus distribution and costing in excess of $20,000 for a community college, technical community college, or technology center and $50,000 for a university in any 12-month period must be approved in advance by the Higher Education Publications Committee. "Cost" is defined as including paper, printing, mailing and contract labor but not including costs associated with existing faculty or staff involvement. Approval must be sought prior to incurring any significant expense for the new publication. The Higher Education Publications Committee will review and act upon requests for approval of new publications within 30 days of receiving a proposal for the publication.

 

Tennessee Tech University's Publications Policies and Procedures will be revised to reflect the changes as well. Our current policy is available online at http://www.tntech.edu/adminpandp/misc/misc6.html. For your information, here is the full text of TCA 12-7-106-8.

TENNESSEE CODE ANNOTATED 12-7-106-8
2-7-106. Higher Education and Technical Institutions Publication Committee
Establishment -Duties

(a) To control publications of higher education institutions and technical institutes, there is hereby established a publications committee which consists of the executive director of the Tennessee Higher Education commission or the executive director's designee, the president of the University of Tennessee System or the president's designee, the chancellor of the state Board of Regents or the chancellor's designee, and the commissioner of education or the commissioner's designee. This committee shall review publications of higher education institutions and technical institutes to determine the necessity of the publications, and shall promulgate rules and regulations governing the printing of such publications by higher education institutions and technical institutes. The rules and regulations include a provision stipulating that there shall be no automatic distribution of reports or publications, except the distribution provided for in chapter 6 of this title, or otherwise by law or resolution enacted after May 25, 1984, but that all distributions must either be approved in general by the committee or be made upon request by the recipient. The publications committee shall require each higher education institution and technical institute to keep, as a minimum, the following information on each approved publication:

(1) Name of publication
(2) Department producing publication
(3) Purpose and brief description of publication's contents
(4) Number of copies authorized to be printed
(5) A general list of distribution; and
(6) Estimated cost of printing and distribution.

(b) The publications committee shall require any publication printed at facilities not operated by the state or higher education institution or technical institute to include the printer's name, address, and the number of copies printed.

(c) The publications committee shall not approve any publication which purports to contain a citation or a reproduction of a duly promulgated agency rule (as defined by the Uniform Administrative Procedures Act, 4-5-102) prior to receiving a written statement from the secretary of state or his representative verifying the fact that the rule so cited or reproduced has been duly promulgated and is currently in effect.

(d) A printing authorization number shall be assigned to each publication that has been approved as required by this section. The printing authorization number shall be affixed to the publication adjacent to the identification of the higher education institution or technical institute responsible for the publication. No printing facility operated by a higher education institution or technical institute shall print any publication unless the printing authorization number has been affixed as required by this subsection. No contract shall be entered into, no requisition issued, or acted upon, by any higher education institution or technical institute for printing of any publication at any facility unless the printing authorization number has been affixed as required by this subsection. All contracts or grant agreements entered into by a higher education institution or technical institute which involve or may involve the printing of a publication shall contain a provision whereby the contractor or grantee agrees that no publication shall be printed unless a printing authorization number has been obtained and affixed as required by this section.

2-7-107. Approval procedure
The approval procedure established by the publications committee created by this chapter may allow one-time approval of a publication which is printed on a periodic basis and which conforms to the format, design, and purpose of the publication as originally presented to the appropriate committee for approval without requiring review and approval of subsequent issues of the publication.

2-7-108. Application
The requirements of the chapter shall not apply to any student newspaper publication or annuals and/ or yearbooks.