Policy Hierarchy
Understanding how FSU's governing documents relate to one another — and why it matters.
Not all policies carry the same legal weight. At FSU, every regulation and policy exists within a structured hierarchy of authority. Each level must comply with — and may never conflict with, contradict, or relax the standards of — any level above it. The chart below shows how these layers stack, from the highest legal authority at the top to the most localized policies at the base.
Most authoritative
1
Florida Constitution
The supreme law of the State of Florida. Article IX, Section 7 establishes the Florida Board of Governors and charges it with overseeing the State University System. All other governing documents must be consistent with it.
2
Florida Statutes
Laws enacted by the Florida Legislature. University regulations, policies, and procedures must comply with all applicable Florida Statutes, as well as relevant federal law.
3
Board of Governors (BOG) regulations
The Florida Board of Governors sets the overarching framework within which all twelve state universities operate. BOG Regulation 1.001 grants individual Boards of Trustees specific authority to govern their institutions. FSU's governing documents may not conflict with BOG regulations.
4
FSU regulations & BOT policies
University Regulations are adopted by the FSU Board of Trustees and serve as the basic governing code of the university — they function as university-wide law. Some regulations (such as those related to tuition, admissions, and articulation) also require approval by the Florida Board of Governors. The BOT has delegated day-to-day governance functions to the President by Resolution.
5
FSU administrative policies
Official directives that set standards for how the university operates — including compliance, management, and operational matters. These apply broadly across the university and are maintained in the FSU Administrative Policy Library. They may not conflict with any level above. See Regulation, Administrative Policy, or Local Policy? for more detail.
6
Local policies
Policies adopted by individual schools, colleges, departments, or units that address their unique needs and apply only within that specific area. Local policies must be published on the applicable unit's own website and may never conflict with, contradict, or relax the standards of any higher-level regulation or policy.
Least authoritative