DEVELOPING AND APPROVING UNIVERSITY POLICIES

Related Policy – Establishing University Policies

About This Procedure

University Procedure

Determining the Need for a New Policy

1. Any individual or unit can identify a need for a new policy that meets the criteria for a university policy; however, a responsible university officer must sponsor the potential policy.
2. The responsible university officer designates an appropriate policy owner for the policy.
3. The policy owner obtains approval to draft the policy from their appropriate responsible university officer.
4. The policy owner, with the Policy Advisory Committee (PAC) and PAC chair assistance, considers related existing policies to determine if they could be combined.
5. If an individual other than a policy owner has a request for a policy, that individual must contact the appropriate policy owner to begin the process, if there is concurrence in concept.

Developing a New Policy

Completing the Policy Plan

1. The policy owner, with the assistance of the PAC chair, completes the policy plan. As with all policy documents, the policy owner, and responsible officer will provide the content, while the PAC will be responsible for the editorial aspects of the policy plan.
2. The responsible officer will approve the final draft of the policy plan before it is distributed to members of the PAC for review and approval.
3. The PAC chair distributes the policy plan to the PAC for review at the appropriate meeting.
4. The PAC reviews the policy plan.
5. The policy owner, along with the PAC chair, presents the policy plan to the PAC for review and approval.

Drafting the University Policy

1. With the assistance of the PAC, the policy plan, and authoring groups, the policy owner completes a draft of the proposed policy along with the associated documents using the simplified policy template.
2. The policy owner engages key end users/groups, either in the policy development process, as part of an authoring group, or in a review capacity. This includes a review by the appropriate committee(s) (e.g. Deans Council), where applicable. The PAC chair can assist in identifying individuals or groups. This feedback must be considered during the drafting of the policy.
3. Once the draft is ready, the policy owner forwards it to the PAC chair, along with the associated materials (procedures, policy plan, stakeholder information, forms, etc.).
4. The PAC chair will schedule the policy owner at one of the upcoming PAC meetings.
5. The PAC chair conducts the initial review and provides feedback to the policy owner.
6. The policy owner makes adjustments where needed and resubmits the version to be presented to PAC.

Policy Draft Review—Policy Advisory Committee

1. The PAC chair distributes the draft of the policy and completed policy plan to members of the PAC in advance of a PAC review meeting.
2. The policy owner presents the policy draft to PAC.
3. PAC provides specific suggestions as to content, practicality, language, level of detail, and readability.
4. After the PAC meeting, the policy owner and responsible university officer, and the PAC chair will determine which suggestions to accept, and updates the policy draft as needed.
5. If PAC approves the policy, the PAC chair places the policy on an agenda for the next President’s Council (PC) meeting.
6. PAC chair completes PAC sections of approval form
7. The PAC chair distributes the final draft of the policy and all accompanying documents to PC in advance of the PC meeting.

Policy Draft Review – President’s Council

1. The responsible university officer presents the documents to PC and responds to questions.
2. The PAC chair and responsible officer will make changes as directed by the PC.
3. The PC determines whether to approve the proposed changes to the policy. As the result of its review, the PC will either:
   1. Approve the policy as drafted;
   2. Send the policy back to the PAC to consider PC recommendations or concerns, or
   3. Make changes to the policy.
4. If approved, the PC will complete the Policy Approval Form and submit it to the PAC chair for archiving.
5. The PAC chair will note on the policy the date listed on the approval form as the “Issued” date for the policy.

Promulgation

1. The PAC chair updates the policy library with the newly adopted policy.
2. If the new policy information requires formal training, the policy owner works with the appropriate training specialists to ensure that it is deployed and assists the responsible university officer to establish any support systems necessary to achieve ongoing compliance.
3. The PAC chair archives approval forms and draft documents in policy archive.
4. The PAC chair officially promulgates the policy to the university community and works with the policy owner to contact all stakeholders identified in the policy plan and the communication plan.
5. The PAC chair assist the policy owner with other communication, as needed.