Appendices:  Contains laws, regulations and checklists that may pertain to the policy.

 

Contacts: Names the University office(s) that can answer specific questions regarding the policy or approve exceptions.

 

Definitions: Lists the terms used in the document alphabetically; defines unfamiliar terms that have a specialized meaning in the policy.

 

Departmental/School/Operating Unit Policy:  A policy that does not have broad impact on the University community and is limited in its scope and application to a specific area.

 

Forms/Instructions:  Lists forms the reader must use to comply with the policy, explains the purpose of each form, and may provide a hyperlink to the applicable form(s).

 

Policy:  Is a concise statement of the University’s position on the subject matter and may state who should follow the policy, when the policy applies, and list any major conditions or

restrictions.

 

Policy Owner: Is the responsible University official charged with the responsibility for creating, implementing, and updating University policies in his/her area of jurisdiction.

 

Policy Review Procedure: Review and help ensure that new or revised University policies follow an approved format and process, and are approved by the respective University officer.

 

Procedures:  Describe the means by which policies are implemented.

 

Reason for Policy/Purpose:  States the legitimate interests of all parties, describes the

problem or conflict the policy addresses, and cites any legal or regulatory reasons for the policy.

 

Responsible University Office:  Under the direction of the responsible University official,

the responsible office will develop and administer a particular policy and procedures and will be accountable for the accuracy of its subject matter, its issuance, and timely

updating.

 

Responsible University Official:  The Policy Owner. The individual charged with the

responsibility for creating, implementing, and updating University policies in his/her area of jurisdiction.

 

University Policy:  Defined as a policy with broad application throughout the University, which helps ensure coordinated compliance with applicable laws and regulations, promotes operational efficiencies, enhances the University's mission or reduces institutional risk.

 

A Responsible University Official:

 

1.	Develops a draft policy for which they proactively seek input from appropriate members of the University community.

2.	Forwards a copy of the updated draft to the appropriate University official to be recommended for inclusion on agenda for the appropriate hierarchy (i.e., Dean's Council, Executive Management Team, Vice President, etc.).

3.	The review forum will provide an opportunity to ensure the nature and operational aspects of policies being established or modified.

4.	Updates draft policy based on feedback and resubmits the revised draft policy to the appropriate University official.

5.	Secures approval by respective officer (Note - if a policy involves compliance with regulatory issues, University legal counsel must have reviewed the policy).

6.	Forwards approved policy to the President to ensure the Policy development process is followed  and proper signatures are applied.

7.	Disseminates policy as appropriate

 

To ensure consistency, a standard policy template has been created. Use of the standard policy template facilitates the adoption of clear, concise policies and procedures at all levels of the organization. All policies should be in the standard University Policy Template and all sections must be included. If a section does not contain any information or is not applicable, the drafter should put “N/A” under the section heading. Please refer to the Forms/Instructions section of this Policy for the official University Policy Template.

 

Policies may be put into place on an interim basis in situations where a University policy must be established in a time period too short to permit the completion of the process delineated in this policy. An interim policy will remain in force for up to six months from the date of issuance.

 

The Executive Vice President will assist in the coordination of announcements and distribution of newly released policies in order to ensure that the University community is made aware of changes when they occur. Newly released policies will be communicated to the community at large via targeted E-mail messages and/or other means as appropriate.

 

Every policy should have an origination date so that it is clear when and for how long the policy has been in effect.

 

A brief statement should be provided indicating who should observe the policy, who may be

affected by the policy, and/or who should understand the policy in order to perform his/her job.

 

Every policy shall be reviewed periodically as determined by the Policy Owner. The period of review should be identified on the document when the policy is approved and implemented. Policy end dates should also be listed, where applicable. The last amended date and next review date headings must be included and maintained. These dates are an important management tool, as they will be used to notify the responsible department when it is time to review the policy. The Policy Owner is responsible for updating the policy if there is a change in law or regulation.

 

When changes are necessary to a University policy, the responsible University office should forward the amendment to the appropriate University officer.