University Policy Procedure

Review the high-level Development & Approval Process flow.

Policy Development

University Policies are developed by the Responsible Office, Responsible University Official (RUO), and Policy Stakeholders. As noted in the Policy on University Policies, all University Policies should be clear and comprehensible. Use simple and gender-inclusive language that leverages the Editorial Style Guide, where appropriate. Do not use tables, images, graphics, colored text, etc. unless they have been evaluated for web accessibility. Be mindful of the hyperlinks you add to your policy to ensure the University is not inadvertently endorsing or affiliating with an outside party. All University Policies must use the approved policy template, which includes the below information:

1. Policy Number to be assigned after approval by the Executive Policy Officers
2. Policy Title, which should be precise and descriptive
3. Introduction (optional)
4. Purpose outlining the reasoning for the policy and any related laws or regulations the policy will support
5. Scope, the audience of the policy and/or applicability
6. Definitions of terms in alphabetical order, if applicable
7. Responsibilities of all parties and offices named in the policy
8. Policy statement(s), which succinctly describes the requirements or provisions of the policy and when they apply
9. Link to the separate Procedure, which should detail how the policy is carried out, including links to any supporting documentation, forms, FAQs, etc. In cases where the procedure cannot be finalized before submission, an implementation and communication or rollout plan should be provided.
10. Enforcement, or consequences for violation of the policy, such as disciplinary actions, if applicable
11. Policy Administration outlining the RUO, Responsible Office, and Contact Information to reach the Responsible Office for questions related to the policy
12. Policy History to log the Effective Date, Last Reviewed Date, Next Review Date, and Revision History for all Material Changes; non-material changes do not need to be tracked in the Revision History

We recommend Responsible Offices and RUOs begin working with the Policy Liaison(s) as early as possible to ensure the policy follows the guidelines above and is formatted appropriately to avoid delays with the Executive Policy Officers.

The Responsible Office and RUO must consult with the below Policy Stakeholders as indicated:

• The Office of General Counsel (OGC) on any new or Materially Changed University Policy
• The Information Security & Privacy Office (ISPO) on any policies that involve collection, storage, transfer, analysis, disclosure, and deletion of data
• The Academic Policy Group (APG) for all policies that impact the academic experience and/or with RUOs who report to the Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs
• Human Resources on any policy that will amend the Employee Handbook
• Faculty Affairs for any policy that will amend the Full-Time Faculty Handbook

Finally, the policy’s RUO must inform the other University RUOs of the finalized policy draft and allow opportunity for feedback prior to submission to the Executive Policy Officers. Agreement by all RUOs is not required to move the policy forward.

Policy Approval

The Responsible Office and RUO must submit their finalized University Policy draft to the Policy Liaison for formatting, if needed, and to add their policy to an upcoming Executive Policy Officers meeting agenda. For revisions of existing policies, the Policy Liaison will determine if the policy has been Materially Changed, thus requiring approval by the Executive Policy Officers. If the changes are non-material, the Policy Liaison will coordinate updating the policy in the appropriate repository as described under Policy Dissemination below.

The Policy Liaison(s) will compile the policy package with the Responsible Office and RUO, consisting of a clean copy of the policy and a red-line version of the revised policy, if applicable. A cover sheet will also be included, outlining the changes or rationale for the new policy or revisions, as well as a listing of stakeholders or groups who were consulted on the policy draft and when.

The Executive Policy Officers meet twice per month during the spring and fall term of the academic year and once per month during summer term to provide a more efficient mechanism for senior leaders to review and approve policies. This meeting will be held by the Policy Liaison(s) to allow the RUO to present new or Materially Changed University Policies.

The Executive Policy Officers will be provided the policy package ahead of the meeting by the Policy Liaison(s). During the meeting, the RUO will give a verbal overview of the policy and answer any questions posed. The Policy Liaison(s) will document if the policy is approved, disapproved, or needs edits. If it is determined that a policy needs additional edits as a result of the meeting, the significance will be assessed to determine if the approval can occur via email or if a new draft should be brought forward at the next meeting. Meeting agendas will be made available to the community in the University’s knowledge base.

If subsequent notification or approval by the Board of Trustees or one of its committees is also required, the University Secretary/Secretary of the Corporation and President will submit that through standard methods. Outcomes will be reported back to the Policy Liaison(s).

Policy Dissemination

Following approval by the Executive Policy Officers and notification or approval by the Board of Trustees (when needed), all new University Policies are assigned a policy category and number by the Policy Liaison(s).

Approved University Policies must be published and maintained in their respective repository. Policies with an RUO that reports to the Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs must be published to the Academic Catalog. All other policies are published in the University’s knowledge base. The Policy Liaison(s) will update the repositories with assistance by the Responsible Office.

The Responsible Office and RUO will share the finalized policy with all stakeholders. University Policies that will amend the Faculty Handbook will be shared with the Faculty Senate, and those that will amend the Employee Handbook will be shared with the Staff and Faculty Senates. The Student Senate will also be informed of any policies that amend the Student Code of Conduct. If the policy was approved without a finalized procedure, an implementation plan or timeline must be provided in the interim. The procedure must be shared with stakeholders once available.

Retirement of Policies

If a University Policy is no longer applicable or current, a recommendation may be made to the applicable RUO for the policy’s retirement. The applicable RUO must inform the other RUOs of the recommendation to retire the policy and allow time for feedback. University Policies that involve any legal, regulatory, financial, or research requirements or compliance, or were previously approved by the Board of Trustees must be submitted to the Executive Policy Officers for final approval following the same procedures outlined until Policy Approval above. Once approved, the University Policy must be removed from the designated repository and submitted to the New School Archives. The Responsible Office and RUO should then notify the policy stakeholders of the retirement as described under Policy Dissemination above.

Return to the Policy on University Policies.