The regular policy approval process is the approval process for most new policies, substantive revisions of existing policies, and deletions of existing policies. Most policies go through the regular policy process.
The University identifies a policy need and a policy sponsor and steward are assigned. The sponsor and steward develop an executive summary, which the Policy Office reviews. The sponsor and steward then submit the summary to President’s Council for approval to enter Stage 1.
Upon approval of the executive summary from President's Council, the sponsor and steward form a drafting committee and write the policy draft. They submit the draft to the Policy Office and the Vice President of Planning, Budget, and Finance who review the draft with the policy sponsor and steward. Where required, General Counsel conducts a legal review of the draft. The Equity Assessment Committee (starting January 2022) then reviews the draft for equity issues and provides recommendations. The policy sponsor and steward review the recommendations and, in consultation with the Policy Office and General Counsel, finalize the Stage 1 draft. The draft is submitted to Policy Subcommittee and President’s Council for approval to move to Stage 2.
Faculty Senate, Student Government (UVUSA), Staff Employee Association (PACE), and Academic Affairs (Deans) Council review the policy draft and provide formal commentary. The policy sponsor and steward respond in writing to all comments and make any necessary revisions. The Policy Office reviews the comments, responses, and revisions. The draft is then submitted to policy subcommittee and President’s Council for approval to move to the next stage.
At this stage, individuals (staff, faculty, students, and members of the public) may review the online policy draft and submit comments. The policy sponsor and steward respond in writing to all comments and make any necessary revisions. The Policy Office reviews the comments, responses, and revisions. The draft is then submitted to policy subcommittee and President’s Council for approval to move to the next stage.
Board of Trustees reviews the policy draft and may approve the policy or return it to an earlier stage for additional revisions.
The temporary policy approval process is reserved for policy proposals that President’s Council deems to be crucial and therefore must be processed in a shorter time period than is possible through the regular approval process. Policies approved through this process remain in effect for up to one year and are not renewed. In extenuating circumstances, President's Council may choose to extend all temporary policies to eighteen months.
President’s Council identifies a temporary policy need and assigns a policy sponsor and steward. Sponsor and steward develop an executive summary, which the Policy Office reviews. The sponsor and steward then submit the summary to President’s Council. Please note that at the same time a temporary policy enters Stage 1, the regular policy enters the development process as well.
The sponsor and steward submit an executive summary to President’s Council. Upon approval from President’s Council, the sponsor and steward form a drafting committee and begin writing the policy draft. The Policy Office and the Vice President of Planning, Budget, and Finance review the draft and finalize it with the policy steward and sponsor. The draft is submitted to policy subcommittee and President’s Council for approval to move to the next stage.
Board of Trustees reviews the policy proposal and approves or disapproves it.
There is no commentary stage for temporary policies. A temporary policy is effective for one year, during which time the regular policy draft goes through commentary and approval. In extenuating circumstances, Board of Trustees may extend all temporary policies currently in effect to 18 months.
The non-substantive change policy approval process is reserved for non-substantive revisions of existing policies. The approval of non-substantive revisions via the expedited policy approval process does not constitute the enactment of a new or revised policy and does not change the approval or effective date of such policies. Non-substantive revisions are changes to an existing policy or policy proposal that correct typographical and grammatical errors, change policy format, and/or update university or reference information.
Because these revisions do not change the substance of the existing policy, this process does not have formal stages like the regular and temporary policy processes. Instead, it follows a simplified process:
Occasionally, changes in external law or other binding compliance requirements (such as legal, industry, or accreditation standards) may necessitate limited scope revisions to associated university policies. The compliance change process is reserved exclusively for these types of non-discretionary, limited scope revisions to passages of an existing policy, or the deletion of an existing policy from the Policy Manual, to maintain the University’s compliance with external law or other binding compliance requirements.
In consultation with the Policy Office and the Office of General Counsel, the policy sponsor and steward develop an executive summary that documents the reason the changes must be made and lists the limited scope or substantial revisions to be made. They also develop the policy draft with required revisions. Both these documents are submitted to the Policy Office for editorial review.
Following their editorial review, the Policy Office submits the executive summary and policy draft to the Office of General Counsel. The Office of General Counsel reviews the executive summary and policy draft or delegates the review to the appropriate subject-matter expert responsible for the University’s compliance with the relevant area. The Office of General Counsel (or subject-matter expert) provides to the Policy Office a written recommendation on the requested policy actions. The Policy Office then schedules the executive summary, policy draft, and the recommendation for review by President’s Council.
On the scheduled date of President’s Council review, the policy sponsor and steward present the policy draft to President’s Council for approval. Upon President’s Council approval, the Policy Office posts the revised policy with a new effective date and communicates the policy action to all university governance entities and the university community. The communication must clearly explain the mandate for the changes and why the policy changes were not appropriate for the usual shared governance processes for input from the university community. The pre-existing policy will be archived.
At their next regularly scheduled meeting, the Board of Trustees may ratify the policy. If they disapprove the policy, it will be remanded back to the policy sponsor and steward for further modification and the pre-existing policy will remain in effect.
