Policy on Policies

Policy Number: #900

Responsible Executive(s):

  • President

Responsible Office(s):

  • Office of Legal Counsel

Date Adopted: 02-01-2019

Date Revised: 04-21-2023

A. Purpose

The Policy on Policies outlines the requirements and procedures for the creation, implementation and life cycle management of university-wide policies, in order to meet institutional interests, identify expectations of community members and ensure compliance with legal requirements.

B. Scope

  1. This Policy applies to all University Policies. University policies may be adopted pursuant to this Policy by the Board of Trustees, President or Cabinet Members.
  2. Regis University maintains official university policies in its policy database. To enforce a Policy it must be in the designated Policy database. Policies must comply with the requirements outlined in this document and its resources.
  3. All Regis University community members tasked with revising or drafting a policy including faculty, staff, students, covered entities, contractors, non-employees and agents of the university should read this Policy.

C. Policy

  1. Each policy must be reviewed by the Policy’s designated Responsible Executive or their designee, at a minimum of every five years. Reviews may occur earlier as determined by the discretion of the Responsible Executive. Policies also need to be reviewed in accordance with any laws or regulations that dictate a policy review.
  2. A policy being considered for revision will remain in full effect as posted until the new version is officially adopted and promulgated. Each revised policy shall have an effective date for the revised policy’s implementation. The previous policy shall be archived in the policy database.
  3. A proposal for a new policy must include:
    1. a draft policy prepared using the Policy Template (Exhibit A);
    2. why the proposed policy is necessary; and
    3. documentation attesting to the vetting of the proposed policy with the relevant Stakeholders and a University-wide representative body such as President’s Cabinet, President’s Advisory Council, University Budget Committee, Provost Executive Council or Provost Advisory Council, and a review by the Office of Legal Counsel
    4. Final approval by the Responsible Executive and Approval Authority.
  4. Proposals for substantive policy revisions must include:
    1. the current policy version showing the changes being proposed; strikeouts to indicate deletions and underlining and bolding to indicate additions; and
    2. documentation attesting to the vetting with the relevant Stakeholders and a University-wide representative body such as President’s Cabinet, President’s Advisory Council, University Budget Committee, Provost Executive Council or Provost Advisory Council, and a review by the Office of Legal Counsel.
    3. Final approval by the Responsible Executive and Approval Authority.
  5. Proposals for non-substantive policy revisions must include:
    1. the current policy version showing the changes being proposed; strikeouts to indicate deletions and underlining and bolding to indicate additions; and
    2. Final approval by the Responsible Executive and Approval Authority.
  6. A policy that has outlived its usefulness or been superseded by another policy should be identified for rescission. A proposal for policy rescission must include documentation attesting to the vetting/endorsement by the relevant Stakeholders and final approval for recission by the Responsible Executive and the Approval Authority.
  7. Upon approval of a policy or its revision, the policy will be posted to the policy library by the Policy Administrator.

D. Definitions

  1. Approval Authority: The Responsible Executive is responsible for final approval of a new or revised policy (including rescission). At any time the President may elect to be the Approval Authority for a policy or reassign the Approval Authority to a different Responsible Executive.
  2. Author: Under the direction of the Responsible Executive, the Author is responsible for shepherding a policy through drafting, vetting, approval, adoption, amendment or rescission of university policies and will be accountable for the accuracy of its subject matter, its issuance and timely review. Author is also responsible for ensuring that procedures necessary to carry out the policy are current and available as hyperlinks to the appropriate departmental website.
  3. Life Cycle Management of Policies: The process encompassing the creation and adoption of new policies, review and revisions of existing policies to improve efficacy and compliance, and rescission of policies when duplicative, irrelevant or no longer effective.
  4. Non-Substantive Policy Changes: All changes that are relatively minor; pertaining primarily to technical or medical issues, position titles, definitions, corrections of language, etc., with no or minimal impact on the way the business is conducted in support of mission-critical operations.
  5. Office of Legal Counsel: This office works with the Author, Responsible Executive/Responsible Executive and Approval Authority in coordinating and facilitating the development, review, and revision of university policies. It is recommended that the Author consult with the Office of Legal Counsel early in the process of development and review.
  6. Policy: Sets forth expected courses of action, assigns roles and responsibilities, provides administrative direction and promulgates processes which are applicable broadly, ranging from the entire university to multiple functional areas, colleges, schools, institutes and units. University Policies govern Regis University community members and supersede campus, college and department policies and procedures.
  7. Policy Number: The policy number will be assigned by the Policy Administrator.
  8. Policy Title: It is the primary means of identifying, locating and referring to a policy. It should be clear, concise and accurately represent the policy content. Remember this is how the policy will be searched for in the policy library.
  9. Policy Library: This is an electronic repository of current and archived university policies approved by the Board, President and Cabinet and Senior Executives. The Policy Administrator manages and maintains the policy database website, (hyperlink), provides access to the most current policy information for the entire university community and maintains an archive of superseded/rescinded policies.
  10. Policy Template: A recommended standard structure and format for organizing content for official university policies (Exhibit A)
  11. Procedures: A procedure/business practice/expectation pertaining to a specific campus, college or department and are established by a dean or senior manager to govern their unique needs, so long as they are consistent and do not conflict with University Policies.
  12. Responsible Executive: The President charges a Cabinet Member with the responsibility to oversee development and approval of new university policies and the maintenance of existing policies as required in his or her area of responsibility and to ensure that appropriate Stakeholders are consulted in the development of a policy. The Responsible Executive also designates an Author as explained above. There can be more than one Responsible Executive. Responsible Executives own policies as follows:
    1. Policies with locus of responsibility delegated primarily to a single functional area are owned by the Cabinet Member responsible for that area.
    2. Policies with locus of responsibility delegated to more than one functional area are jointly owned by the Cabinet Member(s) responsible for the corresponding areas.
    3. Proposals for changes in ownership are submitted for approval to the President.
  13. Responsible Office: The Office that is tasked with enforcing the policy.
  14. Stakeholder: Individual or group whose knowledge or university role relates to the subject matter of the policy, and who therefore may be consulted for comment on its draft or revision. The Responsible Executive and Author determines which stakeholders are consulted.

F. Related Policies Procedures, Forms and Other Resources

Policy Template. Exhibit A.

Policy Template Instructions. Exhibit B.