Building partnerships through collaboration.
Rescind a UB Policy
You, as the policy writer, have the important task of reaching your audience with a policy that is clear, easily read and provides the right level of information. If users understand a policy, they are more likely to follow it and incorporate it into their daily work.
Develop Your Policy In 16 Steps
University policies align operations, set behavior expectations and communicate roles and responsibilities. Follow these steps and use UB’s resources and tools to successfully research and write a document that meets the criteria for a UB policy.
Step 1: Identify a Need for a University Policy
A unit or individual determines the need for a university policy and obtains the agreement of at least one responsible executive (i.e., provost, vice provost or vice president) to take ownership of the policy.
Policy issues may emerge through federal or state legislation, State University of New York (SUNY) or Research Foundation (RF) policies, trends within a university unit, changes in best practices, an incident on campus, or a variety of other ways.
Step 2: Know the Definition of a University Policy
A university policy is a directive that states the university’s official position on a particular issue. University policies endure across time and administrations and connect the university’s mission to individual conduct. University policies:
- Mandate actions or constraints for members of the UB community
- Have broad application throughout the university
- Help achieve compliance with applicable laws and regulations
- Support the university’s mission
- Promote quality and operational efficiency
- Help manage institutional risks
- Support equity and integrity in practices across the university
- Require presidential review and approval
A policy that does not meet all of the above criteria is a departmental, office or unit policy. A departmental policy may be more restrictive, but cannot be more permissive than a university policy and cannot be contrary to a university policy.
University policies must not be independently published or republished on departmental websites; departmental websites must link to the UB Policy Library.
Step 3: Complete the University Policy Proposal
The responsible office prepares the University Policy Proposal under the direction of the responsible executive.
The University Policy Proposal helps formulate:
- The need for a proposed university policy
- Whether the risk is sufficient to warrant the resources needed for policy development, implementation and maintenance
- Initial university legal review and guidance
Complete the University Policy Proposal and forward to university legal counsel for review and guidance.
Step 4: Consult With University Legal Counsel
University legal counsel will review the University Policy Proposal:
- For compliance with existing UB, SUNY and RF policies
- For compliance with applicable federal and state laws
- To identify potential legal risks that might arise from the use of a particular word, term, phrase or from any procedures included in or missing from the policy
- For general legal obligations
- To improve legal defensibility
- To ensure that it is in the overall best interest of the university
Step 5: Assemble a Policy Writing Group
Engage a group of individuals who are subject matter experts, policy users, stakeholders and others who will research and write the policy and procedures and provide feedback.
- Define roles and expectations for members of the Policy Writing Group
- Establish a plan and timeline for completion of the policy
Step 6: Know the Characteristics of a Good Policy Document
Good policy and procedure documents:
- Consider why the user needs the information
- Give the user the knowledge and security that the right things are done the right way
- Are written assuming the reader has:
- basic knowledge of the campus
- novice knowledge of the specific policy and procedure being described
- Use simple, clear, concise language – avoiding jargon, legalese and overly technical descriptions
- Begin with a strong, clear policy statement
- Are general enough to apply to unanticipated situations
- Differentiate between policy, background, procedure and other sections within the policy
- Include procedures and guidelines as a link to a departmental website
- Provide accurate contact information
- Are reviewed regularly and updated as needed
Step 7: Research and Gather Information
- Determine if the proposed policy is needed in response to a:
- Campus incident or problem
- New or revised State University of New York (SUNY) policy
- New or revised Research Foundation (RF) policy
- View the RF Policies Library
- New or revised state or federal regulation
- Changes in customer needs, best practices, university culture, social trends
- Another reason
- Review the University Policy Library to determine if existing policies address the issue
- Could a related policy be expanded to include the information?
- Could a related policy help inform the policy under consideration?
- Cross reference rather than repeat information
- Review policies issued by SUNY, other SUNY campuses and other universities
- Other campuses may have found new ways of addressing the issue
- Other policies may help focus your policy development, provide a good starting point and suggest clear language
- Ensure that the university policy is in compliance with UB, SUNY and RF policies
- A campus policy may be more restrictive, but cannot be more permissive than a UB, SUNY or RF policy
- Identify current processes, problem areas and the potential impact of any changes
Step 8: Prepare a Draft Policy
Draft the policy using the University Policy Template.
The University Policy Template:
- Provides a framework for developing the policy and organizes content in a consistent manner
- Is structured so that the user can focus on the aspect of policy relevant to their decision
Contact Pam Lojacono in the Policy and Operational Excellence Office for advice and guidance at any time during the policy development process.
Step 9: Draft the Procedures, Guidelines, Forms, Instructions and Department Web Pages
Draft:
- procedures required to implement the policy
- guidelines, if additional information or explanation is needed
- forms, templates and related instructions required by the new policy
- department web pages that will include the procedures, guidelines, forms and instructions; the policy includes a link the departmental website
