Policy for the Establishment, Approval and Review of Policies
Sponsor: |
Vice President for Administration and Finance |
|---|---|
Contact: |
Director of Compliance |
Category: |
University Wide |
Number: |
200.001 |
Review Date: |
March 2027 |
Implementation History: |
Updated on 7/07/17, 8/15/12, 8/20/2021, 8/26/2024, 2/4/2026 |
Keywords: |
Policy, policies, review, approval, administrative policies, academic policies, retired policies, rescinded policies. |
Background Information: |
The original policy was adopted in 2011. The procedures have evolved with changes in administration. |
Purpose
This policy outlines the university’s processes for developing and revising policies.
Definitions
- Policy: A statement that governs the operation and conduct of the University’s work. University policies align with the mission and goals of the University.
- Policy Sponsor: The division head or division designee who owns the policy. The Policy Sponsor, who is typically a member of the president’s Cabinet, has final approval of the policy before it goes to the Office of the President for final review and signature.
- Policy Contact: The person designated by the president or Cabinet member to take the lead in drafting the policy or revision. This person is typically the subject matter expert and/or department head. The Policy Contact is responsible for keeping assigned policies current and in compliance.
- University Employee -- Employee of the University or its affiliated entities.
- University -- Empire State University; SUNY Empire
Policy Statements
- All new and substantially revised University policies will be submitted for review to the appropriate stakeholders, including the shared governance system in matters of academic policy, appropriate department heads, and general counsel.
- To provide the University community with an opportunity to submit feedback, drafts of administrative policies will be posted internally for a 30-day comment period (or one week longer, when applicable, to accommodate faculty no-appointment and reading periods) and academic or student-centered policies follow the governance process for input. A completed draft of every policy is submitted in a standard format (Appendix A) to the Office of the President for final review and edits. Final versions are made publicly accessible via the University’s website. University-wide policies establish principles and standards aligned with the University's mission. These policies will supersede any other departmental policy. It is the responsibility of the Policy Sponsor and Policy Contact to ensure that the policy complies with University operations.
- The president or designee may establish or revise administrative policies to maintain compliance with federal, state and/or local laws, SUNY policies, collective bargaining agreements and related employee handbooks. The Office of the President and relevant stakeholders have the discretion to determine if the approval process can be expedited to maintain University-wide compliance under extenuating or time-sensitive circumstances. Expedited policies will be posted internally to inform the University community of the new or revised policy. The Office of the President will determine the date on which the policy becomes effective.
- The Office of Compliance may notify Policy Sponsors if administrative policies integral to the successful management of the University appear to be out of compliance or outdated, based on updates the Office of Compliance becomes aware of. However, it is the responsibility of the Policy Sponsor and/or Policy Contact, as the subject matter expert, to actively monitor applicable regulations and ensure their policies remain current and in compliance.
Applicable Legislation and Regulations
The University is governed by the State University of New York’s Board of Trustees,
and University policy is developed in conformance with the University’s Bylaws, Policies of the Board of Trustees (pdf), the New York State Code, Rules, and Regulations, and all applicable federal policies.
Related References, Policies, Procedures, Forms, and Appendices
APPENDICES
Appendix A: University Policy Template (file 35kB)
Note: You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader to read PDFs. If Acrobat Reader is not installed on your computer, you can download it for free from Adobe.
Related References, Policies, Procedures, Forms and Appendices
- Procedures for New/Substantially Revised Administrative Policies
- Procedures for New/Significantly Revised Academic Policies
- Procedures for Retired, Rescinded, or Expired Policies
