RESPONSIBLE OFFICE: Office of the Executive Vice Chancellor and Chief Administrative Officer
CONTACT INFORMATION: 1 Brookings Drive, Campus Box 1018, St. Louis, MO 63130, 314-935-7877
ADOPTED: July 13, 2018
LAST UPDATED: July 13, 2018
Purpose
This policy outlines the process by which official university policies are developed, approved, maintained, and internally communicated to promote practicality, compliance, and accountability.
Scope
This policy applies to formal university-wide policies that are developed and approved by senior leadership. This policy does not apply to school- and unit-specific policies. Certain policies may contain development and approval processes that differ from the process set out in this policy.
Policy
The process by which policies ordinarily are developed, approved, and communicated to the university community is outlined in Appendix A. The development of each policy will be overseen by a “responsible executive” who consults with the Provost, Chief Administrative Officer, Executive Vice Chancellor for Medical Affairs, and General Counsel. These individuals must support further discussion of the proposed policy. Assuming this support is granted, these individuals and the responsible executive will determine the process of consultation, including the University Deans and other groups as necessary; it is assumed that Faculty Senate Council will be consulted for most policies. After internal review and revision and with support of the Provost, Chief Administrative Officer, Executive Vice Chancellor for Medical Affairs, and General Counsel, the responsible executive will present the policy to University Council. The final step in the process is approval by the Chancellor.
Depending on the nature of the policy, multiple responsible executives and offices may be designated. Approved policies should identify the office responsible for maintaining the policy and the dates of adoption and revision. Upon adoption or revision, the policy should be communicated to relevant members of the university community and stored in a centralized policy website.
The responsible office may develop appropriate procedures by which adopted policies are to be implemented. Responsible offices are encouraged to review existing policies on a regular basis. If the need for revision (i.e., changing a policy’s substance or making significant changes to a policy’s procedures) is identified, the responsible executive and senior administration will assess whether, based on the nature of the revision, the process illustrated in Appendix A is appropriate for the revision process. Simple policy updates (e.g., new contact information for a policy) are not subject to this review and approval process.
Ultimate authority and responsibility for governance of the university rests with the Board of Trustees. This includes the power and authority to adopt, amend, or revoke any and all policies applicable to the operations of the university.
This policy will be in place indefinitely.
APPENDIX A. Policy Governance Process
Development and Approval of University Policies
|
STEP 1: |
STEP 2: |
STEP 3: |
STEP 4: |
STEP 5: |
|
|
ACTION |
Draft policy |
Seek comment from Deans and other groups |
Seek comment from University Council |
Seek approval from Chancellor |
Inform university community |
|
DESCRIPTION |
Prior to drafting policy, responsible executive outlines need for new/revised policy and determines policy’s expected impact on university. With guidance from EVCs, responsible executive consults relevant stakeholders. |
Responsible executive distributes and presents draft policy to the school Deans and other groups (identified in consultation with the EVCs) for their review and feedback. |
Responsible executive distributes and presents draft policy to University Council for their review and feedback. |
Responsible executive presents draft policy to Chancellor for review, feedback, and decision-making. |
Responsible executive informs the university community of newly issued policies and policy revisions, including the need for the policy. |
|
APPROVALS REQUIRED |
Provost, Chief Administrative Officer, and EVC for Medical Affairs approve draft policy |
N/A |
N/A |
Chancellor approves policy. Board of Trustees approval may be required depending on the nature of the policy. |
N/A |
Office of the General Counsel is involved in Steps 1-4.