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Policy Governance

Who administers the university policy development and renewal process?

The following individuals and groups serve in official advisory capacities throughout the policy development process:

Internal Auditor. The Internal Auditor supports the policy development process by: Reviewing procedures to ensure internal controls are in place, reviewing new and revised policies prior to approval to ensure that compliance issues are appropriately addressed. As appropriate, the Internal Auditor schedules audits of policy implementation as part of the full development and renewal process.

Policy Advisory Group (PAG). The PAG is comprised of administrative representatives from across campus. PAG reviews policy proposals and fully-developed policies prior to review and approval by PEG.  PAG members also identify policy needs and conduct regular assessment of the process.

Policy Executive Group (PEG).  The PEG is comprised of the President’s Senior Team, except University Counsel. The University Counsel serves as legal counsel to the group. PEG reviews and approve policy proposals and fully-developed policies.  PEG also sets policy development priorities and reviews results of assessments to determine if modifications are needed to the policy development and renewal process.

University Counsel.  The University Counsel supports the policy development process by: Communicating new and updated external regulations, mandates, and policies that must be incorporated into university policies, and reviewing from a legal perspective new and revised policies prior to final approval.

University Policy Administrators (UPA). The UPA is responsible for all front-facing policy development activities. The UPA chairs the Policy Advisory Group (PAG).

University Policy Coordinator (UPC). The UPC is responsible for all back-office policy development activities. The UPC maintains the Policy Library, provides the University with regular policy updates, and schedules and attends all policy-related meetings.

Policy Governance Committee

The Office of Institutional Effectiveness (OIE) provides a coordinating role on administrative functions of the university policy process and works conjointly with the governance teams listed below.

ADMINISTRATIVE TEAM 

 

POLICY ADVISORY GROUP (PAG)

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Policy Approval Process

How do I get a university policy started?

If you have an idea for a policy that would be administered by your department, you should contact your department head. If the department head concurs, he or she should follow the standard process, beginning with completion of the Policy Request Form.  

If you have an idea for a policy that would be administered by another department, you should contact the Policy Coordinator in Office of Institutional Effectiveness at UPT@njcu.edu or a PAG representative. PAG representatives are listed on the Policy Library webpage. PAG will adhere to the following process when considering suggestions for policies brought to it through this avenue:

1. The PAG representative contacted will discuss your request with you.
2. The PAG representative contacted will work with the Policy Coordinator to add the the item to a PAG meeting agenda. 
   • The request will be provided to PAG prior to the meeting for review and consideration.
   • As necessary, the Policy Coordinator will consult with the Internal Auditor and provide information to PAG prior to the meeting. This consultation may include guidance on risk and prioritization.
3. Discussion at the PAG meeting may result in a conclusion:
   • That the recommended policy be developed.
   • That a policy addressing the issue already exists, and thus no further action is required.
   • That the request is not a university-wide concern but may need to be addressed at the unit/department level.
   • That a policy is not warranted.
4. You will be notified of the conclusion of the discussion, via communication from the Policy Coordinator.
5. If the conclusion is to recommend a policy be developed, the recommendation will be presented to the requesting department/policy owner.

Policies go through a multi-phase process

Download Process Flowchart

 

Phase I: Proposing

• Any employee wishing to propose, revise, or retire a policy should contact a University Policy Administrator or the Policy Coordinator. They may also contact a PAG representative.
• The Policy Owner completes a Policy Request Form and returns it to the Coordinator to present to the Policy Advisory Group (PAG) for review and feedback.
• After any PAG-requested revisions are made and upon PAG endorsement, the University Policy Administrator presents the Policy Request Form to the Policy Executive Group (PEG) for review, feedback and approval to move forward.
• Approved justifications for developing new or revising existing policies move to Phase II; approved justifications for retiring policies are forwarded to the President and, if required, the Board of Trustees for approval.

Phase II: Writing

• The Policy Owner creates a team to create/revise the policy. The team will be comprised of knowledgeable staff and stakeholders from relevant offices.
• The team drafts the policy using the Policy Template.

Phase III: Approving

• The Policy Owner submits the fully developed policy to Policy Coordinator for review and feedback by PAG.
• After any PAG-requested revisions are made and upon PAG endorsement, the University Policy Administrator presents the fully developed policy to PEG and the President for review, feedback and approval.
• Official approvals are recorded on the Policy Approval Form.

Phase IV: Implementing

• The Policy Coordinator assigns the policy an administrative number, and posts it to the Policy Library.  If the policy is a revision to an existing policy or if an existing policy is being retired, the Policy Coordinator moves the policy to the archives.
• The Policy Coordinator communicates the approved policy to the community by posting on the GothicNet Latest News and Happenings section and also on the Policy Library website in the updates section.
• The Policy Owner educates and trains the community as appropriate.

Phase V: Assessing

• The Internal Auditor schedules a review to monitor policy compliance two years after implementation as applicable.
• After implementation, if internal circumstances or external regulations require policy revision, the Policy Owner schedules a full-review of the policy to accommodate the changes.
• If internal circumstances or external regulations do not require policy revision, the Policy Owner schedules a full review of the policy five-years after implementation to ensure currency and relevance.
• If the policy may present risks to the University, the Internal Auditor will present the area for a proposed review.

Does this process apply to all University policies?

This process applies to all University policies except academic policies that are vetted through the University Senate.

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FAQs

Where are policies located?

All policies will be posted to the University Policy Library webpage. Policies may also be linked on other pages, but policies are housed on the policy webpage. The only exception to this is academic policies that go through Senate.  These policies are housed on the catalog website.  Although the Policy Development and Renewal Process does not apply to these polices, for completeness, they are linked to the Policy Library webpage.

Who approves policies?

The President and (if required) the Board of Trustees are the final approvers of University policies. Policies are not official until these approvals are secured.  The President is authorized to approve an Interim Policy based on specific criteria.  Interim policies remain in effect until the policy is vetted through the formal review and approval process.

How will I know when a new policy is approved?

The University Policy Coordinator (UPC) will send a notification email to the Policy Owner.  In addition, new or revised policies are posted to the University Policy Library webpage as soon as they are approved. Campus notification of a new policy's availability will be posted on GothicNet in the Latest News and Happenings section.

What is an interim policy?

An interim university policy is a policy that has been issued in a situation where a policy needs to be established in a time period too short to allow vetting through the official policy development process (e.g., new legislation, incident on campus). The President has the authority to authorize the issuance of an interim university policy.

What is the process for approving interim policies?

Individuals who need to propose, revise, or retire a policy on an interim basis meet with the University Policy Administrators and Policy Coordinator to discuss.  The Policy Administrator reviews with the PEG.  If approved, the PEG sets the time limit for which the interim policy can remain in effect (up to one year), and moves to the President for approval on the interim basis.  

How long can an interim policy remain in effect?

Any policy that is approved on an interim basis will be added – at Phase I – to the agenda for the next PAG meeting.  The process will begin at that meeting. No policies under the authority of the Policy Owner will be placed on either a PAG or a PEG agenda until the interim policy begins the formal cycle. In all cases, interim policies can remain in effect for a maximum of one year.

How can I make recommendations to improve a policy?

If you have an idea for improving a policy that is administered by your department, you should contact your department head.  If the department head concurs, he or she should follow the standard process, beginning with completion of the Request Form.

If you have an idea for a policy that would be administered by another department, you should contact a PAG representative.  PAG representatives are listed on the University Policy Library webpage.  See the How do I get a university policy started? question above for details on the process PAG will follow for suggestions for policy improvements brought through this avenue.

Can I skip the request form and just write/revise a policy?

We ask that all policy development and renewal actions begin with the Policy Request form.  This stage of the process helps to ensure transparency, foster collaboration, and reduce unnecessary duplication of efforts.  This stage of review is typically accomplished expeditiously and should not significantly delay the process.   If you have been directed to develop or revise a policy by your supervisor, you can include that information in the “need” section of the form. 

Are there templates or forms that I need to use to develop a policy?

There are two templates/forms used for policy development and renewal.

• Policy Request Form – This form is used to secure approval to proceed with development, revision, or retiring of a policy. This form is used in Phase I of the process. Form is included here: Request Form
• Policy Template – This form is used to fully develop a policy in standard format. This form is used in Phase II of the process. Form is included here: Policy Template

What if I know of a policy that is not on the Policies and Procedures webpage or Policy Library webpage?

The University seeks to ensure that all policies are linked in one location.  If you know of a policy that is missing from the webpage, please contact the Office of Institutional Effectiveness at upt@njcu.edu or 201-200-3073.

How are policy violations managed?

Policy documents include a section outlining how violation of the policy is managed.

What if I have a question about a policy or the Policy Library webpage?

You can contact the Office of Institutional Effectiveness at upt@njcu.edu or 201-200-3073 with any questions.

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Policy Activity Updates

New Policies

 

Removed Policies

 

Revised Policies

 

Retired Policies

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