Policy on Policies

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Policy Title: Policy on Policies
Policy Number: ADM-2005
Effective Date: 2020/12
Most Recent revised date: 9/1/2024
Responsible Office: Student Life
Responsible Party: Robin Arnold, Policy Administrator

Purpose

The purpose of this policy is to provide a process and procedure for the development and administration of Holy Family University Policies.

Reason for Policy

Policies are fundamental to the University’s ability to operate. Well-written policies can clarify expectations, guide actions, provide controls, enhance productivity and efficiency, support compliance with regulatory mandates, ensure accountability, and mitigate risk.

Scope of policy

This policy applies to all Holy Family University employees who play any role in the policy development process.

Stakeholders/Individuals and Entities Affected by this Policy

Individuals or entities who may be affected by this Policy include but are not limited to the following:

  • Faculty
  • Staff
  • Vendors
  • Visitors
  • Board of Trustees
  • Alumni
  • Donors
  • Contractors

General Requirements

The following requirements apply to all Holy Family University Policies, including University Policies, Department Policies and Handbooks.

  1. Existing policies must be reviewed annually by the Responsible Office to ensure that the policy remains relevant and consistent with applicable local, state and federal laws and regulations, and other Holy Family University policies. Details on policy reviews should be documented and saved for auditing purposes. Updates to existing policies must be submitted on or before August 1st of each calendar year.
  2. Policies must include in corporation of the Mission and Core Values of Holy Family University.
  3. Policies should be viewed and drafted from a holistic perspective, including:
    • Equity: An equity focus in a policy (1)recognizes the need to eliminate disparities in educational outcomes of students from underserved and underrepresented populations, and (2) ensures that policies and practices do not create barriers or worsen systems of inequity.
    • Education: Educating appropriate stakeholders and campus partners regarding the policies and procedures,
    • Risk Management: Ensuring compliance and mitigating risk of legal exposure.
  4. Policies are required to incorporate the Holy Family Guidelines for Writing Policies.

Definitions

  • Community Standards Workgroup (“CSW”) means a composition of University employees designated by Cabinet Members to oversee the policy administration process. The CSW convenes as needed and acts as a resource during the policy development process.
  • Department Policies inform and provide direction for internal management and operations for a specific department of the university.
  • Expedited Review means a shortened review process that may be granted for a proposed new policy for which there is insufficient time to complete the full policy review process.
  • Handbooks contain all the policies related to a specific subject such as employee information or an academic program of study.
  • Interim Policy means policy that is approved by the President’s Cabinet and the President on an interim basis in situations where a University Policy must be established in a time period too short to permit the completion of the full policy review process. An interim policy shall remain in effect for a period of time determined by the President’s cabinet and the President.
  • Policy Administrator means the individual responsible for managing the development and maintenance including approvals and publication of policies and handbooks.
  • Policy Library means the central repository for all university policies.
  • Policy Owner means a designated individual under the direction and supervision of the Responsible Party, who is responsible for drafting new policies or updating existing policies. The Policy Owner acts as the contact for advice on interpretation and application of the policy.
  • President’s Cabinet means the executive group that reviews and approves policies, and determines which policies should be shared, reviewed, and/or approved by the Board of Trustees.
  • Responsible Office means the department or unit that creates, revises, interprets, implements, promulgates, and monitors for adherence of all policies and procedures within its purview.
  • Responsible Party means highest-ranking administrator who is responsible for management of the policy development and revision process for their area of authority. The Responsible Party approves the submission of proposed new policies, updates to policies, or proposed retirement of current policies to the CSW for further consideration.
  • Revisions
    • Minor Revisions means those changes that do not alter the scope or application of an existing policy or procedure. Examples of minor revisions include, but are not limited to: title changes for individuals, date of last review, or updating a hyperlink.
      • Minor changes will not require approval by the President’s Cabinet or the President.
    • Major revisions means substantive changes that materially alter the scope or application of an existing policy.
      • Major changes will require approval by the President’s Cabinet and the President.
  • University Policy means a written statement of policy with broad application throughout the University’s position on a particular issue. A policy is considered a University Policy if it meets all of the following criteria:
    • It has broad application or impact for the entire University.
    • It serves to comply with applicable laws and regulations, promotes operational efficiencies, supports the university’s mission, or reduces institutional risk.
    • It requires actions or constraints and contains specific procedures for compliance.
    • It applies to a subject matter that requires review and approval of the President’s Cabinet and the President, respectively.

Statement of Policy and Procedure

(*This section applies to University Policies.)

Stage I Proposal Stage: Applies to New Policy Proposals; Major Revisions to Existing Policies; Proposed Retirement of Existing Policies

  • When a University employee determines that a policy should be created, revised, or retired, the individual should meet with the Policy Owner for the appropriate Responsible Office.
  • The Policy Owner will in turn meet with the Responsible Party for their department to discuss the proposed new policy, revisions to an existing policy, or proposed retirement of an existing policy.
  • The Policy Owner, under the direction of the Responsible Party, should work with any departments of the university that will be impacted by the proposed policy document to ensure that the Responsible Office has the buy-in of all departments that will be impacted by the proposed policy document.
  • The Policy Owner should also notify the Policy Administrator by emailing policyinfo@holyfamily.edu of their intent to draft the policy document. The Policy Administrator or their designee will review existing policies at the university to ensure that the proposed policy is not duplicative of an existing policy and is consistent with existing policies.
  • All proposed new or revised policies, or proposed retirement of existing policies require initial approval of the Responsible Party before moving forward to the next stage.
  • Approved justifications for proposed new policies, revising existing policies, retirement of existing policies move to the next stage.

Expedited Review Process

  • A request for a Expedited Review may be approved ONLY if:
    1. 1. It is in response to changes in the law and legal requirements; OR
    2. 2. It is necessary because a current Policy is out of compliance with current legal or regulatory requirements or in response to legal, regulatory, or enforcement demands; AND
    3. 3. There is insufficient time to put the Proposed Policy through the full process.
  • The Expedited Review will be streamlined as determined by the Policy Administrator and the CSW. However, the Expedited Review will still include the requirement of a recommendation by the President’s Cabinet and final approval by the University President before such policy is approved on an expedited basis.

Stage II: Completion of Intake form; Drafting of Proposed new policy/material revision of existing policy; proposed retirement of a policy

  • Before drafting the proposed new policy or revisions to an existing policy, the Policy Owner should complete a Policy Intake Form. The Policy Intake Form should be updated throughout the policy development or revision process as needed to reflect decisions made throughout the process.
  • The Policy Owner will draft the new or revised policy, using the Policy Template. Each section in the Policy Template must be completed unless prior approval is obtained by the Policy Administrator.
    • For revisions to existing policies, make any proposed revisions using MS Word’s “track changes” function or “Suggesting” in Google Docs. If needed, existing policies must be updated to reflect the current policy format.
  • Review and make sure the policy document complies with Holy Family University Guidelines for Writing Policies, which is available by emailing policyinfo@holyfamily.edu
  • The Policy Administrator will assign a member of the CSW to work with the Policy Owner during the policy drafting process.

Stage III-Submission of Intake form and Draft of Policy; Approval process

  • The Policy Owner completes the intake form and submits it to the Policy Administrator, who will record the request. The Policy Owner also submits a final draft of the policy.
  • The Policy Administrator OR assigned CSW member presents the policy document to the CSW for review and feedback. Prior to reviewing with the full CSW, the assigned CSW member will review the policy document and confirm that all of the requirements of the Policy on Policies have been met.
  • The Policy Administrator OR designee may also seek public comment from the University Community. A draft of the University Policy will be posted on the university’s policy website for a period of at least ten (10) business days. Public comments will be received and appropriately addressed by the Policy Administrator, in consultation with the Responsible Office and the CSW.
  • The Policy Administrator or assigned CSW member may also suggest additional review by stakeholders or other revisions to the draft policy before moving it forward for approval.
  • The Policy Administrator or assigned CSW member will provide a response to the Policy Owner and Responsible Party, including any comments from the university community or suggested revisions. The Policy Owner or assigned CSW member will then review with the Responsible Party in order to submit a final version of the policy document to the Policy Administrator and CSW. The CSW will review the final version of the policy document and submit it to the President’s Cabinet and then the President for final approval.
  • The President's Cabinet will review the policy document and make a recommendation on whether to approve the policy, or require additional revisions prior to making a recommendation.
  • The President has final approval on all University Policies.

Stage IV: Implementing

  • The Policy Administrator communicates the approved policy to the campus community via the weekly bulletin or some other approved means, assigns the policy an administrative number, and contacts the appropriate department to have the policy posted to the Policy Library and whether the policy will be external or internal.
  • If the policy is a revision to an existing policy, the Policy Administrator will arrange for the earlier version of the policy to be archived. If an existing policy is being retired, the Policy Administrator will arrange for the policy to be archived.
  • The Responsible Party shall arrange virtual meetings in order to educate and train the University Community on the new or updated policy as appropriate.

Stage V: Assessing

  • After implementation, if internal requirements or external regulations require policy revision, a full review of the policy will be conducted to accommodate the changes.
  • After implementation, if internal circumstances or external regulations do not require policy revision, the Responsible Party schedules a full review of the policy every year after implementation to ensure currency and relevance.

Related Policies, Forms and Resources

Please contact policyinfo@holyfamily.edu for the following: Intake Form; Policy Template; Checklist; Guide to Writing Policies, Guide for Handbooks and Department Policies.

History

Not applicable.

Contacts

Robin Arnold, University Policy Administrator
Campus Center, Room 213A, policyinfo@holyfamily.edu, 267-341-3630

Holy Family University reserves the right to change, without notice, any statement in this publication concerning, but not limited to, rules, codes of conduct, processes and procedures, policies, tuition and fees.