1. Purpose

   Ohio university is committed to the implementation and creation of comprehensive policies. This policy governs how the university creates, drafts, reviews, maintains, rescinds, and approves all university policies. 

2. Scope

   Ohio university policies must be thoroughly reviewed, maintained, and accessible to the university community. The university community includes all university employees, students, alumni, visitors, volunteers, and other individuals who perform who for the university. 

3. Definitions

   1. "Policy owner" is the individual, department, or office that is responsible for creating, reviewing, and maintaining any policy; and obtaining all necessary policy approvals. 
   2. "Purpose" is a statement describing why the policy exists. 
   3. "Scope" is to whom a policy applies. 
   4. "University community" all university employees, students, alumni, visitors, volunteers, and other individuals who perform for the university. 
   5. "Executive staff policy committee" serves as an advisory group to the president on all policies containing external compliance and/or legal requirements. 
   6. "President's cabinet" serves as an advisory group to the president on policies that doe not contain external compliance and/or legal requirements. 
   7. "Effective date" is the date a policy is approved by the president. 

4. Policy content

   A university policy should:

   1. Enhance the university's mission, reduce institutional risk, and/or promote operational efficiency. 
   2. Comply with all applicable laws and regulations. 

5. Policy review process 

   1. ESPC and president's cabinet 

      1. The executive staff policy committee shall be responsible for the review of new, amended, or rescinded policies containing external compliance and/or legal requirements, and for recommending policies for approval by the president. The members of the executive staff policy committee shall be the vice president for finance and administration, the executive vice president and provost, the vice president for student affairs, the vice president for human resources, and the general counsel. The executive vice president and provost shall serve as chair of the committee. In the event of their temporary unavailability, members may be represented by designees.
      2. President's cabinet shall be responsible for the review of new, amended, or rescinded policies not containing external compliance and/or legal requirements, and for recommending policies for approval by the president. 
      3. Under the direction of the executive staff policy committee, the office of legal affairs will provide legal and administrative oversight for the policy-development process.

   2. Policy drafting guidelines

      The executive staff policy committee, with the assistance of the office of legal affairs, shall prepare policy drafting guidelines setting forth requirements for content, organization and format of policies. These guidelines shall be made available as part of the online and hardcopy editions of the policy manual.

   3. Initiation, review, and approval of policies

      1. A proposal for a new, amended, or rescinded policy may be initiated by the policy owner. Any member of the university community may submit a suggestion for a change in university policy to the appropriate policy owner. 
      2. The policy owner shall submit a policy proposal memorandum and draft policy, as described in the policy drafting guidelines. The proposal memorandum shall explain the need for the new, amended, or rescinded policy. A list of university offices and constituencies expected to be affected shall also be provided. 
      3. The executive staff policy committee and/or president's cabinet shall decide whether the proposal should go forward and may provide guidance, limitations, or any other advice it deems appropriate. In particular, the executive staff policy committee and/or president's cabinet should confirm that the policy owner consulted with the appropriate university officials and constituencies.  
      4. If the executive staff policy committee and/or president's cabinet authorizes the new, amended, or rescinded policy, the policy owner may proceed to publish the draft policy on the university policy website for the thirty-day comment period, in accordance with the policy drafting guidelines. 
      5. The new, amended, or to-be-rescinded policy must be posted on the university policy website for the thirty-day comment period prior to final approval. Some policies may be signed in advance of the comment period to comply with any time-restricted federal and/or state laws and regulations or accrediting agencies. Any exceptions to the thirty-day comment period may only be granted by the executive staff policy committee and/or the president. The draft policy and all comments from the university community will be posted on the university policy website. 
      6. At the completion of the thirty-day comment period, the new, amended, or rescinded policy, shall be submitted to the executive staff policy committee and/or president's cabinet for final review along with an explanatory memorandum and any other policy versions as specified in the policy drafting guidelines. The materials submitted to the executive staff policy committee and/or president's cabinet shall also be made available on the university policy website. 
      7. The executive staff policy committee and/or president's cabinet shall review the new, amended, or rescinded policy and comments and recommendations from the university community who reviewed them online. The executive staff policy committee and/or president's cabinet may recommend the policy be sent to the president for final approval or rescission or send it back to the policy owner for further modification or consultation. 

   4. Updating policies

      All policies shall be reviewed by the policy owner to determine whether an update is necessary at least every three years. 

   5. Interim policies

      1. The executive staff policy committee may determine whether, because of legal requirements or administrative necessity, a policy must be adopted or amended immediately. In this event, the executive staff policy committee may recommend to the president that an interim policy be adopted. The executive staff policy committee's recommendation will follow full consideration of the legal or administrative issues supporting the request for an interim policy.
      2. An interim policy shall be effective for an initial period of no more than twelve months. After the initial twelve-month period, the executive staff policy committee may recommend to the president that an interim policy be extended for an additional six month period. A permanent policy adopted in accordance with the procedures set forth in section (E)(3) of this policy should be approved by the president no later than eighteen months after the effective date of the interim policy.

6. University policy manual 

   The university policy manual shall include all university policies adopted in accordance with this policy and shall be made available online. Printed copies of the manual shall also be made available in Alden library and in each of the regional campus libraries. 

Forms, References, and History

1. Forms

   There are no forms specific to this policy.

2. References

   The following items are relevant to this policy:

   1. Policy Drafting Guidelines 
   2. Policy 01.002, "Policy and Procedure Numbering System."
   3. Policy 01.003, "Exceptions to or Restrictions of University Policies."

3. History

   Draft versions of this policy that were circulated for review, their cover memos, their forms, and Reviewers' comments on them are available on the password-protected Review site.

   Prior versions of this policy were approved on:

   1. November 20, 2024 (approved for interim use in accordance with this policy)
   2. June 15, 2016 (re-formatted)
   3. May 14, 2013
   4. January 25, 2011
   5. January 31, 2008
   6. February 21, 2006
   7. April 25, 2002 (effective October 1, 2002)
   8. May 3, 1994
   9. September 2, 1969