Policy Tools and Development

University policies are owned by a responsible office. Representatives of these offices work closely with the Policy Office to draft, consult stakeholders, present for approval, promulgate and maintain their policies.

A formal process is followed when creating a University policy.

Policy Development Process

Helpful Policy Documents

The following tools are provided to help responsible offices/representatives through each stage of the development process.

• Policy on Policies - UND strives to offer accessible, formally approved, well-articulated, and understandable University policies and procedures in a consistent, official format. Individuals responsible for developing and maintaining University policies must comply with the conditions outlined in this document for drafting, approving, and revising University policies.
• Impact Statement Template - The standard format by which all new policies are proposed. The document describes the background, justification, and the likely impact of the new policy and must be submitted to the Policy Office before developing a new policy.
• Policy Template - The official format by which all University policies are arranged. The template includes the reason and scope of the policy, related information, contacts, definitions, necessary procedures for implementation, responsibilities, and associated forms and appendices/attachments.
  
• Procedure Template - The official format by which all University procedures are formatted. The template is may be used to supplement an approved policy or stand alone in its applicability. It includes the reason for procedure, contacts, definitions, procedures for use, and related information, resources and forms.
  
• PolicyStat Training Materials - Training materials for UND's policy management software (PolicyStat) are available for area editors and managers who use PolicyStat to create, edit and manage policies. Additional in-person or remote training may be requested by contacting the Policy Office.

Policy Advisory Group

In the development process, policies receive rigorous review by one or more standing committees (e.g., Policy Advisory Group, University Senate, Executive Council).

Completed policy drafts are “reality-tested” by the Policy Advisory Group (PAG), made up of broad University representation, under the direction of the vice president for finance and operations/chief operating officer. Upon PAG acceptance, a policy — in official format — is submitted to the Executive Council for endorsement and the president for final approval and signature.