Policy Approval & Revision Process

How to Develop a New Policy or Policy Revision

  1. Identify the issue.
  2. Discuss the issue and possible policy solutions with your supervisor.
  3. Obtain agreement in principle and authorization to proceed from the appropriate member of the President’s Leadership Team (PLT).
  4. Assemble a team to study the issue, including individuals with topical and process expertise as well as potential policy users and those who will be impacted by the policy.
  5. Craft your policy text, giving attention to the following considerations:
    1.  Input from stakeholders, impacted parties, and anyone who will play a role in policy implementation.
    2.  Any applicable laws, regulations, or accrediting factors.
    3.  Related existing College policies, with an eye toward ensuring (1) that your policy is not in conflict with them, and, in the case of policy overlap (2) that it is clear when each policy applies.
    4.  Any SACSCOC accreditation-related factors, including possible Substantive Change. See the Vice President for Institutional Effectiveness and Registrar to discuss this.
  6. Write the policy itself, using the Policy Template (DOCX).
  7. Complete a Policy Proposal/Revision Cover Sheet (PDF). During the approval process, the Policy Proposal/Revision Cover Sheet should always accompany the policy itself.
  8. Submit the policy and Cover Sheet as per the following approval chain:
Approving Party Your Primary Contact
Director, Coordinator, or Chair of Your Office, Department, or Committee.

←
The PLT Member for Your Area

←
PLT as a Whole The PLT Member for Your Area
There follows a ten-day Public Comment period to gather feedback from the Randolph College community.  After discussing the public comments, the PLT may request further revision of the policy by you.
President of the College Special Assistant to the President and Secretary to the Board of Trustees
Board of Trustees
(if applicable)		 Special Assistant to the President and Secretary to the Board of Trustees

It is understood that each individual along this chain will be responsible for moving the proposal forward, but you should actively monitor the process and be ready to facilitate that.

The PLT will determine whether approval by the Randolph College Board of Trustees is required.

Note that, at any point in this approval chain, feedback may lead to revision and resubmission of the policy at any given level.

If the policy is approved …

  1. Send final copies of the policy, the Policy Proposal/Revision Cover Sheet, and documentation of all approvals (e.g., copies of emails of approval), to the Vice President for Institutional Effectiveness and Registrar, who will post the policy on the Policy Library site and ask the Web Manager to add links to it from the additional web or portal pages that you specify
  2. If appropriate, add the policy text to broader College policy publications (e.g., Employee Handbook, Academic Catalog, etc.)
  3. Consult with your supervisor to formulate a communication plan to all policy stakeholders.
  4. Prepare for and conduct necessary training.
  5. Implement the policy.