University Policy: General Institutional
Date Revised: April 2025
Date Effective: July 17, 2019
Responsible University Official: Chancellor
Policy Owner: Vice Chancellor for Administration & Finance 
Policy Contact: Policy Manager

REASON FOR POLICY

Clear and well-organized policies and procedures communicate responsibilities and expectations and are an essential resource to guide behavior and decision making. This policy includes a procedural section to promote these objectives. The policy establishes process for the development, issuance, maintenance, and rescission of university policies to promote consistency, compliance with law and regulation, and effective communication with the university community.

University policies must be up-to-date, understandable, and consistent in format and in how they are approved. This policy outlines procedures to promote these objectives.

SCOPE

This policy and related procedures apply only to university-wide policies as defined below.

BACKGROUND

Wisconsin Statue Chapter 36 delegates to the chancellor the "necessary authority for administration and operation of the institution within the policies and guidelines established by the board" (36.09.7(f)). As the executive head of their respective faculties and institutions, the chancellor is responsible for "administering board policies under the coordinating direction of the president" (36.09.3).

DEFINITIONS

Area or Departmental Directives, or Protocols: Directives or protocols are created at a unit-level to establish expectations within their specific units or areas.

Executive Team: The chancellor appointed leadership team, also referred to as the Chancellor's Cabinet. 

Guideline: General, non-mandatory recommendations related to the implementation of programmatic/policy objectives. Individuals are encouraged to follow guidelines.

Policy Statement: Describes what the policy is (i.e., purpose, core provisions, or requirements).

Policy Owner: The employee(s) who provide operational oversight to and management of the substantive area from which a particular university policy is based. The policy owner is responsible for the creation, implementation, and timely updating of the university policy.

Policy Manager: The individual charged with administration of the university policy management program, which includes maintenance of physical copies of all signed university policies, maintaining an archive of changes or amendments, and maintaining the University Policy webpage. 

The policy manager will also review all new and revised policies for consistency and manage the final approval process. The policy manager, in consultation with the policy owner, has the authority to make clerical changes to policies, including updating names, offices, links, citations, and formatting (substantive changes must go through the approval process).

Policy Contact(s): Those designated to receive questions and feedback on the policy.

Procedure: Detailed and specific steps related to a policy that specify how that policy should be implemented. Procedures may include specific instructions and forms that foster compliance with an associated policy. Procedures include information on who, what, when, and where of the related policy.

Process: A series of actions or steps taken to achieve a particular end.

Reason for Policy: A statement that describes why the policy exists (i.e. mitigates institutional risk, implements a Board of Regents policy, supports institutional mission and values, meets legal or regulatory requirements of the policy).

Responsible University Official: The senior leader(s) with oversight responsibility of the substantive area(s) covered by a particular university policy. The responsible university official serves as liaison to Executive Team throughout the university policy process.

University Policy: A university policy (a) has broad application or effect across the university, (b) is fundamental to furtherance of the university's mission, (c) seeks to ensure compliance with or implement applicable law, regulation, or standards, (d) establishes fundamental operational, administrative, or budgetary principles, or (e) covers any other matter that the chancellor deems appropriate for a university-wide policy. University policies apply to constituents beyond the span of authority of a single department head and impose binding obligations on faculty, students and/or staff, as applicable.

POLICY STATEMENT

The principal responsibility for proposing new university policies or modifications to existing university policies, rests with the applicable policy owner, who provides operational oversight to and management of the substantive area from which the policy is based.

The development of university policies and procedures will include the opportunity for appropriate levels of consultation with the affected stakeholders. University policies and procedures are to be developed in alignment with all laws, regulations, regent policy documents, UW System administrative policies, and related policies, procedures, and guidance. University policies can be more restrictive than systemwide policy, but not more lenient in terms of requirements of the policy.

University-wide policies shall follow the UW-Platteville University Policy Template (Appendix A). The template shall be used for new policies, and for existing policies that are revised after the effective date of this policy.

Approval

University policies are reviewed by and approved by the chancellor, in accordance with the policy management process described in this policy.

Expedited or Interim Policy Process

If there is a legitimate and urgent necessity for a policy or procedure to be implemented in an expedited time frame that would not allow for this policy approval process to be completed, the chancellor may implement the policy immediately. 

PROCEDURES

University policies shall be written in accordance with the University Policy Template (Appendix A). 

Issuing, Modifying or Updating Policies

1. Initial Process for Review and Input
   1. Once a need for a new policy or a substantive change to an existing policy, the Policy Owner shall seek initial support of the Responsible Official.
   2. The Policy Owner shall prepare a policy draft using the University Policy Template (Appendix A).
   3. The Policy Owner shall submit the draft policy (in template format) to the Responsible University Official and Policy Manager for review.
2. Executive Team and Stakeholder Feedback
   1. The policy manager will perform the following:  
      1. Working with the Policy Owner, present policy to the Executive Team for initial review and comment. 
      2. Follow up with the Policy Owner to convey any feedback and resolve any recommended substantive changes.
      3. Working with the Policy Owner, circulate draft to stakeholder(s) and governance groups (academic staff, university staff, faculty, and student senates), as directed by the Executive Team, seeking review and feedback.
      4. Post to designated internal facing University Policy webpage as a draft policy for a minimum of 14-day comment period. 
      5. The Policy Manager and Policy Owner may repeat any of the above steps as necessary.
3. Finalizing and Publishing Policy 
   The Policy Manager will perform the following: 
   1. After the comment period, follow up with the Responsible University Official and Policy Manager to review feedback and resolve any recommended changes. 
   2. Finalize policy, incorporating agreed upon changes. 
   3. Present the policy to the Executive Team for final review. If the Executive Team approves without any recommended edits, skip to step 2.e.
   4. Resolve any feedback from the Executive Team, which may include additional stakeholder outreach and/or comment period, as necessary. 
   5. Work with Policy Manager to submit to the chancellor for final review and signature. 
   6. Work with the Policy Manager to publish the policy on the external facing University designated-website, post the policy link on the internal facing University Policy webpage, and maintain a copy consistent with the applicable records management schedule. 
4. Communication of New or Substantively Revised Policy 
   1. The Policy Owner will prepare an announcement to be circulated to the impacted parties as appropriate. (See attached file Appendix B: University and Administrative Policy Communications Plan.) 
   2. The Policy Owner will ensure that departmental webpages are updated, and that any links to university policies link directly to the designated external facing University Policy webpage (to avoid having outdated or inaccurate information). 
   3. The Policy Owner will issue and communicate procedures and training as appropriate. 
5. Location of University Policies 
   1. Published university policies shall be maintained on an external facing University Policy webpage, managed and maintained by the Policy Manager. The policy as published on the webpage is the accurate and only approved version. All web references to university policies shall be links to this instance of the policy. 
   2. The Policy Manager shall manage the review process and work with Policy Owners on the updating of university policies. 
   3. Policies shall be reviewed on a regular basis or as needed. 
6. Policy Maintenance and Periodic Review 
   The Policy Owner is responsible for maintaining and updating policies in the Policy Owner's i area to ensure they reflect current responsibilities, in conformance with new or revised laws, regulations, or other factors. To ensure policies remain current, all policies should undergo a periodic review on a regular basis. If such a periodic review does not result in changes, the Policy Owner should provide the date of the review to the Responsible University Official, who will note on the policy that it was reviewed without change. 
7. Rescission of University Policies 
   When a policy is deemed unnecessary or obsolete, the Policy Owner should submit a request to the Responsible University Official. The request will include an explanation for the action. The Policy Owner will notify stakeholder and/or governance groups, as appropriate, and will present the request to the Executive Team and chancellor for approval.
   If there is a legitimate and urgent necessity for a policy or procedure to be rescinded in an expedited time frame that would nt allow for this policy recession process to be completed, the chancellor may rescind the policy immediately. Any archived policy will be in the designated policy archive. 

CONTACTS

RELATED DOCUMENTS

Under article files.

A pdf of this policy
Appendix A: University Policy Template
Appendix B: University and Administrative Policy Communications Plan

HISTORY

This is a revised policy.
June 2024: Moved to new Knowledgebase - updated names and titles. 
April 2025: updated the procedures, and definitions.

SCHEDULED REVIEW

2027