Drexel University is implementing a new policy — DU-01, Official University Policies — to streamline the creation and revision of all new and revised Official University Policies. The policy includes a detailed, step-by-step Policy Compliance Process featuring a standardized timeline for policy reviews and approvals, increased community engagement through a stakeholder engagement framework, Policy Council and public comment period, and — eventually — a new, centralized policy-management software system called PolicyTech.

This page outlined the process you should follow when working on any new or revised Official University Policies, or when seeking to decommission an existing Official University Policy. Consult the Keywords and Definitions page for helpful definitions, and please contact the Director of Policy Compliance at policy@drexel.edu with any questions.

Table of Contents

• Standard Review Process for New and Revised Policies
• Expedited Review Process
• Decommissioning Process

Standard Review Process for New and Revised Policies

If you are proposing a new or revised Official University Policy, please follow these steps:

1. The Sponsoring Unit should work with any Affected Units of the University that will be impacted by the Proposed Policy to ensure that the Sponsoring Unit has the buy-in of the Affected Unit(s) as the Proposed Policy is drafted, using the Policy Template. The Sponsoring Unit should also work with the Office of the General Counsel (OGC) in drafting the policy to ensure the policy is in line with legal and University requirements.
2. The Sponsoring Unit should complete the Policy Intake Form [PDF] with the Communication Plan [PDF] and contact the Director of Policy Compliance (DPC) for further guidance. The DPC will log the Proposed Policy and work with the Sponsoring Unit to ensure review of the Proposed Policy. The Communication Plan should include posting the policy on the Sponsoring Unit’s website and sharing a version of the approved policy with the DPC. The DPC will ensure that the Affected Units and OGC complete a review of the Proposed Policy. This review will ensure that the Proposed Policy does not duplicate existing policies and that it is in the best interest of the University.
3. Once the Affected Units and OGC have completed their review, the DPC will work with the Sponsoring Unit to obtain a documented review of the Proposed Policy by Faculty Senate, as appropriate.
4. Upon Faculty Senate's review, the Sponsoring Unit should reconcile any material comments pointed out by OGC and prepare the draft of the Proposed Policy for Stakeholder Engagement Process (see graphic below for details).
5. The Sponsoring Unit, working with the DPC, should also obtain a second, and final, documented OGC review of the Proposed Policy and Communication Plan.
6. The Proposed Policy and Communication Plan should be prepared for the President’s Cabinet review and submitted to the President’s Cabinet.
7. Upon Cabinet recommendation and President approval, the Proposed Policy is official. The Communication Plan must be implemented immediately.

Expedited Review Process

The Drexel Policy Council may approve a Proposed Policy to undergo an Expedited Review process ONLY if:

1. It is in response to changes in the law and legal requirements; or
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; or
3. There is insufficient time to put the Proposed Policy through the full process.

The Expedited Review process consists of all steps in the Standard Review process except for Step 4 — the Stakeholder Engagement Process. Once a Policy is approved on an expedited basis, it must go through the Standard Review process within a year.

Decommissioning Process

Official University Policies sometimes become outdated, obsolete or superseded by a new policy. In these instances, the policy that is no longer needed must be decommissioned through the following process prescribed by the Official University Policies policy (DU–01) [PDF].

1. The Sponsoring Unit should consult with any Affected Units and the Office of the General Counsel to determine whether decommissioning is warranted.
2. If warranted, the Sponsoring Unit must submit a completed Statement of Intent to Decommission an Official University Policy [PDF], including a communication plan, to the Director of Policy Compliance.
3. The Director of Policy Compliance presents the proposed decommissioning to the Policy Council for review.
4. If the Policy Council recommends decommissioning the policy, the Director of Policy Compliance and the Sponsoring Unit will present the proposal to Cabinet for review and recommendation to the President.
5. Upon final approval by the President, the Director of Policy Compliance will handle removing the decommissioned policy from the Policy Directory and archiving it in the appropriate systems, while the Sponsoring Unit will implement the decommissioning communication plan.