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FIND A POLICY
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Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is a policy?A policy is a governing principle that mandates or constrains actions. 2. What are University-Wide Administrative policies?Policies that are needed to administer the University in accordance with state and federal legislation, reasonable administrative practice and the delegation of authority by the Board of Regents. Administrative policies are divided into these six subject areas: Academic/Research, Financial, Human Resources, Information Technology, Operational, and Senate. A University policy satisfies all of the following criteria:
3. How do I find a policy?Specific policies may be found a number of ways. Options include:
The title search includes all University policies, including the Board of Regents Policies and Human Resources Policies. The full text search searches the full text of the policy, but excludes Board of Regents and Human Resources Policies. If you still need assistance, you can call the Policy Librarian at 612-624-4372 or email process@umn.edu. 4. What are the two versions of the policy?We have the capability of displaying the full policy, including components such as the FAQ, history, and definitions, or allowing you the user to view the core components only (policy statement, reason for policy, procedures, forms, and additional contacts). You also have the ability to select print for the core policy or the policy with the details. 5. What is the Standard University Policy format?A format developed by the University Policy Office that defines the various optional and mandatory parts of a policy. All new University-wide policies will be written using this format. By standardizing the way that policies are presented to the reader, the University hopes to make policies easier to read and understand. The Guide to Writing University-wide Policy & Procedure" describes the policy format. 6. How are new policies developed?As of spring 2007, the University implemented a new policy development and maintenance structure. To begin a policy, the policy owner must first complete a policy plan. This plan asks key questions as to the type of risk the policy will address, what is the likely hood of a negative occurrence, who is the key audience for the policy, just to name a few. Once this plan is complete, it is reviewed by our standing committee, the President's Policy Committee (PPC). If approved to move forward, the policy owner will draft the policy and then again meet with the PPC for the initial review. The resulting draft will then be posted on the Policy website for public comment for a period of 30 days. The policy owner will gather those comments and meet with the PPC chair to determine if any amendments to the draft are needed. The final will be published and communicated broadly. This same process will be used for major updates to existing policies. 7. How do I know if a policy was recently updated?The Recently Updated Policies list shows all policies that have been updated within the last 4 months.
8. Are there policies today that may no longer be needed?Yes, that is possible and there may be policies in need of significant updating. Later this spring (2007) the PPC will launch an extensive review of all 147 administrative policies to ensure that the need still exists and that the language conveys the message we want for our community. This particular task may take as long as 3 years to complete and the process followed will be similar to that used for the full review of the Board of Regents' policies. 9. If I need further clarification on a policy or a specific example to discuss?Each policy displays a policy contact, as designated by the policy owner. In addition to that individual(s), there are more contacts listed in the contact box that may be specific to your area of interest. 10. What should I do if I want to comment on a current policy or procedure?The new policy and procedure format encourages regular interaction. A button at the top of each policy page, as well as a text box at the bottom of the policy asks specifically for feedback. That policy feedback will be reviewed by both the policy owner and the University Policy Office, and used when considering revisions to the policy and procedures. 11. What are procedures?Procedures are steps taken to comply with a policy. 12. What is the role of the University Policy Office?The University Policy Office supports the Policy Owners, the President's Policy Committee, and Responsible Officers throughout the policy lifecycle: initiation, development, implementation and subsequent policy management. The office is responsible for the dissemination of timely and relevant information regarding new and amended policies to the broader University community, and maintaining the central repository and official web site for all current institution-wide administrative policies. The staff work closely with the Policy Owners to ensure compliance with the review schedule and to share policy user feedback. For questions call the University Policy Office at 612-625-0331 or m-gros@umn.edu. 13. Where is the rates section of the policy?There is no longer a dedicated rates section in the policy. Rates information can now be found in the appendices section of the policy. The appendices are located in the additional details of the policy. If the link is greyed out in the table of contents, click the show details tab directly above the table of contents. For example, the Traveling on University Business Rates is now listed as Appendix P in the Traveling on University Business Policy. |
The glowing red circle on a policy also indicates that it has been updated within the last 120 days (4 months).