Policies and Procedures

Policies and Procedures

University governance relies on clear policies and procedures. Policies establish the university's expectations, principles, and requirements, while procedures explain how those requirements are implemented. Together, they support consistent decision-making and effective administration across the university.

What are Policies?

• High-level statements that establish the university's requirements, principles, and expectations.
• Define what must be done and why.
• Approved through established governance and approval processes. 
• Apply broadly across the institution. 
• Generally remain stable over time. 

What are Procedures?

• Explain how policy requirements are implemented, including who is responsible and when actions occur.
• May be included within a policy’s Procedures section or maintained in a separate standard operating procedure (SOP), guidance document, or other operational resource. 
• May be updated more frequently to reflect operational changes.

Determining Where Procedures Are Maintained

Responsible offices should determine whether procedures are best maintained within a policy or in a separate operational resource based on their complexity, likelihood of change, and the needs of policy users.

Procedures Maintained Within a Policy

Maintaining procedures within a policy may be appropriate when they: 

• Are brief and straightforward. 
• Are necessary to understand or comply with policy requirements. 
• Are unlikely to change independently of the policy. 
• Improve usability by keeping requirements and implementation guidance together. 

Procedures Maintained Separately

Maintaining procedures in a separate SOP, guidance document, appendix, or online resource may be appropriate when they:

• Contain detailed operational steps, workflows, or technical instructions. 
• Are expected to change more frequently than the policy. 
• Vary by office, department, campus, or business process. 
• Would make the policy unnecessarily lengthy or difficult to navigate. 

Common approaches include: 

• Linking to procedures from the policy. 
• Maintaining a separate SOP or procedural document. 
• Moving detailed workflows, forms, checklists, and operational guidance to resources maintained by the responsible office. 

Best Practices

• Clearly distinguish policy requirements from implementation guidance. 
• Use consistent terminology and definitions. 
• Keep policies and procedures current, accessible, and aligned. 
• Identify the responsible office for maintaining each. 
• Periodically review policies and procedures to ensure continued effectiveness.