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Establish an Interim Policy

Circumstances sometimes require that the university create a new policy or make substantial revisions to an existing policy without sufficient time to complete the standard university policy review process. In these circumstances, the interim policy process can be requested. Approved interim policies are issued in 6-month increments.

 

What qualifies as an interim policy?

An interim policy is put in place when a new policy, or substantial revisions to an existing policy, must be published in a timeframe that does not allow for the standard university policy review process, such as due to imminent regulatory or legal obligations.

An interim policy is in effect for 6 months. The responsible office or responsible executive must initiate the standard university policy review process for substantial revisions before the interim policy expires, or if necessary, request a 6-month extension. 

Timeline and process overview

Step

Responsible Party Task Typical Turnaround Times
(2-3 months total)
1 Unit Provide high-level description of need for interim policy to University Policy Office 1 day
2 University Policy Office Review high-level description, set up consultation, and provide Impact Statement template plus policy template (for new policy) OR editable copy of existing policy 5 days
3 Unit Prepare Impact Statement, draft of new policy OR existing policy with proposed revisions, and standard slide deck (provided by University Policy Office) and submit to University Policy Office 2-4 weeks
4 University Policy Office Coordinate EPRG review of Impact Statement and proposed interim policy 2-4 weeks
5 Unit Revise interim policy per EPRG recommendations and submit to University Policy Office 2-4 weeks
6 University Policy Office Coordinate EPRG review and approval of revised interim policy 1-2 weeks
7 University Policy Office Prepare interim policy for publishing and publish 1 week
8 Unit Implement communication and training plan (not included in timeline)
9 Unit Complete the standard policy review process for substantial revisions; must be initiated within 6 months of when interim policy was published 4-6 months (not included in timeline)

Detailed steps

  1. Engage leadership
    A responsible office, responsible executive, or individual determines that a new policy needs to be created, or that substantial revisions need to be made to an existing policy, in a timeframe that does not allow for the standard university policy review process to be followed. The relevant member(s) of university leadership (including vice presidents, deans, or unit heads) and other stakeholders are engaged to agree on the general nature and scope of the new policy or the revisions to the existing policy.

    • A policy owner (one individual designated by the responsible office) is named to coordinate the process, which typically involves getting input from multiple units and stakeholders. The policy owner also serves as the primary point of contact for the University Policy Office.
  2. Consult with the University Policy Office (UPO)
    The policy owner contacts the University Policy Office (UPO) about the intent to follow the interim process to create a new policy or to substantially revise an existing policy. The UPO consults with the policy owner regarding the need, and then discusses the policy revision process, reviews the timeline, and develops an action plan with the policy owner.  
    • The UPO provides the Impact Statement template, the university policy template (for a new policy) or an editable copy of the existing policy, and the standard slide deck template to be completed by the policy owner and presented to the Executive Policy Review Group.
  3. Draft the Impact Statement and interim policy
    The policy owner develops the Impact Statement and a draft of the new interim policy or the proposed interim revisions to the existing policy, with participation and review from the stakeholders, including the responsible office(s), responsible executive(s), and the Office of General Counsel. 
  4. Present the Impact Statement and proposed interim policy to the Executive Policy Review Group 
    The UPO arranges with the policy owner to present the Impact Statement and the draft of the new interim policy or the proposed interim revisions to the existing policy to the Executive Policy Review Group (EPRG) for discussion and approval. EPRG reviews and either approves the interim policy or provides recommendations for improvement and clarification. 
    • If recommendations are provided without approval to publish, the policy owner, in collaboration with appropriate stakeholders, revises and resubmits to the UPO to provide to EPRG for approval.
  5. Send the approved interim policy to the UPO
    The policy owner provides the approved interim new policy, or the existing policy with the approved interim revisions, to the UPO. The policy owner also specifies the date (and time, if necessary) to publish the interim policy.
    • Typically, the policy owner does not review the interim policy again prior to publication. If the policy owner wants to review again, that request is made as part of this step.
    • The UPO responds to the policy owner confirming the requested date and noting how the UPO will announce the interim policy. 
  6. The UPO prepares the interim policy for publishing and publishes
    • Additional editing may be conducted by the UPO to comply with university formatting and editorial style conventions.    
    • The UPO notifies the policy owner and responsible executive when the interim policy is published.
  7. Initiate communication and training plans
    • The UPO announces the interim policy through standard university communication channels, unless the responsible office specifies that they will take this action.
    • The responsible office is accountable for determining the need for additional communication and training to constituents covered by the interim policy, and carrying out those activities.
  8. Finalize the policy
    The responsible office or responsible executive must initiate the standard university policy review process for substantial revisions within 6 months of when the interim policy was published. If necessary, a 6-month extension can be requested by contacting the UPO, who will then engage the Executive Policy Review Group (EPRG) to approve or deny the request.