Identify the need for a new/revised policy, and seek an exemption from the Standard Policy Development Process
Step 1: The Sponsoring Office identifies the need for a new policy, or for substantial revisions to an existing policy.
Step 2: The Sponsoring Office initiates the Policy Development Process by completing the Policy Development Process Initiation Form. The Policy Office will acknowledge receipt of this form via email. Please Note: Once your office has submitted this form, you may proceed with the Policy Development Process, as described in Steps 4-12, below, pending further response from the VCA. Upon submission of this form, you will receive instructions for the next steps in the Policy Development Process in the acknowledgement email.
Step 3: The Policy Office and the VCA review the request. Based on the review, the VCA may take no action, in which case the Policy Development Process continues without interruption, as noted in Step 2., above. Alternatively, the VCA may request that the Sponsoring Office terminate or suspend the Policy Development Process, or may require further action or information from the Sponsoring Office prior to resumption of the Policy Development Process.
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Seek feedback as necessary, obtain approval for adoption and publicize the new policy
Step 4: The Sponsoring Office drafts the policy using the Policy Template.
Step 5: The Sponsoring Office consults with offices of UT System Administration and/or with UT System institutions regarding the draft policy on an as-needed basis.
- If the policy applies to The UT System Administration, internally:
- The Sponsoring Office consults with any other System Administration Offices that may be involved in implementation or enforcement of the policy. The purpose of the consultations will be to identify any concerns related to implementation or enforcement of the policy.
- If the policy applies to the entire UT System, including all of the institutions, and UT System Administration:
- The Sponsoring Office consults with any other System Administration Offices that may be involved in implementation or enforcement of the policy. The purpose of the consultations will be to identify any concerns related to implementation or enforcement of the policy.
- The Sponsoring Office consults with the institutions, and through the institutions confers with representatives of key institutional communities, including students, faculty and staff, upon which the policy will have a significant impact, as described in INT155. The purpose of the consultations will be to identify any concerns related to the impact or the application of the policy.
Step 6: Based on the consultations describe in Step 5 above, the Sponsoring Office makes any appropriate revisions to the draft policy.
Step 7: The Responsible Officer of the Sponsoring Office reviews and approves the draft policy. If the Responsible Office is a designee of the Executive Officer who provides oversight to the Sponsoring Office, the Responsible Officer must review the draft policy with that Executive Officer, and must obtain the approval of the Executive Officer to proceed.
Step 8: The Office of General Counsel (OGC) reviews and approves the policy draft for legal sufficiency. OGC certifies its approval in writing.
Step 9: The Sponsoring Office submits the final policy draft to the VCA for approval for adoption. Please specify a new Next Scheduled Review date on the cover sheet of the Policy. In addition to the final policy draft, the Sponsoring Office submits to the VCA the Request for Policy Approval Form and OGC written approval of the final policy draft for legal sufficiency.
The VCA approves or disapproves the final policy draft for adoption, or refers the policy to the Sponsoring Office for further action.
Step 10: If the VCA approves the final policy draft for adoption, the Sponsoring Office briefs the EOG regarding the new policy. The Sponsoring Office is not required to brief the EOG if it has presented the final policy draft to a standing oversight committee of System Administration, or to a standing committee of the Board of Regents, and obtained formal approval for adoption of the policy. Such an approval must be obtained prior to submission of the policy to the VCA, as described in Step 9. Such an approval does not exempt the Sponsoring Office from the Policy Development Process, or from any other individual step in the Policy Development Process, other than the briefing of the EOG.
Step 11: The Sponsoring Office certifies that the policy has been reviewed in accordance with INT155 by completing the Policy Development Process Checklist. Once the checklist is completed, submit the final policy, the OGC Memorandum of Approval, the Request for Policy Approval Form, and the Checklist to the Policy Office. Please retain a copy of each of these for your office records.
Step 12: The Sponsoring Office announces and implements the policy with assistance from the Policy Office.
The Sponsoring Office:
- Announces the new/revised policy
- Conducts any necessary implementation training
- Maintains and enforces the policy
- Conducts regularly scheduled reviews of the policy as required by INT155
- Maintains the working files used in the development of the policy according to the UT System Administration Records Retention Schedule
The Policy Office:
- Assists the Sponsoring Office in announcing the new/revised policy
- Catalogs and indexes the policy
- Posts the policy to the Policy Library and the Policy Archive
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Tools and Resources:
Policy Development Process Toolkit
Policy Development Process Flowchart (PDF)
INT155, Formulation and Adoption of Policies by UT System Administration
Roles and Responsibilities Page
Policy Glossary
