The steps outlined in this Policy Review and Approval Process document are applicable to all policies that fall within the scope of the Policy on Policy Development, Review, and Management (“Policy on Policies”). This process applies to proposals for new policies and revisions of current policies as described below.
I. Proposals for New Policies or Revisions of Current Policies
A. New Policies – Any member of the Mitchell Hamline administration, faculty, or staff may submit a proposal for a new policy by completing the Proposal for New Policy or Revision of Current Policy (“Proposal”). This proposal includes a brief policy statement, the rationale for the policy, who will be impacted by the policy, and any current policies that are directly related to the policy.
B. Revisions to Current Policies – Any member of the Mitchell Hamline administration, faculty, or staff may submit a proposal for a revision to a current policy by completing the Proposal for New Policy or Revision of Current Policy (“Proposal”). Revisions involving ministerial changes do not require a proposal and may be made by the Policy Holder with the approval of the appropriate member of the Executive Leadership Team.
C. The Proposal should be submitted to the Vice President of Institutional Management who will confirm that all information is complete, make an initial determination whether the proposal falls within the scope of the Policy on Policies, and if both are true, forward it to the Policy Review Committee (“Review Committee”).
D. The President and Dean will appoint members of the Review Committee for the purpose of reviewing the Proposal. This committee will include (1) staff, faculty, and DEI representatives who have subject matter expertise and (2) the individual who will be responsible for implementing and managing the new or revised policy (“Policy Holder”).
E. The Review Committee will convene to review the Proposal to confirm it is within the scope of the Policy on Policies and has the endorsement of the Policy Holder. If it does not meet this threshold, the Review Committee will notify the person who submitted the proposal.
F. Proposals that meet the threshold will move forward to the drafting stage. Generally, the Policy Holder is responsible for preparing all drafts using the Standard Policy Template.
G. The Review Committee reviews the initial draft and assesses whether the proposed new or revised policy:
- addresses an existing problem, issue, or need that is most effectively addressed through a policy (in contrast to a procedure, process, or guideline);
- aligns with and promotes Mitchell Hamline’s mission, values, and commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion;
- raises legal or financial issues that warrants additional review; and
- is consistent with current policies and procedures.
H. If the policy proposal requires review by outside legal counsel, the Policy Holder shall notify the Vice President of Institutional Management. If the policy raises financial issues, the Vice President for Finance and Administration will be notified.
I. After completing this review, the Review Committee will determine if the policy is appropriate to move forward through the approval process. If so, the Review Committee prepares a new draft, incorporating feedback from outside legal counsel or the VP for Finance and Administration as appropriate.
J. The new draft will be made available to staff, faculty, and administration for a 15-day Notice and Comment period. Links to the proposed policy and comments form will be emailed to faculty and staff.
K. After the Notice and Comment period concludes, the Review Committee will review the feedback, make revisions as appropriate, and prepare a final version of the proposed new policy or revised policy.
L. The final version will be sent to the President and Dean or authorized member of the Executive Leadership Team for approval. In limited circumstances, a policy may require approval from the Board of Trustees.
M. The approved policy will be published in the online Policy Repository within 7 business days of the date of approval.
II. Regular Review of Current Policies
All policies must be reviewed annually by the Policy Holder to determine whether (a) each policy should be retained or retired; (b) updates or other changes are needed; or (c) there are gaps, omissions, or defects that demonstrate a need for a new or revised policy. The results of this ongoing process should be communicated to the appropriate member of the Executive Leadership Team annually.
III. Retiring a Policy
When it is determined that a policy is no longer needed, the Policy Holder may request that it be retired by submitting a notice of intent to retire the policy to the member of the Executive Leadership Team (ELT) with responsibility for their office/department. This ELT member reviews the request and if they agree with the request, moves this to the ELT for feedback. A policy may be retired only with the
approval of the President and Dean. If approved, the policy will no longer be in effect and will be removed from the Policy Repository’s current policies and archived.