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Policy on Policies

Responsible Executives: President, Provost, and Vice President for Administration

Responsible Office: Executive Administration and Advancement Unit

Effective: 11/21/2023

Last Reviewed: 11/21/2023

Revised: Not Applicable

POLICY STATEMENT

HJ International Graduate School for Peace and Public Leadership (“HJI” or the “Institution”) is committed to creating effective Policies that advance the Institution’s mission, values, and goals and assure compliance with regulatory requirements. The purpose of this document is to address the development and administration of Institutional Policies.

HJI maintains, in a standard format, official Institutional Policies in a central repository to facilitate accessibility and mitigate risk.

SCOPE

The Policy on Policies applies to the process of developing, approving, implementing, monitoring, revising, and retiring Institutional Policies. Compliance is required by all members of the HJI community including individual units, faculty, staff, and students. Unit-Level Policies or Procedures may further limit, but must not conflict with, any Institutional Policy.

DEFINITIONS

Institutional Policies Repository: The Institutional Policies Repository is an online central repository of officially approved Institutional Policies. Policies contained here represent the latest versions and supersede those published elsewhere.

Institutional Policy: An Institutional Policy is an officially approved directive that states the Institution’s position on a specific issue and the ways in which it is implemented, monitored, and reviewed. An Institutional Policy:

  • Supports the Institution’s mission, values, and goals
  • Upholds standards of ethics and integrity
  • Is broadly applied across the Institution
  • Sets expectations for conduct by necessitating restrictions or actions by HJI community members
  • Requires written approval from the President’s Office prior to its implementation
  • Helps limit institutional risk, supports operational efficiency and/or assures compliance with relevant policies,regulations, and laws

Institutional Policies do not include Academic Rules, Regulations and Procedures; the Faculty Handbook; and the Board of Trustees’ Bylaws.

Policy Coordinating Committee: The Policy Coordinating Committee supports HJI in policy activities, particularly in the periodic review of Institutional Policies. The President appoints Committee members, who serve three-year terms and convene at least once a year. Committee members may be reappointed to additional terms.

Responsible Executive: The Responsible Executive is a senior executive(s) or administrator(s) responsible for sponsoring and overseeing the development of an Institutional Policy within their area of jurisdiction. This may be the President, Provost, Vice President, Dean, Registrar, or a Director.

Responsible Office: The Responsible Office is the office(s) or unit(s) responsible for developing, implementing, monitoring, reviewing, and revising or retiring an Institutional Policy. In all cases, decisions on Institutional Policies must be approved by the President prior to their implementation and their retirement.

Stakeholder: A Stakeholder is any individual, group, or entity that is involved in or impacted by an Institutional Policy.

Unit-Level Policy: A Unit-Level Policy offers direction for internal operations and primarily applies to a single office, unit, or program. Unit-Level Policies are encouraged but not required to undergo the same formal development and administration process as Institutional Policies. The Vice President for Administration should be contacted for any questions surrounding whether a given policy is an Institutional Policy or Unit-Level Policy.

POLICY

  1. Policy Development or Revision

Any HJI office, unit, or individual may identify the need for and propose a new or revised Institutional Policy, which must be sponsored by a Responsible Executive. The Institutional Policy Proposal Form should be used for proposing a new Policy. The Responsible Executive communicates the intent for a new or revised Policy with the President and Policy Coordinating Committee, designates a Responsible Office(s), and helps identify Stakeholders. At a minimum, the Provost and Vice President for Administration must also be informed. Throughout the drafting or revision process, the designated Policy drafter(s) conducts research and gathers input from other units and Stakeholders if or as needed.

Reasons for drafting new or revised Policies may include, but are not limited to: changes in federal or state laws or regulations, changes in the Institution’s mission statement or strategic plan, or significant developments in Institutional operations. Revisions with minor changes do not need to undergo the formal review and approval process. Minor changes are those made to links, formatting, contact information, titles, grammar, or other areas of a non-substantive nature.

  • Policy Format

New Policies should follow the standard format outlined in the Institutional Policy Template. Existing Policies and revisions to existing Policies are encouraged but not required to follow the standard format.

  • Policy Draft Review and Approval

The Responsible Executive and Policy Coordinating Committee must review draft Policies to ensure adherence to the definition of an Institutional Policy provided above. Policies are also reviewed for formatting, structure, clarity, potential impact on other Policies, and impact on Institutional operations, Stakeholders, and other relevant HJI community members. The Policy Coordinating Committee has two weeks to provide feedback on the draft Policy before the Responsible Executive may submit a final draft to the President. The President is responsible for approving the final draft Policy.After a new or revised Policy is approved, the Responsible Executive ensures completion of the Institutional Policy Expectations Worksheet.

  • Policy Dissemination, Training, Implementation, and Compliance

The Responsible Executive and Responsible Office ensure an approved Policy is posted to the Institutional Policies Repository and must determine and oversee any communication, training, or attestation necessary for compliance. The Responsible Executive and Responsible Office are tasked with successfully implementing a Policy, monitoring compliance, and handling any stipulated measures for noncompliance. Institutional Policies must comply with all applicable state and federal laws; if a discrepancy is found between a Policy and a relevant state or federal law, the relevant law takes precedence.

  • Periodic Policy Review

For the first three years of this Policy’s implementation, the Responsible Executive is responsible for reviewing the Institutional Policies under their purview every year to ensure they are current, relevant, and effective. The Institutional Policy Evaluation Templateshould be used in this process.After the initial three-year period, the Responsible Executive is responsible for reviewing the Institutional Policies under their purview every three years at a minimum. Reviews may also be prompted at any time considered necessary for reasons including, but not limited to: change in laws or regulations, significant Institutional change, policy violation, or audit. The Policy Coordinating Committee may be consulted for advice on any issues that arise. The Policy Coordinating Committee also meets at least once each year to be updated on the status of all Institutional Policies.

  • Policy Retirement

Institutional Policies that are redundant, inapplicable, or no longer useful may be retired. Any HJI office, unit, or individual may propose review for retirement of a Policy, which should consider the potential impact of the Policy withdrawal before a decision is made. The Policy Coordinating Committee recommends final approval of the retirement to the President. Upon the President’s approval, the Policy Coordinating Committee ensures that the retired Policy is removed from the Institutional Policies Repository.

  • Interim Policies

An interim Institutional Policy may be established when a situation necessitating a prompt response arises and there is not sufficient time for policy development through the formal process. In such cases, the President’s Office must approve an interim Policy and determine the length of time it remains in force, typically no longer than one year. For an interim Policy to become a permanent Institutional Policy, it must undergo the formal development and approval process.

  • Institutional Policies Repository

The Institutional Policies Repository houses all Institutional Policies and other policies officially in effect and should be accessed for the latest approved version of a Policy. If a discrepancy is found between a Policy in the Institutional Policies Repository and a version from another source, the Institutional Policies Repository copy takes precedence.

RELATED INFORMATION

  • Institutional Policy Template
  • Institutional Policy Proposal Form
  • Institutional Policy Expectations Worksheet
  • Institutional Policy Evaluation Template
  • Step-by-Step Guide to Institutional Policy Evaluation and Reporting