Policy Resources
Downloadable Policy and Procedure Writing Tools
All university policies undergo a robust development, revision and feedback process. The Policy Creation and Revision Process Map outlines the step-by-step approach used by the Office of Compliance, Ethics and Policy.
The CU Boulder Policy Impact Statement sets the foundation for policy development by detailing the background, purpose and potential impacts of a policy. This is a required companion document that follows a policy throughout the development lifecycle from proposal to publication.
All new and revised university policies must be developed using the CU Boulder Policy Template.
All new and revised university procedures must be developed using the CU Boulder Procedure Template.
Policy Timeline
All university policies undergo a robust development, revision and feedback process. The Policy Creation and Revision Process Map outlines the step-by-step approach used by the Office of Compliance, Ethics and Policy. The policy writing and revising process generally takes 16-24 weeks unless an accelerated timeline is required.
Policy Creation and Revision Process Map
- Kick-off meeting with the Office of Compliance, Ethics and Policy (OCEP) to determine purpose, scope and implementation of new policy or policy review.
- Assign project roles including, but not limited to, policy owner, policy owner designee (if applicable), policy drafters, constituents, and legal counsel.
- Establish workflow and timeline.
- Policy owner or designee and policy drafter(s) complete Impact statement.
- Impact statement review by OCEP.
- Impact Statement emailed to chancellor’s cabinet for feedback with optional discussion.
- Policy owner or designee and policy drafter(s) create first policy draft.
- OCEP socializes policy draft with campus leadership as needed.
- Legal consultation begins depending on business need.
- Policy owner or designee emails policy draft to constituents for feedback.
- Second policy draft incorporating constituent feedback.
- OCEP provides feedback on second policy draft.
- OCEP emails second policy draft to University Counsel for legal review.
- Third policy draft incorporating legal feedback.
- OCEP & policy owner or designee meet to discuss communication and implementation plan.
- OCEP emails third policy draft to the University Executive Leadership Team (UELT) and Shared Governance.
- Fourth policy draft incorporating leadership feedback.
- OCEP & policy owner or designee meet to finalize policy for submission to executive leadership.
- OCEP & policy owner or designee make final edits to policy as needed.
- OCEP submits final policy to the chancellor, senior vice chancellor for operations and provost and executive vice chancellor for academic affairs for review and approval.
- If additional edits are needed before approval, OCEP & the policy owner or designee will collaborate to make changes and resubmit for approval.
- New policy becomes effective on the first day of the following month.
- Policy published on website.
- Campus & unit communications.
- Policy enters 5-year review cycle.
- Monitor compliance efforts for the policy.