Is your department or office interested in issuing or revising a university policy but not sure where to begin? The Office of Ethics, Compliance and Enterprise Risk is able to help. OECE provides guidance to facilitate updating and issuing policies as the policy administrator for the University. The functions of Rice University’s Policy Management Program are to:

• Promote and shepherd the adoption and maintenance of necessary policies to fulfill the University's mission and meet our compliance and ethical obligations
• Provide an accurate, up-to-date, and useful resource to the campus community
• Maintain consistency, transparency, and inclusion in the policy creation and revision
  process

The policy review process begins with the identification of a need for a new university policy or policy revision. After researching and analyzing options for the form and content of the policy, the OECE recommends providing an outline of the new or revised policy to internal Rice stakeholders before submitting the policy for the formal review process. For many policies, it will also be helpful to consult with the Office of the General Counsel and OECE at this stage in the process as well. OECE is also able to provide guidance on appropriate stakeholders for consultation before a policy is submitted for the formal review process. Draft policies should follow this template, based on Rice Policy 101.

Once feedback is incorporated, the proposed policy should be submitted to the OECE at rice.compliance@rice.edu who will then work to shepherd the approval process that includes the General Counsel and President.

For more information on the approval process, please refer to the flowchart in the following link. Please also feel free to reach out to the OECE for any questions you may have about the process at rice.compliance@rice.edu.

Paige Russell is the Compliance Specialist in the Office of Ethics, Compliance and Enterprise Risk.