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 by identifying a need for a new university policy or policy revision. In alignment with Policy 101, to ensure policies remain current, all policies should undergo a periodic review at least once every five years. 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 is also helpful to consult with the Office of the General Counsel and OECE at this stage in the process. OECE is also able to suggest appropriate stakeholders with whom you should consult before submitting a policy to the formal review process. Draft policies should follow this template, based on Rice Policy 101.

Once feedback is incorporated, you should submit the proposed policy to the OECE at rice.compliance@rice.edu. The OECE will then shepherd the approval process, which includes review by 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 about the process at rice.compliance@rice.edu.