The Policies and Procedures assessments are designed to help new and established schools develop new policies and procedures as well as evaluate and improve existing policies and procedures. To make it easy to find the activities that are appropriate for your school, they have been divided into the three sections outlined below. To view the templates for each section, click on any of the Titles: Beginners (New Schools), Intermediate or Advanced
If your school is new, it will be very beneficial for you to begin with the Getting Started with Developing Institutional Policies and Procedures Worksheet. This worksheet will help ensure your school meets the basic regulation requirements in the following policy areas:
Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)
Admissions
Refunds
Returns to Title IV and HEA Programs
Each of these four sections provides a working Topic Template to assist you with the development of your policy and procedure design. Although not required, they can be useful guides.
Once your school has satisfied the basic requirements, you will be ready to move on to the assessments provided in the Intermediate section of the Policies and Procedures Chart.
Use the activities and resources in the Intermediate section of the Policies and Procedures Chart if:
- your school is new and has satisfied the basic requirements;
- your staff is unsure about the existing policies and procedures; or
- your school wants to enhance existing policies and procedures.
The activities featured in the Intermediate section are designed to help your school meet the minimum general requirements. This section also provides working Topic Templates and programs related requirement activities to assist you with the development of your policy and procedure design. Although not required, they can be useful guides.
The Policies and Procedures Chart is structured as follows:
- Topic Template: Click on a topic and it will link to the template for that policy and procedure. Use the template to either help create a new policy and/or procedure or to test current policies and procedures by completing a related assessment.
- Program Related Requirement: Click on the text and it will link to an activity that lists the elements required for a written process for that topic.
- Related Assessment Activities: If an assessment is identified in this column, we encourage you to complete the associated activities to help evaluate your policies and procedures.
Once your school has satisfied the minimum general requirements, you will be ready to move on to the activities provided in the Advanced section of the Policies and Procedures Chart.
Use the activities and resources in the Advanced section of the Policies and Procedures Chart if:
- your school has satisfied the minimum general requirements; and
- your school wants to go above and beyond its existing policies and procedures and institute good practices; or
- your school wants to test existing policies and procedures by completing the appropriate activity.
Policies and Procedures Activities At-A-Glance is an additional chart that makes it easy to review the areas identified in the linked activities. It identifies areas outlined in the law and regulations that require a written policy and procedure and also provides links to the regulations for you to review.
Knowing the regulations will assist you in being good stewards in the development and implementation of your policies and procedures. It will also assist you in your audit and program review experiences.
