Policy Development

How to suggest a policy

All members of the community have the ability to bring forward a new or revised policy via the Policy Proposal Form and work with the Policy Coordinator to develop the proposal to bring it forward to the Policy Committee for consideration. The rest of the process is outlined in the Policy on Administrative Policies.

Policy Review & Approval

As set out in the Policy on Administrative Policies, reviewed and approved by the Policy Advisory Group (PAG) and Policy Committee in November 2024, the review and approval process advances from the Policy Committee up to the Cabinet prior to publication.

Contact the Policy Committee

Please contact us with any questions about this website or any aspect of RISD’s policy development process.

David Rosati
SVP, Finance & Administration
finance@risd.edu

Rebecca Henríquez Lazouras
Policy Coordinator
policy@risd.edu

Renee Byas
General Counsel
rbyas@risd.edu


Policy FAQs

What is a policy? procedure? guideline? standard?

Standards are mandatory rules that give formal policies support and wide consensus. Standards provide clear instructions and information as to what is expected. Standards can be as simple as using an official seal on documents or mandating what computer hardware and/or software is supported by the college or required for a major.

Guidelines are recommendations when no specific standards apply. Guidelines are usually formulated according to best practices, are more general vs specific rules and regulations, are necessarily to handle unforeseen circumstances, but should not be confused with formal policy statements.

Procedures are the step-by-step instructions to achieve a goal or mandate – the “HOW” to fulfill the requirements of the policies. They are usually internal and can be developed as practice evolves. Procedures should be documented. Procedures can be a comprehensive handbook or a ‘cheat sheet’ to guide users. Procedures are often included in the policy document; other procedures are stand-alone documents.

Policies form the basis for governance. They are formal statements created with the approval and support of senior administration. They can apply to the entire institution or just to a specific area or issue. Policies empower staff with a degree of freedom within defined boundaries.

What does every policy have in common?

Every policy should have four common criteria:

  1. The policy has broad application across the institution.
  2. The policy requires senior-level approval.
  3. The goal of the policy is to ensure compliance with law or regulations, increase efficiency by eliminating uncertainty, or to protect the institution from audit, litigation or scandal – in some cases, all three!
  4. The policy contains constraints or procedures for compliance.


Why is policy necessary?

A mission statement provides a broad overview of an institution’s function, philosophies and goals.
Policy is created to provide clear expectations and guidance to employees on a daily basis to follow those philosophies and reach our goals. If every decision made in the institution must align with the mission statement, then every policy should as well.


For questions about the submission, review and approval process, please reference the Policy on Administrative Policies.