Administrative Policy Development, Review and Approval Process

This policy applies to all administrative policies at Earlham College and Earlham School of Religion, including the creation of new policies, the revision of existing policies, and the retirement of policies that are no longer needed or effective. It governs the full lifecycle of administrative policies from initial concept through periodic review.

Administrative policies at Earlham are developed and maintained in accordance with several core principles. Each policy must be formally approved by the appropriate authority, presented in a consistent and recognizable format, and maintained in a centralized location that is accessible to the Earlham community.

All policies must be reviewed and updated as needed to ensure they remain aligned with institutional priorities, legal requirements, and operational practices.

The Earlham Board of Trustees bears final and ultimate responsibility for the operations, activities, and property of the College. Through its bylaws, the Board delegates to certain officers, including the President, the authority to act on matters within the scope of the Board’s policymaking and fiduciary responsibilities.

In most instances, the President is responsible for reviewing and approving administrative policies. Certain elements of the policy development and review process may be administered by members of the campus community at the direction of the President. In some cases, additional approval by the Board of Trustees is required.

Earlham is committed to consultation and shared governance and therefore incorporates input from relevant stakeholders in the development and review of policies. Earlham’s Chart of Responsibilities identifies the committees, units, and positions with general responsibility for policy oversight and implementation.

Departmental or office policies must not conflict with approved academic or administrative policies. In the event of a conflict, the academic or administrative policy supersedes.

Academic or curricular policies are reviewed, revised, and advanced through the Curricular Policy Committee.

3.1.    Academic Policies: Policies on curricular matters and academic programs

3.2.    Administrative Policies: Policies on non-academic operational matters

3.3.    Approving Authority: Individual or governing body with formal authority to approve policies. For most administrative policies, this authority rests with the President and, where applicable, the Board of Trustees.

3.4.    Consultation: The process of seeking input from individuals or groups who are affected by or have expertise related to a policy. Consultation is intended to inform decision-making but does not transfer approval authority.

3.5.    Guidelines: General recommendations or best practices, acting as advisory information that is not mandatory to follow.

3.6.    Policy: A formally adopted statement or directive issued by a governing body or designated approval authority that establishes expectations, requirements, or standards of conduct.

3.7.    Policy owner: The individual or office responsible for developing, maintaining, reviewing, and ensuring compliance with a specific policy.

3.8.    Policy Repository: The official, centralized location where all approved College policies are published and maintained (i.e., https://earlham.edu/policy/).

3.9.    Policy Review Cycle: The regular or event-driven process by which policies are evaluated to ensure they remain current, effective, and aligned with legal and institutional requirements.

3.10.    Procedures: Formal instructions on how to implement policy or carry out processes. Sometimes codified in policy.

3.11.    Responsible Office: The administrative unit responsible for implementation of the policy

3.12.    Reviewing Body: Any committee, administrative unit, or governance group that provides input or feedback during the policy development or revision process.

4.1.    Administrative policies are developed and maintained through a structured process that ensures consistency, consultation, and accountability. The process begins when a need for a new policy or a revision to an existing policy is identified. Such needs may arise from changes in law or regulation, shifts in institutional priorities, operational challenges, or identified risks or gaps in existing policies.

4.2.   Once a need has been identified, a Policy Owner should be contacted or named. The Policy Owner is responsible for preparing a draft policy or revision using the Earlham’s standard format and ensuring that the draft is clear, consistent with existing policies, and aligned with institutional objectives.

4.3.   If a community member is unclear as to a Policy Owner, they are encouraged to contact the Office of the President for direction.

4.4.   The Policy Owner or the individual seeking to amend an existing policy must engage in a period of stakeholder consultation. This consultation includes engagement with relevant offices, committees, or individuals who are affected by or have expertise related to the policy. Feedback from this consultation is documented and incorporated into the draft as appropriate. In some instances, consultation with community members outside of an existing committee may be necessary to gauge community response to a recommended change in policy or procedure.

4.5.   Policies having impact on the entire workforce generally require extended periods of documented consultation, including but not limited to:

• • • Consultation with Staff Meeting, Faculty Meetings in the Undergraduate College and the Earlham School of Religion, and, where appropriate, Earlham Student Government, or
    • Several listening sessions open to members of the Earlham community, or
    • A 30-day feedback and comment period, with feedback collected through anonymous survey instruments

4.6.   Following consultation, the policy is submitted for review by appropriate leadership or governance bodies. The nature of this review will depend on the scope and significance of the policy.

• • • Policies requiring approval of the President are generally reviewed in College Council, which makes a recommendation to the President.
    • Policies requiring approval by the college’s governing body shall be reviewed by the Trustee Committee on Audit, Risk Management, and Compliance, which, in turn, recommends approval by the Board of Trustees. Approval or revisions will be communicated back to the College community promptly at the conclusion of the regular board meeting.

4.7.   Once approved, the policy is published in the College’s central policy repository. The Policy Owner, in coordination with relevant offices, ensures that the policy is communicated to affected members of the community and that implementation occurs in a timely and effective manner.

Under extraordinary circumstances, a situation may arise in which an institution-wide administrative policy must be established and the time required to take action does not accommodate the methodology outlined above. In those rare instances, as the chief executive officer and the administrative leader of the institution, the President, in consultation with the College Council, may establish an interim policy.

Such instances include:

• • • A policy is required by law or has legal or financial implications for compliance
    • A policy is necessary to ensure the immediate safety of students, employees, or visitors

The rationale for the interim policy and the policy’s anticipated duration should be clear. If the policy is needed beyond this duration, the President works with the College Council to 1) Adopt it as a formal policy via the process outlined above, 2) Continue with the interim policy with a revised duration or 3) Rescind the policy.

The campus community will be informed of the adoption and posting location of the policy for reference.

A policy may be withdrawn by the Approval Body designated to that specific policy. Such withdrawal must be approved by the appropriate governing body.

All administrative policies must be written in clear, concise, and accessible language and must follow a consistent structure. Policies must be internally consistent and aligned with other College policies to avoid duplication or conflict. Additionally, each policy should include the following:

7.1.    Heading: to include

• • • Responsible Office
    • Consulting Committee, if any
    • Approval Authority
    • Approval Date
    • Effective Date
    • Related Policies

7.2.    Scope: Identification of parties governed by the policy

7.3.    Introduction or Guiding Principles(Optional): Where a policy’s purpose may not be clear, it may be appropriate to include an introduction that outlines the policy’s purpose and any other information needed to contextualize and the policy for the Earlham community. If applicable, this may include the authoritative basis for the policy (e.g., legislation, state law).

7.4.    Definitions: A list of all key terms included in a policy as well as the meanings for all of those key terms

7.5.    Policy Statements: The policy itself. This should be divided into ordered, numbered sections for ease of reference. The policy includes statements of rules or standards. Policies do not change frequently. Policies may include procedures. Supplemental information should be included in a resources section or appendices.

June 11, 2026 – Clerical amendments made with approval of President Paul Sniegowski. Amendments include:

• • Title revised from “Administrative Policy Review and Approval” to “Administrative Policy Development, Review, and Approval Process” for clarity
  • Alignment of definitions and procedures with the Chart of Responsibilities adopted by the Board of Trustees on October 10, 2025
  • Clarifying language to emphasize the necessity of consultation in the development process.

October 31, 2023 – Clerical amendments to note 1) the EC Faculty Government Manual, compiled by a group of former clerks, is not itself College policy, and 2) Academic policy are reviewed, revised, and advanced through the Curricular Policy Committee.

May 12, 2022 – Approved by President Anne Houtman