Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. What is a policy?
2. What are procedures?
3. What are University policies?
4. Who develops and approves University policies?
5. Whom do I contact if I have questions about a particular policy or procedure?
6. What is the role of the Office of Policy and Project Management (OPPM)?
7. How can I get a copy of a policy?
8. What is the process for the creation and adoption of new policies, revision or rescission of existing policies ?
9. Where do I send questions or comments about this Web site?
10. What is the Standard University policy format?
11. How do I find a policy on specific topic?
12. How do I know if a policy was recently updated?
13. Are there policies today that may no longer be needed?
14. What should I do if I want to comment on a current policy or procedure?

1.   What is a policy?

A policy is a governing principle that mandates or constrains actions.

Procedures are steps taken to comply with a policy.

University policies are official directives which mandate requirements or constraints and establish boundaries for conduct of members of the UMDNJ community to:

• enhance missions and strategic goals;
• reduce institutional risks and enhance internal controls;
• establish delegation of authority and responsibility;
• promote compliance with federal, state and other applicable laws and regulations; and
• promote operational alignment, consistency and efficiency

• BOT policies are developed by the administration at the direction of the BOT and are approved by the Board.
• Presidential policies are developed at the direction of the President by the Executive Vice President, Senior Vice President or Vice President and are approved by the President’s Cabinet on behalf of the President.
• Functional policies/procedures are developed by designated staff at the direction of and approved by the respective Vice President or Senior Vice President.
• School/Unit policies/procedures are developed by designated faculty/staff at the direction of and approved by the respective Dean or President/CEO.

Questions about a particular policy or procedure should be referred to the Responsible Office identified for that policy or procedure. More general questions about the online version of the document can be referred to OPPM http://www.umdnj.edu/oppmweb/about_oppm/contact.htm.

OPPM supports the Policy Owners and Authors, the President's Cabinet, and Responsible Executives throughout the policy lifecycle: initiation, development, implementation and subsequent policy management. The office is responsible for the dissemination of timely and relevant information regarding new and amended policies to the broader University community, and maintaining the central repository and official web site for all current BOT and Presidential policies. For additional details see: http://www.umdnj.edu/oppmweb/about_oppm/policy_admin_supp.htm

a. PDF document – click on  icon to access and download document in PDF format.

b. WORD document - click on the  icon to prompt the “my.umdnj” portal login – requiring user name & password to access and download document in Word format.

University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey formally approves, issues, and maintains in a consistent format, official university policies. The policy on Policy Life Cycle Management (see link below) outlines the requirements the individuals engaged in developing and maintaining these policies must follow for drafting, approving, revising, and rescinding policies.

Policy:
http://www.umdnj.edu/oppmweb/university_policies/introduction/PDF/00-01-01-05_00.pdf

For step by step instructions for new policy, use: http://www.umdnj.edu/oppmweb/policy_resources/Steps%20for%20new%20policy%20process.doc

For step by step instructions for policy revisions, use: http://www.umdnj.edu/oppmweb/policy_resources/Steps%20for%20policy%20revision%20process.doc

Please send website questions and comments to OPPM_WEB

All University policies will be drafted in the prescribed format using a template (see link below) indicating the various optional and mandatory parts of a policy document. By standardizing the way that policies are presented to the reader, the University hopes to make policies easier to read and understand.

http://www.umdnj.edu/oppmweb/policy_resources/poltemp.doc

You can navigate the OPPM site utilizing two main options: First is to go to "Policy Search" located in the blue strip on the left side of all pages on the OPPM website and use either the Alphabetical Index (clicking on a letter of the Alphabet) or enter a Key Word or Phrase (i.e. "immunization"). The Key Word/Phrase feature allows search of only the OPPM or all UMDNJ sites that are accessible without any Intranet restrictions. The Second option is by browsing the table of “Contents”. You may also want to scan the list under “Frequently Referenced” policies to see if it is one of the more popular policies.

The header of the University policy document includes three dates indicating when the policy was adopted, amended and reviewed. Additionally, the OPPM website has a section devoted to Policy Updates listing policies that have been updated or adopted by date in a chronological sequence and the associated Policy Communications Report (PCR). The PCR contains a brief description of the reasons behind and the nature of changes to the policy.

Yes, that is possible and there may be policies in need of significant updating. The policy on Policy Life Cycle Management requires Policy Owners or the designated “Author” to review policies within their portfolio at a minimum, every two years to determine the need for an appropriate management action to: either “Develop (new)”, “Revise”, “Reassign” or “Rescind”.

The policy on Policy Life Cycle Management encourages regular interaction between the Policy Owners/Authors, members of the Policy Review Group, OPPM and the University community. Comments, questions and suggestions should be addressed to the Responsible Executive with copies to the Responsible Office and OPPM. All feedback will be reviewed and used when considering revisions to the policy and procedures.