IT Policies Approval Process

October 19, 2006, revised September 2010

If substantive changes are made to policies undergoing this approval process, the policies will be returned to Information Resource Management Council (IRMC) via the Chief Information Officer (CIO). This ensures that all reviewing groups will be aware of, and able to comment on, any changes made during the approval process.

  1. Draft policy is submitted to the IRMC by the CIO.

    Draft policy may be submitted to the CIO by ITS units, administrative units, the Faculty Senate, or by a subcommittee of IRMC. IRMC members are tasked with soliciting comments and recommendations from the organization or unit that they represent (i.e., legal counsel, Faculty Senate, departments, or committees) in order to ensure the greatest amount of input and communication possible takes place prior to IRMC recommending approval of the policy.

    In cases of high priority or emergency situations, the CIO may implement an interim policy (thereby making it "enforceable") on a temporary basis as the proposed policy goes through the approval process.

  2. IRMC recommends approval of the policy. The Chair of IRMC signs the Policy Transmittal Form and sends the policy to the CIO.
  3. The CIO reviews the policy and submits it to the Deans' Council and any other campus entity that may warrant a review of the policy on a non-recommendation signing basis. The CIO also submits the policy to the Faculty Senate President for review and recommendation for approval.

    The Deans' Council members or other campus entities shall provide comments to the CIO within 30 calendar days of receipt of the policy.

  4. The Faculty Senate President reviews, signs, and returns the Policy Transmittal Form to the CIO (or sends an e-mail) indicating the Faculty Senate's recommendation to approve the policy as it was presented.

    The Faculty Senate President has 30 calendar days from receipt of the policy to either recommend approval of the policy or to return the policy to the CIO unsigned with written explanations of objections that resulted in the refusal to recommend approval.

  5. The CIO reviews the recommendations that were made by the groups to which the policy was sent for comment, signs the Policy Transmittal Form as the final recommendation for approval, and forwards it to the Computing Executive Committee for approval.
  6. The Computing Executive Committee, acting as the final campus-wide approving authority, approves the policy by sending an e-mail to the CIO or signing the final approval signature line on the Policy Transmittal Form and returning the policy to the CIO.
  7. The campus community is notified that the policy has been finalized via e-mail.

    The policy is also included in the K-State Policy and Procedures Manual with appropriate links to the IT Policies section of the ITS website.