Bulletin Board - Document Comments

Bulletin Board - Review and Comment

Step 1 of 4: Comment on Document

How to make a comment?

1. Use this Protected Document to open a comment box for your chosen Section, Part, Heading or clause.

2. Type your feedback into the comments box and then click "save comment" button located in the lower-right of the comment box.

3. Do not open more than one comment box at the same time.

4. When you have finished making comments proceed to the next stage by clicking on the "Continue to Step 2" button at the very bottom of this page.

 

Important Information

During the comment process you are connected to a database. Like internet banking, the session that connects you to the database may time-out due to inactivity. If you do not have JavaScript running you will receive a message to advise you of the length of time before the time-out. If you have JavaScript enabled, the time-out is lengthy and should not cause difficulty, however you should note the following tips to avoid losing your comments or corrupting your entries:

  1. DO NOT jump between web pages/applications while logging comments.

  2. DO NOT log comments for more than one document at a time. Complete and submit all comments for one document before commenting on another.

  3. DO NOT leave your submission half way through. If you need to take a break, submit your current set of comments, take a note of where you up to and return later to make a further submission.

  4. DO NOT exit from the interface until you have completed all three stages of the submission process.

  5. If you would like a copy of the comments you made via the Bulletin Board, please email policy@rmit.edu.au and specify which document you provided feedback on and a copy of your submission will be emailed to you.

 

Policy Governance Procedure - Schedule 1 - Policy Proposal and Approval

Policy Governance Procedure Schedule 1 - Policy Proposal and Approval
 

Policy categories

(1) Policy documents are categorised as either governance, operational or academic, depending on their content. Where there is ambiguity about the category for a particular policy, the University Policy Manager determines the appropriate category.

(2) In exceptional circumstances, a policy may need to change its category in response to a significant change in scope and content. The policy owner must seek approval for the change from the approval authority of the new category, after obtaining endorsement from the existing approval authority.

Approval authorities

(3) The following tables outline the appropriate approval authority for:

  1. commencing the development of new policies or procedures (table 1)
  2. checking on the direction of new and revised policy suites midway through the process (table 1)
  3. approving new or fully revised policy documents(table 2)
  4. approving minor or administrative amendments to policy documents (table 3).

(4) There is only one approval authority for each policy category. However,

  1. operational policies that may have an impact on academic staff or on the delivery of research and education, need to be endorsed by Academic Board prior to being submitted to the Vice-Chancellor's Executive Meeting for approval, and
  2. academic policies that may have an operational impact must be endorsed by the Vice-Chancellor's Executive Meeting prior to being submitted to Academic Board for approval.

(5) Policy owners must notify the University Policy Manager when they exercise their delegated authority to approve new procedures, standards, instructions or guidelines. The University Policy Manager reports such approvals in the biannual policy reports to Academic Board and the Audit and Risk Management Committee .

 
Table 1 – Endorsement checkpoints for commencing new policy development and for progressing to approval
Category Endorsement to develop new policy Endorsement to develop new procedure  Mid-way check with approval authority for new policies and policy reviews
Governance
 		 University Policy Manager Policy owner Vice-Chancellor's Executive Meeting
Academic Chair, Academic Board and University Policy Manager Policy owner Academic Board (and Vice-Chancellor's Executive Meeting where there is an operational impact)
Operational   University Policy Manager Policy owner Vice-Chancellor's Executive Meeting (and Academic Board where there is an academic impact)
 
Table 2 – Approval authority for new or revised policy documents
Category Policy Procedure or Standards  Instructions or Guidelines
Governance Council, via Vice-Chancellor's Executive Meeting to note, Audit and Risk Management Committee to endorse Policy owner Policy owner
Academic
Academic Board, via Academic Board Sub-Committees to endorse or note, depending on content
Vice-Chancellor's Executive Meeting to endorse first where there is an operational impact
 Policy owner Policy owner
Operational
Vice-Chancellor's Executive Meeting 
Academic Board to endorse first where there is an academic impact
 Policy owner Policy owner
 
Table 3 – Approval authority for minor amendments and administrative changes to policy documents (policies, procedures, standards, instructions and guidelines)
  Definition Authority to amend
Minor amendments A change that does not alter the intent of the policy document or significantly affect the content or application of the policy, e.g. to clarify existing details, align with legislative changes, or include additional processes for a new system, a new campus or controlled entity. Policy owner
Administrative changes A correction to a policy document to update a title, name, formatting, web link, spelling, grammar, and references to law or other policy documents, or for clarity of language. Central Policy