The Office of Policies, Records, and Forms is embarking on a comprehensive modernization of the university’s administrative policy library.
This effort will combine the four primary administrative policy manuals into a single University Policies and Procedures Manual (UPPM). The new UPPM will include what is currently in the Board of Regents Policy Manual, the Executive Policy Manual, the Business Policies and Procedures Manual, and the Safety Policies and Procedures Manual.
A team led by Danielle Hess, executive director for policy and governance, is currently reviewing every administrative policy on the books. This effort requires assessing whether policies are duplicative, in conflict, out of date, or even necessary.
“The end result will be a single policy manual that is much easier to navigate, in addition to being more consistent and accurate,” Hess said.
There are currently numerous instances where policies in a particular area span across the existing administrative manuals. This compels university staff to go between multiple manuals just to understand how to comply with university policy.
The end result will be a single policy manual that is much easier to navigate, in addition to being more consistent and accurate.
Danielle Hess, executive director for policy and governance
Washington State University
The first step in the policy modernization process — changing the name of the Business Policies and Procedures Manual (BPPM) to the University Policies and Procedures Manual — is already underway. While both names are still being used, references to the BPPM will be completely phased out by the end of the current fiscal year.
By the end of calendar year 2025, all current Executive Policies will be incorporated into the UPPM, with remaining administrative polices being incorporated through the spring of 2026.
Staff with the Office of Policies, Records, and Forms are working to update web links and redirects as executive policies are moved to the UPPM. Units across the system can assist in this work by ensuring their websites and other materials are updated to reflect the new policy locations and send visitors to the appropriate pages. The Office of Policies, Records, and Forms will also publish a policy crosswalk to help users find executive policies that have been relocated.
Questions about the policy manual modernization project can be directed to the Office of Policies, Records, and Forms via email.
