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Glossary and Style Book
Here you can learn about the terms used in policy development and guidelines for writing policy and policy documents. If you require further explanation of the information below, please feel free to contact us  .
Glossary of Terms Used in Policy Development
Rules for Writing Policies
Rules for Specific Sections of Policy Documents
Glossary of Terms Used in Policy Development
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Impact Statement: Document that describes the need and justification for, as well as the impact of, any proposed new or revised university policy. The impact statement is submitted by the responsible executive to the Executive Policy Review Group (EPRG) for approval.
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Interim Policy: Document, generally comprising only a cover page, issued in situations where a university policy must be established in a time period too short to permit the completion of the standard policy process delineated in University Policy 4.1, Formulation and Issuance of University Policies.
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Policy Statement: Generally, two to four short sentences, the “Policy Statement” states the policy’s intent, who must follow the policy, when the policy applies, and any mandated actions or constraints. It doesn't describe procedures. This is usually the same policy statement that appears on the impact statement approved by the Executive Policy Review Group (EPRG).
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Principle: Similar to the “Policy Statement”, the “Principles” section of the policy outlines the philosophical basis for the policy and states what new requirement or provision this policy establishes. This section allows for a fuller description of these issues than was possible in the “Policy Statement.”
- Procedure: Steps contained in a policy that are necessary for compliance.
- Proposed Policy: University policy in any stage of development, before issuance.
- Responsible Executive: The individual charged by the President with the responsibility for creating and implementing university policies as required in his or her area of jurisdiction.
- Responsible Office: Under the direction of the Responsible Executive, the office that develops and administers a particular policy and procedures and will be accountable for the accuracy of its subject matter, its issuance, and timely updating.
- University Policy: Policy that meets all of the following criteria:
- Has broad application throughout the university
- Helps acheive compliance with applicable laws and regulations, promotes operational efficiencies, enhances the university's mission, or reduces institutional risks
- Mandates actions or constraints, contains specific procedures for compliance, and articulates desired outcomes
- Requires the university president and/or executive officer to review and approve the policy's issuance and major changes to the policy
- University-wide: Pertaining to one or more of the three entities that comprise Cornell University, namely endowed ithaca, contract colleges, and the Weill Cornell Medical College.
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Rules for Writing Policies
The Policy Document
The University Policy Office (UPO) is resonsible for maintaining the policy document template. One of the primary reasons for having only one office overseeing the writing of policies is to leverage best practice and to maintain consistency of documents to aid compliance. To maintain the necessary consistency, the UPO holds the policy document to specific standards to maintain the documents' integrity and professional appearance. Below are general rules about writing policies and information about composing policies in the university's policy template.
In General:
- The policy office follows the Chicago Manual of Style writing standards
- The best-written policies are written with the reader in mind. Simple, specific, and precise terminology must be used, but no jargon. A university policy must be well-understood by everyone in the community, including non-subject matter experts.
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All policy documents are written in the third person. For example, "If the request is approved, the Office of the Treasurer will work with the unit to determine a bank, work directly with the chosen bank to establish the bank account." Or, "Units that have a unit bank account must establish appropriate controls for maintaining the accounts ..."
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If someone doesn't really have to do anything, why is the policy in existence?
Unless an action is not required, the term "must" is to be used, rather than "should."
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Having a policy that cannot be enforced is worse than not having a policy at all. Therefore, do not use the word "ensure," because the university generally cannot ensure actions of its community members (trying to do so would be a compliance and monitoring nightmare). The words "helps acheive" are useful in these instances.
Rules for Using the University Policy Template
The University Policy Office is responsible for maintaining the integrity of the policy document and template. Therefore, please follow these rules when using the policy template to compose policies.
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Do not concern yourself with the formatting and layout of the template. The policy in the official template is shared in a protected document format so that (1) the policy writer can focus on the content instead of formatting, (2) the policy office can tell what changes were made and where, and (3) the text styles and formatting of the document are preserved.
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Do not rename files that are sent to you. The document numbering system is in place to assist us in keeping track of what document was created, and when.
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Do not change headings in the document, such as "Responsiblities," "Principles," or "Procedures," unless discussed with the policy office.
- Use lists whenever possible and when it makes sense, but always after an introductory sentence or paragraph.
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Rules for Specific Sections of Policy Documents
Policy Statement
The Policy Statement describes who should follow the policy and when policy applies. It summarizes what the people involved are required to do, but doesn't describe procedures. In addition, it may state major conditions or restrictions that apply. It is generally one to three sentences. Avoid the use of phrases like "as outlined in this policy" or "must follow this policy." This is a given, as the whole purpose of the policy is for it to be followed, so the phrase adds nothing to the statement.
Reason for Policy
The Reason for Policy recognizes the legitimate interests of all parties, describes the problem or conflict the policy will resolve, and cites any legal or regulatory reasons for policy. It is generally two to four sentences.
Definitions
The first sentence of a definition should not be a complete sentence, but a fragment.
In general, definitions for other parts of speech begin with the same part of speech, as exemplified below.
The definition of a noun should begin with a noun (that may be separated by a modifier), such as, "Brander: Electric tool with interchangeable numbers."
The definition of an adjective should begin with an adjective (that may be modified), such as, "Ordinary: Normal, in the course of university business."
Responsibilities
The responsibilities listed in a university policy must mirror responsibilities outlined in the policy.
A responsibility always begins with a present tense verb.
Each action should be listed as a separate responsibility.
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