Policy Principles

Maintaining a Policy

Please review and update policies as required by governing mandates, and at least every seven years.  If you need to update a policy in the Policy Portal, please email policies@dartmouth.edu.

Policy-making Principles

  1. Pursuant to the Dartmouth By-Laws, ultimate institutional authority is held by the Board of Trustees. The Board may delegate its authority to other institutional officers, including without limitation the authority to adopt institutional policies.
  2. Dartmouth's president, as the institution's chief executive officer, is responsible for all educational, financial, operational and managerial affairs of Dartmouth, and has the authority to execute all documents on behalf of the institution (subject to any limitations imposed by the Board). The president is further charged with the duty to organize the faculties of Dartmouth, as well as responsibility for the internal order and discipline of the institution.
  3. The president discharges their duties with the aid of the faculty and the administrative staff of Dartmouth, to whom the president may delegate their duties and authority under the Bylaws.
  4. Dartmouth policies are subject to the approval of the appropriate faculty and/or administrative staff of Dartmouth and its schools. Questions on how to establish an institutional policy shall be directed to the Provost and the Executive Vice President in the first instance, who shall consult the President and the Board of Trustees as necessary to establish the appropriate approval authority.
  5. Please review the Policy Portal's Gender Inclusive Language Guide and Dartmouth's Editorial Style Guide when creating and editing all policies.