Some Answers:

Policy: A document that makes a specific statement requiring that a rule must be met, e.g. a UT-System Regent´s Rule. They are usually point-specific, covering a single area, e.g., our "Acceptable Use" policy covers the rules and regulations for appropriate use of the UT Arlington computing facilities. Policies tend to be general in nature and do not have to be updated on a regular basis.

Standard: A set of requirements to be used to conform to policies. A standard is typically collections of system-specific or procedural-specific requirements that must be met by everyone. For example, OIT Desktop Support has a standard for backing up one´s personal data. Departments should follow this standard exactly if they are to be supported by the Desktop Group. Standards should be reviewed bi-annually.

Guideline: Basically, a "how to" which leads to the standard. It provides a guide to achieving the expected results. For example, our Policy on the "Protection of Student Data" makes frequent references to standards and guidelines that exist both within UT-System and externally as well. Guidelines should be reviewed annually.

Processes and Procedures are exactly the steps you take to perform a function. Processes and Procedures should be documented to enable others to achieve the same result when the same or similar task is complete. Processes and Procedures should be reviewed and updated more frequently than guidelines and standards.