Introduction

I. Purpose:
The purpose of this manual is to provide a formalized method of communicating the policies, procedures, guidelines, and other pertinent information within the University of Wisconsin System with regard to the UW System Risk Management and its many functions.
The information contained in the manual is intended to communicate ideas and clarify practices which were previously contained in numerous letters and memos, stated verbally, or contained in outdated manuals.
The information contained in the manual should provide a common basis of understanding between the UW System and campus staffs, and eliminate any misunderstandings and misinterpretations of policies and procedures.

II. Organization of the Manual:
Information such as policies, procedures, guidelines and other pertinent data will be issued within the major sections of the manual. Whenever there are changes in System operational policy and procedure, updates will be issued as delineated below. This manual will be supplemented by other applicable formal documents in many areas, as well as other manuals and technical publications where necessary. These documents will be referenced in the Risk Management Manual.

III. Policy Review and Replacement:
All policies included in this manual were issued initially in draft form and were open for revision by campus personnel. Campuses were advised to begin using the draft policies and forms at the date of issuance. Suggested revisions should be submitted to UW System Risk Management in a clear and supported manner. It is preferred that revisions follow the set format of the manual so that additions and deletions do not change the underlying structure. Upon acceptance, all formal revisions will be issued to all manual holders.