How Virginia Commonwealth University Transformed Policy Management with DocTract

Ranked in the top 20% of universities worldwide, Virginia Commonwealth University stands at the forefront of academic excellence. As a top 50 public research institution, VCU combines cutting-edge research capabilities with a deep commitment to community engagement and innovative education.

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‍Industry:

Higher Education

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Size:

28,000+ students

2,400+ faculty

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Use Cases:

Policy Management & Distribution, Regulatory Compliance, Public Portal

VCU's homegrown policy management system had served them well, offering solid functionality for their decentralized approach to policy management. However, as the institution grew, challenges began to emerge with each review cycle.

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• Increasing complexity: As review cycles continued to roll around, version tracking became increasingly complex.
• Extensive manual coordination Given the number of departments (and policies associated with each department), the review process required extensive manual coordination.
• Significant administrative oversight: VCU has a three-year review cycle to review and update all of their policies, which required significant administrative oversight to maintain.

When evaluating solutions, VCU sought a platform that would preserve their effective policy management approach while eliminating manual processes. DocTract's focused policy platform stood out from other enterprise solutions that offered policy management as just one module in a larger suite.

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"I think what was great about DocTract was it's very user-friendly and our partners could access it and do what they need to do easily. When looking at other solutions, they were trying to upsell you to other things. We wanted something that was functional, accessible, and really dedicated to policy."

Jason Block -Chief Ethics and Compliance Officer, VCU

DocTract transformed VCU's policy management into a streamlined, automated workflow. The platform's version control capabilities enhanced their existing processes, while the intuitive interface supported both power users and occasional contributors.

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The seamless public portal integration simplified policy distribution, making information readily accessible to VCU's entire community.

• Streamlined three-year review cycles with automated tracking.
• Simplified compliance processes with built-in attestation features.
• Enhanced accessibility of historical policy versions for legal and audit purposes.
• Reduced administrative overhead by automating manual tasks.
• Improved policy coordination across decentralized departments.

"It brings a level of organization to the policy process that just makes all the difference. We're seeing the value in ease of use, and it takes less time to get things through and done. It certainly frees up my time to do more work."    
   
Jason Block -Chief Ethics and Compliance Officer, VCU

As educational institutions prepare for the Department of Justice's new accessibility requirements coming in 2026, VCU is confident in their partnership with DocTract.

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The platform already delivers the core functionality needed for compliance, and with the final accessibility features currently being rolled out, VCU knows they're well-positioned to meet these new requirements while maintaining their commitment to accessible education.

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"I like that DocTract is cognizant of these accessibility requirements and is addressing them proactively. We're looking forward to the rollout, which will put us in great shape well before the regulation comes into effect."

Jason Block on DocTract's approach to accessibility compliance.

VCU's partnership with DocTract exemplifies how modern policy management should work in higher education: intuitive, efficient, and forward-thinking.

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The platform continues to evolve with VCU's needs, supporting their mission to be innovative while maintaining compliance.

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"What I love about DocTract is how it lets us look at ways of doing things differently. If we can use something we have for multiple purposes, that fits perfectly with our approach to innovation and efficiency."

Jason Block -Chief Ethics and Compliance Officer, VCU