Updated 6/26/2024

Dear Campus Community,

We want to update you on the implementation of HB 261, “Equal Opportunity Initiatives,” and its implications for Utah Valley University. Since the passage of that legislation, we have been working in collaboration with the Utah System of Higher Education (USHE) to understand the intent of the legislation and how it applies to our institution. The new law takes effect July 1, 2024.

Core to our mission is UVU’s commitment to student success and creating a welcoming environment where all students, faculty, and staff can maximize their potential. As an open-admissions university, we reaffirm our commitment to welcoming anyone desiring an education at UVU, where our programs, services, and events are available to all.

Our values of exceptional care, exceptional accountability, and exceptional results will continue to guide us as we adapt to HB 261's requirements.

As background, here is a brief summary of the bill:

What HB 261 prohibits:

• Mandatory training for employees that promote "prohibited discriminatory practices.”
• Prohibited submissions concerning hiring, compensation, admissions, etc.
• Discriminatory practices related to an individual’s personal identity characteristics.
• Institutional speech — Institutions may not take or express a position or opinion on anti-racism, bias, critical race theory, implicit bias, intersectionality, prohibited discriminatory practices, or racial privilege.
• Institutional use of the words “diversity, equity, and inclusion” in any combination.

The bill requires institutions to do the following:

• Ensure all students have access to programs providing student success and support regardless of “personal identity characteristics.”
• Promote viewpoint diversity, including inviting speakers of various viewpoints to campus.
• Promote free speech and civic education.
• Publish master for mandatory courses on a searchable database on the university’s website. This is for singular courses required for graduation, where no other course meets that requirement. Information about the implementation of this requirement will be disseminated in subsequent communications.

The bill provides for the following exceptions:

• Academic freedom, academic research, and classroom instruction.
  • Faculty are not expected to modify the content of their academic courses, seminars, colloquiums, panels, debates, or similar expressions or exchanges of educational ideas to comply with the mandatory training prohibitions in HB 261.
• Accreditation compliance.
• Athletics compliance.
• Policies required by state or federal law.

With this background, UVU will be instituting the following changes to comply with HB 261:

Organizational Structure

UVU’s Office of Inclusion and Diversity was restructured in March into the Office of Institutional Engagement and Effectiveness to ensure that UVU is focused on supporting all students and employees. The Culture and Talent team is currently being restructured, with the Culture team reporting to the Office of Engagement and Effectiveness and the Talent team reporting to Compensation and Benefits.

Our cultural centers and programs — Multicultural, LGBTQ+, Native American and Women’s, per the new law, will focus on “cultural education, celebration, engagement and awareness to provide opportunities for all students to learn with and from one another.”

Some of the services formerly available in the centers, have been consolidated in the First Year Experience and Student Success (FYESS) to provide one-on-one “formal student support,” including drop-in service for ALL students. Success Specialists in FYESS will provide navigational support and connect students with additional resources as needed. UVU continues to provide a broad range of student support services. For academic-related needs, students should continue to work with their academic advisor.

Institutional Speech

The Board of Higher Education, in concert with the governor’s office, issued guidelines about institutional speech requiring universities to maintain institutional neutrality. As part of those guidelines, only certain persons in leadership positions and select designated roles may speak on behalf of UVU. This does not preclude UVU employees from speaking as private citizens. Further clarification regarding institutional speech versus individual speech will come later this year.

Next Steps

Leaders of all colleges, schools, and divisions are asked to review their department documents, practices and procedures, websites, etc., to ensure compliance by July 1. Questions can be referred to Dr. Rasha Qudisat.

We express our gratitude to all those helping UVU be compliant with HB 261. We reaffirm our commitment to student success and to demonstrating our values of exceptional care, exceptional accountability, and exceptional results.

 

Sincerely,

Astrid S. Tuminez
Utah Valley University President

Wayne Vaught
Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs

Rasha Qudisat
Chief Engagement and Effectiveness Officer