On June 25, 2020, the UVU Board of Trustees approved five revised policies and one new temporary emergency policy, which are now in the UVU Policy Manual. The newly approved policies are summarized and linked below:
Policy 102 University Governance Committees
Summary of changes: Policy 102 was first approved on September 17, 1992; since then, Utah Valley University has undergone major changes in governance structure, and the roles/scope of university committees, boards, and councils have changed. The current policy needed to be updated to provide direction for defining and delineating the procedures for creating, maintaining, and disbanding governing and advisory bodies. The revised policy will streamline shared governance at UVU and make the process more effective and transparent. The revised policy
- creates a robust set of definitions for university councils, committees, and boards, with further sub-categories for standing, ad hoc, advisory, or executive roles.
- establishes procedures for an online approval system for creating, maintaining, and disbanding governing bodies.
- establishes an online database to house information on current committees, their charge, their scope, membership makeup, and reporting duties. This will add transparency to the shared governance process.
Policy 165 Discrimination, Harassment, and Affirmative Action
Summary of changes: Policy 165 prohibits discrimination on the basis of all protected classes except sex (Policy 162 prohibits discrimination of the basis of sex). Technical revisions offer clearer phrasing and updated nomenclature. Substantively, the policy has been revised to allow parties to
- request a live hearing to contest the ultimate conclusions reached in the preceding investigation.
- have full access to evidence and reports before the hearing.
These changes ensure constitutional due process. Additional changes are anticipated in the near term as UVU implements the new federal Title IX rule. Future changes will attempt to align (to the extent practical) our anti-discrimination policies’ language and processes.
Click here to view Policy 165 Discrimination, Harassment, and Affirmative Action »
Policy 168 Complaints under the Utah Protection of Public Employees Act (TEMPORARY EMERGENCY)
Summary of new policy: The Utah Protection of Public Employees Act (Utah Code § 67-21) prohibits public employers from taking “adverse action” against good-faith reporters of waste or misuse of public funds, property, or labor; suspected violations of law; gross mismanagement; abuse of authority; and unethical conduct. The Act was amended in 2018 to require each public institution of higher education to promulgate procedures to facilitate internal complaints, hearings, and resolutions under the Act. This temporary emergency policy satisfies that requirement.
Policy 357 Employee Tuition Remission
Summary of changes: This policy required updating to clarify who qualifies for the employee tuition waiver and to align policy with IRS regulations.
Policy 605 Curriculum Approval
Summary of changes: The previous Policy 605 did not align accurately with current university curriculum creation and revision procedures; in addition, it did not align with current USHE standards affected by legislative changes enacted last year. The revisions to Policy 605 clarify oversight of and guidance for the curriculum review process. The policy was updated to
- include the current process for curriculum review, revision, and creation.
- clarify the roles of university-level and college-level curriculum committees.
- mandate process training will empower faculty to navigate this process with meaningful outcomes.
Policy 635 Faculty Rights and Professional Responsibilities
Summary of changes: Policy 635, a joint Academic Affairs and Faculty Senate undertaking, has been updated to reflect the role of faculty in the university mission and university governance, and to clarify and expand faculty rights and responsibilities in the areas of teaching, service, as well as professional activities, scholarship, and creative works. It also delineates and clarifies university obligations to the faculty member. It updates the rights and responsibilities of faculty as citizens and adds the section of rights and responsibilities to the university community. Specific procedures for course instruction are still included with added details that inform yet allow flexibility.
Click here to view Policy 635 Faculty Rights and Professional Responsibilities »