News Blog redesign
In an effort to make information about university policy easier to read and understand, the Policy Office has redesigned its news blog. At the top of blog, you will see a summary of the policy actions approved by President’s Council, with a brief explanation of each policy. For those who want more detailed information, links will take them below to a deeper explanation of each policy—what’s changing or new, who the policy may matter most to, and how you can comment on the policy.
At the bottom of the page, we have included a list of important definitions.
SUMMARY OF APPROVED POLICY ACTIONS
On April 27, 2023, President’s Council approved the following policy drafts to advance in the policy process:*
- Policy 654: A drafting committee will begin revising the policy that lays out how merit pay (performance-based pay) for faculty is awarded.
- Policy 112: A new policy providing guidance on using social media for UVU (how to create and manage university social media accounts, what's appropriate, what's not allowed) is now open for comments from students, faculty, and staff— all members of the university community.
- Policy 114: In May, the Board of Trustees will review and approve this updated policy about conflict of interest and commitment. If the Trustees approve the policy, it will be published in the Policy Manual.
- Policies 441, 442, 443, 446, 447, 448, 457: In May, the Board of Trustees will review and approve these eight bundled IT policies—three new policies about IT privacy and security, four to be deleted, and one revised. If the Trustees approve these policies, the policies will be published in or deleted from the Policy Manual.
- Policy 157: This outdated policy about drugs and alcohol at UVU will be deleted and replaced by an updated, more comprehensive policy (155) that will be reviewed and approved by the Board of Trustees in May.
*More detailed information about each policy and links to the policy drafts are included below.
Policy 654 Faculty Merit Pay
| Approval Process | Regular |
| Policy Sponsor | Wayne Vaught |
| Policy Steward | Jon Anderson |
| Policy Actions | Revision |
| President's Council Action | Approval to enter Stage 1, regular process |
| Pipeline Draft | Policy 654 Stage 1 Draft |
Who does this apply to? Full-time, benefits-eligible faculty
Why should I care? The current policy limits merit pay awards to tenured faculty. The drafting committee tasked with revising the policy will explore making merit pay awards available to all full-time, benefits-eligible faculty and tie the awards process to annual reviews. The committee also wants to make the award criteria clearer.
What can I do? This policy is now in Stage 1 Drafting. If you have suggestions on the policy, contact Jon Anderson, the policy steward leading the drafting committee. Note: This stage may take up to 6 months to complete, depending on the availability of the drafting committee and complexity of the policy.
What are the next steps? When the policy sponsor, steward, drafting committee, and the Policy Office agree the draft is final, President’s Council will review the draft and approve it to enter Stage 2. In Stage 2, UVUSA, PACE, and Faculty Senate review the policy and provide comments and suggestions that the steward and sponsor will review and respond to.
Explanation of the stage this policy draft is in: Stage 1
Policy 112 Social Media
| Approval Process | Regular |
| Policy Sponsor | Kara Schneck |
| Policy Steward | Matt Serrao |
| Policy Actions | New |
| President's Council Action | Entrance to Stage 3, end date May 5 |
| Pipeline Draft | Policy 112 Stage 3 Draft |
Who does this apply to? Faculty, staff, and students
Why should I care? If you manage or want to create a social media account as part of your university role or a club registered with UVU, you need to know what the requirements and expectations are.
What can I do? If you have concerns about any topics or changes in this policy, you can send comments and suggestions to the Policy Office or the steward until May 5.
What are the next steps? This policy is now in Stage 3. If the steward receives any comments, they must respond to the comments in writing and make appropriate revisions. After this, the policy will be submitted to President’s Council for approval to go to the Board of Trustees.
Explanation of the stage this policy draft is in: Stage 3
Policy 114 Conflict of Interest and Commitment
| Approval Process | Regular |
| Policy Sponsor | Jeremy Knee |
| Policy Steward | Ransom Cundick |
| Policy Actions | Revision |
| President's Council Action | Entrance to Stage 4 |
| Pipeline Draft | Policy 114 Stage 4 Draft |
Who does this apply to? All employees
Why should I care? This policy had a small number of revisions that clarified guidelines for staff and faculty to follow when in engaging in interests outside their university employment: all relationships, financial positions, business endeavors, or other conduct that may create actual, potential, or apparent conflicts of interest between the University and the employee.
What can I do? Make sure your Conflict of Interest Form is up to date and consult with your supervisor about potential conflicts.
What are the next steps? This policy is now in Stage 4. In May the Board of Trustees will review and approve the policy for publication in the Policy Manual.
Explanation of the stage this policy draft is in: Stage 4
Policy 441 Appropriate Use of Computing Facilities (Deletion)
Policy 442 Computer Equipment Maintenance and Repair (Deletion)
Policy 443 Ethics among Computer Usage (Deletion)
Policy 446 Privacy and Disclosure (New)
Policy 447 Information Security (New)
Policy 448 Web, Internet, and Domain Names (New)
Policy 448 Use of University Technology Equipment (Deletion)
Policy 457 PCI DSS Compliance (Revision)
| Approval Process | Regular |
| Policy Sponsor | Christina Baum |
| Policy Steward | Joe Belnap |
| Policy Actions | Varied, see above |
| President's Council Action | Entrance to Stage 4 |
| Pipeline Draft | Policy 441, Policy 442, Policy 443, Policy 446, Policy 447, Policy 448, Policy 457 |
Who does this apply to? Everyone who uses and accesses UVU information systems
Why should I care? UVU is obligated to prevent data breaches and the misuse of private information, so it’s important to be aware of privacy and security requirements for UVU information systems.
What can I do? Become familiar with these policies and make sure you are up to date on the required information systems training.
What are the next steps? These policies are now in Stage 4. In May, the Board of Trustees will review and approve the policies for deletion from and publication in the Policy Manual.
Explanation of the stage this policy draft is in: Stage 4
Policy 155 Drug- and Alcohol-Free Workplace
| Approval Process | Regular |
| Policy Sponsor | Marilyn Meyer |
| Policy Steward | Drew Burke |
| Policy Actions | New |
| President's Council Action | Renumbered to Policy 155 |
| Pipeline Draft | Policy 155 Stage 4 Draft |
Who does this apply to? Everyone
Why should I care? This policy addresses regulations about alcohol and drugs in the workplace, as well as remote work locations and business travel.
What can I do? Become familiar with this new policy so you understand the University’s regulations about alcohol and drugs.
What are the next steps? After the Board of Trustees approves the policy, it will be published in Policy Manual.
Explanation of the stage this policy draft is in: Stage 4
Policy 157 Alcoholic Beverages, Unlawful Drugs, and Other Illegal Substances
| Approval Process | Regular |
| Policy Sponsor | Marilyn Meyer |
| Policy Steward | Drew Burke |
| Policy Actions | Deletion |
| President's Council Action | Entrance to Stage 2 |
| Pipeline Draft | Policy 157 Stage 2 Draft |
Who does this apply to? Everyone
Why should I care? This policy is outdated and is being replaced by Policy 155.
What can I do? Become familiar with the new Policy 155 so you understand the university’s regulations about alcohol and drugs.
What are the next steps? When this policy reaches Stage 4, the Board of Trustees will approve the policy for deletion from the Policy Manual.
Explanation of the stage this policy draft is in: Stage 2
IMPORTANT DEFINITIONS
Board of Trustees: Community members and business leaders who provide counsel and make decisions on university matters; they provide final approval of all policies.
Bundle: A group of policies that go through the policy process together because they are inter-related.
Conflict of interest: When a university employee or student has a professional obligation to the University that is or could be compromised by particular outside interests.
Drafting committee: A group of individuals led by a policy steward in the writing or revision of a policy.
Executive summary: The document that policy sponsors and stewards use to propose a policy action, explain the justifications for that action, and request approval from President’s Council to enter one of the policy approval processes and advance to Stage 1 for drafting and revision.
Merit pay: Performance-based pay awarded to faculty whose performance meets university standards set in policy.
Policy action: Term explaining whether a new policy is be created or an existing policy is to be revised or deleted.
President's Council: A body of representatives from areas across the University convened by the university president. One of its responsibilities is to play a central role in university policy governance. This body includes the university president, provost, vice presidents, and the presidents of Faculty Senate, the Professional Association of Campus Employees (PACE), and the Utah Valley University Student Association (UVUSA).
Policy sponsor: A vice president charged with the oversight of university policies for their area(s) of responsibility and for appointing policy stewards. In conjunction with the Policy Office, policy sponsors oversee the development and advancement of policy drafts through the policy approval process.
Policy steward: An individual who, under the direction of a policy sponsor and inconjunction with the Policy Office, oversees the development and advancement of a policy draft through the policy approval process. The policy steward typically chairs the policy drafting committee.
For questions or comments regarding any of the above actions, contact the policy sponsor or steward(s) listed, or contact the Policy Office. To learn more about the policy approval process at UVU, visit the Policy Office's Policy Process webpage.
Please note that some of the above links may become outdated or broken as the policy drafts progress through the policy approval process, or are approved for adoption to or deletion from the Policy Manual. For the most up-to-date status regarding a policy or proposed policy draft, see the Policy Manual and Policy Approval Pipeline pages. To request a previous version of a policy or policy draft or for addition questions, contact the Policy Office.