Dates to Remember

October 13-15

Fall break for students 

October 27

Roots of Knowledge Speaker Series - “‘Mira arte fabricatum’: Lorenzo Ghiberti’s Doors and the Role of the Artist in Renaissance Florence” by Sr. Steven Bule

November 1

Faculty Success Drop-In Sessions (Rank Advancement) - 12pm

November 3

Roots of Knowledge Speaker Series - “Better off Dead? The Short Life and Long Legacy of King Tutankhamen” by Dr. Brendon McCarthy

November 8

Town Hall Meeting with Wayne Vaught at 1:00-2:00pm - Click here to join the meeting

November 9

Adjunct Institute (for new adjuncts only) - Register here!

November 15

Faculty Success Drop-In Sessions (Rank Advancement) - 2pm

Application for sabbatical leave due to department chair 

November 17

Roots of Knowledge Speaker Series - “How to Read Sacred Architecture: Reinterpreting Architectural Roots at Jerusalem, Rome, and Salt Lake” By Bradon R. Ro

December 13

Faculty Success Drop-In Sessions (Rank Advancement) - 11am

Navigate Your Research with Subject-Specific Help

Before you reach a research dead end, contact a Fulton Library subject librarian. Whatever the topic, our professional librarians are equipped with the expertise to guide you or your students through subject-specific research. From developing a research question and planning search strategies to locating sources and using databases, our subject librarians can lead the way, removing roadblocks throughout your research process.

Need help from a subject librarian? Explore our subject librarian guide, where you can search for the best contact by name or subject. Once you’ve found a librarian who specializes in your research area, click on their profile to schedule an appointment for in-depth research help. You can also talk to a librarian at the first-floor Research Help Desk (no appointment needed) or contact a librarian by phone (801-863-8840), text (801-290-8123), chat, or email.

Policy Update

There has not been much activity over the summer for the 600-level series of policies, but policy work did not stop. The Board of Trustees recently approved Policy 326 Workplace Conduct for the Policy Manual. Additionally, Policy 162 Title IX Sexual Misconduct has been approved for adoption through the compliance change process.

Please join in on the policy development/revision process by reviewing the following policies in stage 2 and then providing any comments to your faculty senator or PACE representative:

• Policy 112 Use of University Social Media (closes 10/01/2022)
• Policy 210 Independent Contractors (closes 10/01/2022)
• Policy 251 Traveling on University Business (closes 10/01/2022)
• Policy 324 Drug-Free and Alcohol-Free Workplace (closes 10/01/2022)
• Policy 646 Faculty Appeals for Retention, Tenure and Promotion (closes 9/30/2022)

And since our last newsletter, President’s Council has approved the following policies for entrance into Stage 1, the drafting and revision stage:

• IT Policy Bundle
  • Policy 446 Privacy and Disclosure
  • Policy 447 Information Security
  • Policy 448 Web, Internet, and Domain Names
  • Policy 457 PCI DSS Compliance
• Policy 212 Electronic Signatures
• Policy 116 Institutional Messaging and Student Communication

Policy Highlight

Policy 633 - Faculty Performance Evaluation and Feedback

Just as the university has been working to improve the annual review process for staff, the policy for faculty annual reviews has also undergone some changes. Starting with the title, Policy 633 has been revised and reflects the desire to foster excellence in teaching. The title is now Faculty Performance Evaluation and Feedback, which shows that annual reviews are more about feedback for improvement rather than just rating one’s performance. The “policy establishes types of non-disciplinary supervisor feedback that can be used throughout the year, an annual goal-setting process, an annual review process, and processes for clarifications and appeals.” § 1.2.

The policy introduces three levels of feedback that supervisors may use with faculty members. They are as follows: guidance, notice of improvement needed (NOIN), and professional improvement plan (PIP). Guidance is used for helping faculty develop and improve professionally, while the other two levels,

Notice of Improvement Needed and Professional Improvement Plan are used when there are performance issues. §§ 4.2.1 – 4.2.3.

For faculty, it is now the time for the annual goal-setting process. Faculty goals will be due September 15, 2022. When thinking about one’s goals, they should help faculty members “meet expectations and pursue meaningful activities and opportunities,” and “should focus on high-stakes and high-level accomplishments that the faculty member intends to achieve.” § 4.3.2. Although not required but encouraged, faculty members may consult others as they develop their goals, primarily their mentor, immediate supervisor, and the department RTP committee. During this process, “[s]upervisors must review and provide guidance regarding faculty members goals.” § 4.3.5. And just as life has its changes, “goals may be modified during the year as needs change and opportunities arise.” § 4.3.3. When that happens, one’s “supervisor will again be able to review and provide guidance on the modified goals.” § 4.3.5.

For more information about the annual review process and processes for clarification and appeals, please see Policy 633 itself, which can be found in the UVU Policy Manual.