Dates to Remember

August 15

Supervisor evaluations are due

August 16

Faculty returns

Faculty convocation

August 23

Classes begin

August 29

Waitlist Period and Open Registration Ends

September 1

Annual reviews for faculty submitting midterm and tenure review portfolios due 

September 4

Labor Day

September 15

Faculty submit goals for the upcoming annual review reporting period. 

Candidate requests midterm review or tenure by submitting a letter of application and faculty portfolio to the RTP chair.

Welcome from the Office for Global Engagement

Dear faculty and friends,

On behalf of the Office for Global Engagement, we welcome you to the 23-24 academic year. We recently moved to a new office located on the second floor of the LA 210. Visit us!!
During the coming semesters, we invite you to collaborate with our office to bring global awareness and cultural understanding as part of your planning for the benefit of your students. Our primary objective is to support faculty global initiatives on campus and abroad by creating GLOCAL (Global to Local) events, international and dignitary visits on campus, and by helping faculty organize a Global Spotlight with their students. For more information click here-global spotlight

This year take the opportunity to be part of a much-needed global conversation as we strive to create opportunities for students to succeed and empower them to become responsible global citizens.

For International born faculty, please come and join us for an opening social scheduled for August 25, 2023, at 4:30 PM in Center Stage (Sorensen Student Center). RSVP your attendance by scanning the QRCode to the left, and come and have some fun as you will meet faculty from all over the world. 

Global Spotlight initiative 

New Well-Being and Student Development Website

Student Development & Well-Being is happy to introduce our new, comprehensive well-being and mental health website for UVU students!  Students, faculty, and staff may visit uvu.edu/mentalhealth to find information regarding all aspects of student well-being and to evaluate where they are and what they may need. Included are resources to help students with five key areas of well-being: social connectedness, mental health, safety, basic needs, and wellness.  Each month we will provide additional in-depth information regarding the five areas in hopes that faculty can be aware of students’ needs and the many resources available to them. In fact, this month you might want to consider adding a basic needs/care syllabus statement to help students as they begin their fall semester. If you would like more information or are interested in a short presentation to your department or class on the well-being resources available to students, please email [email protected].

 

 

 

2023 Ethics Awareness Week

“Ethics in Global Contexts”

The Center for the Study of Ethics is pleased to present its thirtieth annual Ethics Awareness Week from September 25th – 29th. Our theme this year is “Ethics in Global Contexts” and events include panel discussions, lectures, workshops, and film screenings. Sessions are free and open to the public in the Clarke Building, Room 511, and hosted online via YouTube Live. For scheduling and more information, contact Courtney Burns at [email protected].

 

 

 

Digital Transformation Division Updates

Greetings, Faculty, and welcome to a brand-new semester! 

 

While the sun was shining this summer, the Digital Transformation Division has been working hard behind the scenes to roll out some exciting changes that will improve your experience as an educator at UVU.

 

Don't miss out! Visit https://www.uvu.edu/digitaltransformation/fall2023/ to catch up on all the latest changes.

 

As always, if you have any questions, don't hesitate to reach out to the Service Desk. 

 

Your relentless dedication is the secret sauce of UVU's success. We're rooting for you and can't thank you enough for your outstanding contributions!

 

 

 

Service-Learning Superstars

As we begin the fall semester, we want to encourage faculty nominations for future Service-Learning Superstars. Submissions are accepted on a rolling basis, self-nominations are encouraged. To nominate, please send an email to Dr. Jon Westover ([email protected]) and Dr. Ezgi Sertler ([email protected]) with a 250-word description of the nominee, department affiliation, and service-learning course activities.

We are delighted to have the following full-time faculty join our UVU community and contribute their expertise and passion to our shared mission of exceptional care, exceptional accountability, and exceptional results. We look forward to witnessing the positive impact they will make on our students, our campus, and beyond.

College of Engineering and Technology

Farzad Ahmadi, Assistant Professor, Engineering
Nathan Cordner, Assistant Professor, Computer Science
Benjamin Felix, Assistant Professor, Architecture and Engineering Design
Jared Graham, Professional in Residence, Transportation Technologies
A. Gordon MacKay, Assistant Professor, Architecture and Engineering Design
Jacob Mattson, Assistant Professor, Engineering Technology
John Montoya, Assistant Professor, Architecture and Engineering Design
Jenny Nehring, Assistant Professor, Information Systems and Technology
James Oldham, Professional in Residence, Transportation Technologies
Qudrat Ratul, Assistant Professor, Computer Science
Kevin Breen Smith, Assistant Professor, Digital Media
Brett Stone, Assistant Professor, Engineering
Kenneth Workman, Professional in Residence, Engineering Technology
Mohammad Yamin, Associate Professor, Engineering
Bo Yu, Associate Professor, Engineering Technology

College of Health and Public Services

Julissa Armstrong, Assistant Professor, Criminal Justice
Deborah Dowd, Assistant Professor, Allied Health
Kelby Ellis, Assistant Professor, Nursing
Lyndsay Fait, Assistant Professor, Allied Health
Lynn Farley, Assistant Professor, Allied Health
Jennifer Goodman, Assistant Professor, Nursing
Brittney Hansen, Lecturer, Public Health
Rick Howard, Professional in Residence, Emergency Services
Merilee Larsen, Associate Professor, Public Health
Stephanie Lutz, Lecturer, Public Health
Ryan Rushton, Assistant Professor, Allied Health
Matti Smith, Assistant Professor, Nursing
Megan Spurlock, Assistant Professor, Nursing

College of Science

Tara B.B. Bishop, Assistant Professor, Earth Science
Benjamin Coughenour, Assistant Professor, Physics
Chantal Hart, Lecturer, Biology
Melani Kelly, Assistant Professor, Exercise Science and Outdoor Recreation
Amanda Lavelle, Lecturer, Biology
Yu-Ya Liang, Assistant Professor, Biology
Brian Patchett, Assistant Professor, Physics
Micah Ross, Assistant Professor, Biology
Vincent Rossi, Assistant Professor, Physics
Daniel Scott, Associate Professor, Chemistry
Elyse Vaccaro, Assistant Professor, Biology

School of Education

Raven Cromwell, Associate Professor, Elementary Education
Laurel Dias, Assistant Professor, Secondary and Special Education
Roni Jo Draper, Lecturer, Secondary and Special Education
Lucie Evans, Lecturer, Secondary and Special Education
Kelly  Glynn, Professional in Residence, Elementary Education
Uzeyir Ogurlu, Assistant Professor, Elementary Education
Hamed Shafiei, Assistant Professor, Elementary Education
Elaine Tuft, Professor, Mary Lou Fulton Endowed Chair in Education, Elementary Education
Wendy Wakefield, Assistant Professor, Elementary Education

 

College of Humanities and Social Sciences

Rachel  Augustus, Lecturer, Behavioral Science
Nicholas Bredie, Assistant Professor, English and Literature
Brandon Burr, Associate Professor, Behavioral Science
Matt Comi, Assistant Professor, Behavioral Science
Dana, Assistant Professor, English and Literature
Estée Crenshaw, Assistant Professor, English and Literature
Rachel Folkman, Lecturer, Behavioral Science
Aimee Fox, Assistant Professor, Behavioral Science
Melinda Gurr, Assistant Professor, Behavioral Science
Elizabeth Hendrix, Assistant Professor, Behavioral Science
Shauna Hiatt, Lecturer, Behavioral Science
Jessica Hill, Associate Professor, Behavioral Science
Kent Hinkson, Lecturer, Psychology
Melissa Hirschi, Associate Professor and Program Coordinator, Behavioral Science
Hillary Howell, Lecturer, Languages and Culture
Gordon Hunt, Lecturer, Behavioral Science
Hannah Jung, Asssistant Professor, History & Political Science
Christie Knight, Lecturer, Behavioral Science
Carrie Merino, Associate Professor, Behavioral Science
Jesse Pace, Assistant Professor, Behavioral Science
Jessica Robinson, Assistant Professor, Communication
Morgan Rose-Marie, Assistant Professor, English and Literature
Robert Strong, Lecturer, Languages and Culture
Jeff Turner, Lecturer, History & Political Science
Shelton Weech, Assistant Professor, English and Literature
Douglas Wendt, Assistant Professor, Behavioral Science
Yi Yin, Assistant Professor, Behavioral Science
Daniel Zoumaya, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, History & Political Science

School of the Arts

Jonathan Bybee, Lecturer, Art & Design
Luca de la Florin, Lecturer, Music
Katherine Jackson, Assistant Professor, Art & Design
Adam Munoa, Assistant Professor, Art and Design
Chris Ramos, Assistant Professor, Music
Steven Rimke, Assistant Professor, Theatrical Arts
Tyler Schnese, Assistant Professor, Dance

Woodbury School of Business

Alex Brockbank, Assistant Professor, Finance and Economics
Angela Schill, Assistant Professor, Organizational Leadership

Policy Update

Since our April 2023 newsletter, President’s Council has approved the following policies to enter Stage 1 Drafting:

· Policy 211 Employee Appreciation and Recognition (Gifts and Rewards)

· Policy 376 Reduction in Force

Also, remember to get your comments to your Faculty Senate senator or PACE representative for Policy 211 Employee Appreciation and Recognition (Gifts and Rewards), which is in stage 2, Review by UVU Entities, and closes on October 5, 2023.

And during July, President’s Council approved the following policies to enter stage 3 Campus Community Review:

· Policy 141 Cost Transfers for Sponsored Programs

· Policy 168 Whistleblower Anti-Retaliation (closed 8/3/23)

· Policy 201 General Fiscal Policies and Procedures

· Policy 202 Payroll

· Policy 205 Investments

· Policy 607 Course-Based Fees for Credit (closed 8/3/23)

Finally, on May 9, 2023, the Board of Trustees approved the following policies, which became effective on that date:

· Policy 112 Social Media

· Policy 114 Conflict of Interest and Commitment

· Policy 155 Alcohol and Drug-free Workplace

· Policy 162 Title IX Sexual Harassment

· Policy 252 International Travel

· Policy 332 Remote Work

· Policy 441 Appropriate Use of Computing Facilities (Deletion)

· Policy 442 Computer Equipment Maintenance (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

· Policy 457 PCI DSS Compliance

 

 

Need assistance with statistical aspects of your research?

Dr. John Kidd is establishing a lab with undergraduate students who can provide statistical assistance for the needs of researchers at UVU.

This lab will provide these undergraduate students the opportunity to become more involved in research and gain experience in statistical analyses while being overseen by senior members of the statistics faculty.

The goal is to have these students provide both analytic support as well as recommendations for study design and data collection as needed.

If you have need of statistical support for your research, please email Dr. Kidd ([email protected]).

Policy Highlight: Policy 635 Faculty Rights and Professional Responsibilities

Institutions of higher education exist for the common good. This depends upon the free search for knowledge and its free expression. In support of its mission, Utah Valley University is committed to fostering a culture of academic rigor and professional excellence while operating ethically, effectively, and in compliance with legal requirements. These commitments require dedication from the University and its faculty to both academic freedom and professional responsibility. UVU Policy 635 sets forth the rights and responsibilities of faculty members consistent with principles of academic freedom and professional responsibility as articulated in the 1940 Statement of Principles on Tenure and Academic Freedom and Tenure (AAUP) and the 1966 Statement on Professional Ethics (AAUP), respectively.

The University has certain obligations to faculty. Consistent with Utah law, the University provides faculty members support in professional activities (those activities described by or required by each department’s RTP criteria) inside and outside the classroom, and on and off campus. The University also

provides support for faculty in defense of academic freedom and in defense of any resulting litigation. (4.3.1)

Another obligation of the University is to provide a teaching environment adequately equipped and an environment that encourages research, creative works, and professional development appropriate to the mission and demands of a teaching university. Faculty can also expect a working environment free from violence or systemic disruption per university policies. (4.3.2) Also, faculty members have the right to due process commensurate with their faculty appointment. (4.4.6)

Finally, the University is to provide reasonable assistance for the faculty member to improve their skills and develop their talents related to their job duties (4.3.3), and faculty can expect to be assigned reasonable workloads to carry out their individual duties consistent with university policy and Utah Board of Higher Education policy. (4.3.4)

Faculty members also have certain professional responsibilities. One policy provision provides that faculty will competently perform their responsibilities as teachers and members of the faculty. (4.4.3) Additionally, faculty will conduct themselves with reasonable standards of professionalism and civility in their interactions with other faculty members, administrators, staff, and students.

Among other responsibilities related to teaching, faculty members are responsible “to maintain their teaching competence and strive for improvement as needed.” (4.5.4) They are to be reasonably and substantially prepared “for the teaching of their courses, appropriate to the educational objectives to be achieved and consistent with the standards of the discipline. Faculty members [are to] strive to create learning environments that promote free inquiry and critical thinking.” (4.5.4)

Also, faculty members have the responsibility to “meet their obligations pertaining to course instruction, including holding class as scheduled, presenting approved curriculum appropriate to the subject matter, grading and responding to students in a timely manner, grading students on clear and objective standards related to the course, and being available to assist students outside regularly scheduled class times, as determined by the department/school/college.” (4.5.5)

Finally, faculty members have certain responsibilities in relation to students. For one, they are to give appropriate credit to students when they work together, as to “not plagiarize ideas and works of students.” (4.5.8) Faculty members are not to “use their positions and authority to obtain uncompensated labor or to solicit gifts or favors from students.” And they are “not to ask students to perform services unrelated to legitimate requirements of a course unless the student is reasonably compensated for such services and the service rendered does not violate any law or university policy.” (4.5.9)