Provost Vaught's Thoughts
Dear Faculty-
I want to express my continued appreciation to each of you for the outstanding academic work that is being done at our university. As the semester progresses, I encourage you to take time to listen to and assist your students in any way you can. The individual work we do with these students might be the very thing they need to help them stay in school and to complete their program.
Thank you again for all you do. If issues arise, please do not hesitate to reach out if the Office of Academic Affairs can help in any way.
-Provost Vaught
Dates to Remember
February 16
UVU Innovation Expo
February 23
Connection-Building Lunch at WSC from 12:00-1:00 pm
UVU Adventures in Innovative Pedagogy Event
February 20
Holiday - Washington & Lincoln Day (President's Day)
February 24
Annual Review Template Training, 10am
March 9
Provost Town Hall Meeting, 12pm
Attend or present at UVU’s Adventures of Innovative Pedagogy
1-4 pm Thursday, February 23, 2023
SC 206 A-C
This casual social event is the perfect opportunity to share your innovative teaching experiences with colleagues. Drop in for short 5-10 minute presentations will be followed by 10-15 minutes of conversation at each round table. Several tables will offer a variety of engaging pedagogy discussions, with the opportunity to chat, win door prizes, and switch tables between rounds.
Additionally, the Academic Innovation Awards presentation will also take place during this time. All faculty are welcome and encouraged to attend.
Please encourage your faculty to register to attend or present at the event by February 14th!
For more information, please check out the website or contact Tammy Clark
Fulton Library: Laptop Pilot Program for Faculty & Staff
Left your laptop at home? No need to sweat—when emergencies arise, borrow a laptop from the Fulton Library. With our new laptop pilot program for faculty and staff, you can check out a Dell computer for up to three days. The laptops are pre-installed with Microsoft Office Suite, and you can download other software as needed. With this pilot, you can ensure you hit the ground running on all your projects, presentations, and courses. Simply complete your work, save your files, and log in and out with your UVU credentials.
Supplies for the pilot program are extremely limited. The laptops do not supplement
departmental purchasing or replace your UVU-assigned equipment, but they can save
you stress in a pinch. Next time you unexpectedly need a laptop, skip the hassle and
inconvenience—drop by the library for a laptop. To check out a laptop or learn more,
visit the library’s first-floor Circulation Desk.
Research Institute at the Women’s Success Center
Bonnie Ballif-Spanvill Endowed Fellowship
In partnership with Academic Affairs and the Women’s Success Center, the Research Institute at the Women’s Success Center is delighted to announce the 2023 cycle for the Bonnie Ballif-Spanvill Endowed Fellowship (BBSEF), which can provide up to $10,000 to support scholarly and creative works that engage student workers. The purpose of the BBSEF is to support women[1] scholars and their collaborators, scholars of any gender who mentor women students, and scholars of any gender whose work focuses on women. Interested candidates must submit a brief proposal by February 24, 2023. You can learn more about the fellowship and the application process.
Questions about the fellowship and application process can be directed to Dr. Kelly Hall ([email protected]).
Thursday, February 23, 2023, 12:00 – 1:00 pm (KB 405)
Grab a Bite, experience belonging! Women faculty and allies are invited to join for a connection-building lunch on February 23rd. Please RSVP here.
February Service-Learning Superstar Winner!
Distinguished Service-Learning Faculty:
I am pleased to announce Dr. Wioleta Fedeczko as the February Service-Learning Superstar!
Dr. Wioleta Fedeczko is an Associate Professor in the Department of English, where
she teaches courses in the Writing Studies emphasis, including Rhetorical Theory,
Multicultural Rhetoric, and Grant and Proposal Writing.
In her courses, Dr. Fedeczko emphasizes to students that they study rhetoric and composition
as a journey to deeper understanding of the modern world and our (in)ability to use
language as we engage with and contribute to our communities. Her Service-Learning
(SL) course, English 3320: Grant and Proposal Writing, provides students an opportunity
to experience engaged learning in its most literal sense: students work with community
non-profit partners to research their funding needs, locate possible grants, and complete
the necessary components of a proposal.
UVU English majors Brenda Cottle (class of 2022), Erin Cousins (class of 2022), and
Olivia Allen (currently enrolled) co-wrote a grant proposal for Dr. Fedeczko’s Spring
2022 section of Grant and Proposal Writing and in January 2023 learned their proposal
resulted in a $50,000 grant for their non-profit community partner, the Road 2 Recovery
Foundation.
When Cottle wrote to Dr. Fedeczko about the winning grant, she added: “Thank you so
much for ALL the amazing instruction and guidance along the way. Your classes were
easily the highlight of my time at UVU.”
Another UVU graduate, Alisse Shiles, wrote to Fedeczko stating: “I wanted to thank
you again for your awesome class on grant writing. When I brought up that fact to
my new boss, he started thinking about how we could look into grants to help with
our new program and large ticket items that will benefit our school.”
Dr. Fedeczko regularly teaches Grant and Proposal Writing as a designated Service-Learning
course and invites faculty colleagues and community members to reach out if they’re
interested in serving as community partners or know of non-profit organizations in
need of funding.
Please join us in congratulating Wioleta for her incredible service-learning efforts!
We welcome nominations for future Service-Learning Superstars on a rolling basis, and self-nominations are encouraged. To nominate, please send an email to Dr. Jon Westover ([email protected]) and Dr. Leandra Hernandez ([email protected].) with a 250-word description of the nominee, department affiliation, and service-learning course activities.
We welcome nominations for future Service-Learning Superstars on a rolling basis, and self-nominations are encouraged. To nominate, please send an email to Dr. Jon Westover ([email protected]) and Dr. Leandra Hernandez ([email protected].) with a 250-word description of the nominee, department affiliation, and service-learning course activities.
URSCA Dissemination Grants
Have you been working on a research project and want to present it at a conference? How about a creative work? The URSCA grant program can help!
Students that have been accepted to present their research or creative works at a conference or performance etc. and need help with expenses can apply for an URSCA Dissemination Grant here. Awards can help pay for travel to and from a conference, hotel, registration and per diem.
For more information on how to apply and frequently asked questions go to this link:
URSCA. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis while funds last so hurry and get yours
in today and show your colleagues and peers the great work you are doing!
TEELS Grant
Are you in a STEM related field? Do you have a project you want to pursue? Do you need funds to support your research project? Then apply today for the TEELS Grant here!
The D. Clark and Pam Turner Endowment for Engaged Learning in STEM Research Fellowships (TEELS) are designed to support Undergraduate students who are pursuing a degree in the Science, Technology, Engineering and/or Math (STEM) disciplines. Students who are actively involved in an undergraduate research project overseen by a faculty member and/or industry representative who can act as the undergraduate student's mentor are encouraged to apply.
The goal of this grant award is to provide very high impact mentored research learning experiences for students in STEM-related areas and prepare the student with early professional experience in their chosen fields. The student should demonstrate a commitment and potential to advance in these areas. The faculty mentor must be prepared to provide high-quality mentoring to the student.
Two applications each Spring are awarded $4,000 and are used throughout the academic year, beginning July 1 and ending June 30 of the following year. Awards are primarily intended to be used for student hourly salary/benefits not to exceed $18.00 hour, but may also be used for research related travel, materials and supplies not generally available on campus, or other student-related research costs associated with the student’s research. Proposals will be submitted to the Scholarly and Creative Activities Council for review.
Faculty Led Professional Experiences for Students Grant
The Faculty Led SPE's provide the opportunity for students in their first and second year, to see what their chosen field has to offer and what a career can look like. Grants are awarded to faculty seeking to provide exposure, ignite excitement and growth, and encourage deeper interest for students within their chosen discipline. These experiences may include discipline specific conference attendance and/or participation, performances, hands on learning or job shadowing, etc. Providing these opportunities leads to a deeper connection to persistence and completion and solid career paths.
The grant allows for up to $500 per student with maximum awards limited to $10,000. Funds are still available, and applications are open while funds are available and reviewed on a rolling basis. To learn more about these grants go to: UVU Faculty Research.
GEL Quick Grant
GEL Quick Grants are open, and funds are available for faculty who have small one-time projects that engage and impact students. Awards are up to $3,500 and available while funds last. Find out more: here.
Policy News
Policy Update
Since our last update in January, President’s Council has considered several policies for entrance into the various stages. Recently, it has approved the following policies to enter stage 1, Drafting:
- Policy 113 Awards of Excellence
- Policy 168 Whistleblower Anti-Retaliation
- Policy 367 Employee Affinity Groups
- Policy 450 Processing and Control of Distributed Administrative Data
- Policy 541 Student Code of Conduct
- Policy 603 Academic Program Review
- Policy 609 Academic Scheduling
Additionally, the following policies were approved to enter stage 2, Review by UVU Entities:
- Policy 141 Cost Transfers for Sponsored Programs (closes 3/23/23)
- Policy 201 General Fiscal Policies and Procedures (closes 3/23/23)
- Policy 202 Payroll (closes 3/23/23)
- Policy 205 Investments (closes 3/23/23)
- Policy 252 International Travel for Students, Faculty, and Staff (closes 2/24/23)
- Policy 441 Appropriate Use of Computing Facilities (deletion – closes 2/20/23)
- Policy 442 Computer Equipment Maintenance and Repair (deletion – closes 2/20/23)
- Policy 443 Ethics in Computer Usage (deletion – closes 2/20/23)
- Policy 446 Privacy and Disclosure (closes 2/20/23)
- Policy 447 Information Security (closes 2/20/23)
- Policy 448 Authorization and Management of Web, Internet, and Domains (closes 2/20/23)
- Policy 448 Use of University Technology Equipment (deletion closes 2/24/23)
- Policy 457 PCI DSS Compliance (closes 2/20/23)
- Policy 607 Course-Based Fees (closes 4/13/23)
Get your comments to your Faculty Senate senator or PACE representative early. Faculty Senate and PACE may have earlier deadlines for their members to submit comments because they submit comments as a group. Closing dates for stage 2 are listed.
Also, President’s Council has approved the following policies to enter stage 3, Campus Community Review:
- Policy 251 Traveling on University Business (closed 1/20/23)
- Policy 646 Faculty Appeals for Retention, Tenure, and Promotion (closes 3/17/23)
- Please send any comments to John Hunt at [email protected] or to the Policy Office.
Finally, the following policies were approved to enter stage 4, Board of Trustees Review, and will be presented to the Board at its next board meeting:
- Policy 210 Independent Contractors
- Policy 658 Establishment and Administration of Graduate Programs
Policy Highlight
Religious Accommodations for Sincerely Held Religious Beliefs and Practices
In addition to “traditional, organized religions such as Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism,” sincerely held religious beliefs and practices also include “religious beliefs that are new, uncommon, not part of a formal church or sect, or only subscribed to by a small number of people.” Such beliefs not only include theistic beliefs (i.e., those that include a belief in God) but also include “non-theistic moral or ethical beliefs as to what is right and wrong that are sincerely held with the strength of traditional religious views.” Policy 601 Classroom Management section 3.5 explains that “Beliefs are not ‘sincerely held religious beliefs’ merely because they are strongly held. Rather religious beliefs typically concern ‘ultimate ideas’ about life, purpose, and death.” Personal preferences and “[s]ocial, political, or economic philosophies . . . are not ‘religious’ beliefs.” Typically, “[r]eligious practices include, for example, attending worship services, praying, wearing religious garb or symbols, displaying religious objects, adhering to certain dietary rules, proselytizing, or other forms of religious expression, or refraining from certain activities.” Furthermore, engaging in certain practices can be religious for one person but the same practice can be purely secular for another. It depends on the individual’s motivation. Section 3.5.
UVU Policy 601 Classroom Management also reminds us of our responsibilities when it comes to a student’s sincerely held religious beliefs and practices conflicting with a course assignment. “The University recognizes that students’ sincerely held religious beliefs and practices may make it difficult for students to fulfill some requirements of assignments, courses, or majors.” Section 4.7.1. When such a conflict arises, “the student has the right and responsibility to notify the faculty member of the conflict using the Religious Accommodation Request Form and to make a reasonable attempt to resolve the matter with the faculty member.” Section 4.7.2. Then, faculty members “are expected to reasonable accommodate individual religious practices. Such reasonable accommodations may include but are not limited to a course assignment modification (see sections 4.7.7 and 4.7.8), an excused absence, rescheduling, flexibility in scheduling, or voluntary substitutions.” Section 4.6.4. Faculty members shall also “accommodate the obligations of their students who may be participating in the observance of religious holidays that require absence from class.” Section 4.7.5. In any instance, faculty members should “not retaliate or otherwise discriminate against any student because that student has sought or obtained a religious accommodation pursuant to UVU policy.” Section 4.7.3.