Provost Vaught's Thoughts
Welcome back to an exciting new year. As we start the semester, I want to encourage all of you to get updates on important issues from your faculty senators and look for helpful communications from the Senate President, your deans, and Academic Affairs in addition to the monthly faculty newsletter. Thank you for providing an exceptional experience for our students and growing our university to what it has become today. I’m looking forward to a wonderful spring semester!
Fulton Library: Family Study Suite Open House & Spring 2023 Speaker Series
Spread the word—the Fulton Library has a beautiful new family study suite, and you’re invited to the open house! With a lactation room, restroom, play area, and study rooms, the newly remodeled suite meets the unique needs of parent-students, enabling them to excel at UVU while saving on childcare costs. Stop by the grand opening Jan. 17–20 during open hours, with guided tours held at 12:00 pm each day.
When you need to de-stress this semester, attend the Roots of Knowledge Speaker Series in the Bingham Gallery. Featuring a stunning stained-glass backdrop, these eight lectures explore topics that range from human history and familial relationships to anti-racism and post-Roe life. Mark your calendars for the speakers, then explore Roots of Knowledge at your own pace with a self-guided audio tour or virtual tour.
Schedule of the Spring 2023 Roots of Knowledge Speaker Series can be found here.
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 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 here.
Questions about the fellowship and application process can be directed to Dr. Kelly Hall (kelly.hall@uvu.edu).
The Office of Faculty Development: Trainings, POET, & SCOTS
Faculty Development is offering trainings to assist all faculty in preparation for the new annual review template this year. Trainings will start in February and go through May and will be on teams. The dates listed below are hyperlinked to the trainings:
If you have any question or would like to schedule a department specific training please reach out to Laurie Toro or Trevor Morris.
SCOTS
The Student Collaborators on Teaching (SCOT) program enhances student learning by providing instructors feedback from an informed student perspective. SCOTs strive to contribute to the culture of engaged teaching and learning excellence at UVU through faculty-SCOT partnerships that promotes exploration of teaching practices. SCOTs can perform an observation, focus group with students, and Canvas reviews. You can request a SCOT on the SCOT webpage.
POET
Peer Observation for the Enhancement of Teaching (POET) is program to engage reflect on your teaching by engaging with other faculty from across the campus. The goal of the program is to reflect on your teaching by observing and interacting with other faculty. Spring session begins February 8. Enroll here. For more information, contact trevor.morris@uvu.edu
Save-the-Date
Thursday, February 23, 2023, 12:00 – 1:00 pm
Grab a bite, experience belonging! Join the Research Institute at WSC for a Connection-Building Lunch. Additional details to follow via email and UVAnnounce.
Dates to Remember
February 1
Adjunct Institute (for new adjuncts only) - Register Here!
Academic Innovation Award Nomination deadline
February 6
Annual Review Template Training, 3pm
February 8
Presenter deadline for UVU Adventures in Innovative Pedagogy
February 9
Provost Town Hall Meeting, 2pm
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 24
Annual Review Template Training, 10am
March 9
January Service-Learning Superstar Winner!
Distinguished Service-Learning Faculty:
Happy first day of the new semester! As we welcome you back to campus, we are pleased to announce Juliann Fritz as the January Service-Learning Superstar! A faculty member in the Communication Dept., she teaches in the Public Relations and Strategic Communication major.
“Service-learning is an empowering experience,” she shared. “It puts students in the thick of real challenges organizations face. Students roll up their sleeves, apply learnings, and build their portfolios to share with future employers. However, the best part is how service learning helps students see the value of their education on improving our world.”
Fritz utilizes service-learning in her Comm-4850/PR Campaigns course. She supports students as they tackle a client problem. Examples include:
UVU Sustainability – With variousenvironmental issues affecting Utah, there is a need to create awareness and action. The students researched, strategized, and met with The Nature Conservancy, the Utah Transit Authority, and UVU. Their efforts resulted in digital and social media campaigns on the benefit of small habit changes, and a media relations program around pledging to ride public transit.
UVU Museum of Art – The pandemic hindered museum attendance. In addition, UVU’s has been without space as it moves to Lakemont Manor. Students sought to build and reignite an affinity to it. As research, they met with the museum and the SLC Airport which shares similar issues. Their campaigns brought the fun of artmaking to everyday campus life with hands-on activation booths and games that were extended through social media. They created a fan base connected to the museum and awareness about its reopening.
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 (Jonathan.westover@uvu.edu) and Dr. Leandra Hernandez (Leandra.Hernandez@uvu.edu.) with a 250-word description of the nominee, department affiliation, and service-learning course activities.
Utah Valley University Innovation Days 2023
Hosted by the Innovation Academy throughout February special events include:
UVU Innovation ExpoFebruary 16th(National Innovation Day)
This is an open house event held at various places around campus throughout the day to highlight and celebrate innovation at UVU. We invite departments to showcase their research, the application of new ideas, cool equipment, etc.through interactive experiences. The Innovation Academy will work with colleges, schools, and AA offices to determine venues and organize this campus-wide event.
We will encourage participation through a social media challenge: students who share their experiences from at least 3 different venues using #uvuInnovationDays23 will receive Innovation Academy swag. We will provide more information soon, so please think about what kinds of experiences you would like to share with the greater UVU community.
UVU Adventures in Innovative Pedagogy February 23rd(1-4 pm at Center Stage)
The Innovation Academy invites all faculty to fearlessly share their teaching exploits during this casual round table event.
- Discuss successes, failures, and lessons learned in small groups with your colleagues
- 20 minutes sessions: 5 to 10-minute informal presentation followed by discussion
- Academic Innovation Awards Presentation at 2:30 pm (see below)
- All faculty are invited attend and/or present
- Innovative pedagogies of all sizes and styles are welcome
- Celebrate your triumphs and impart your wisdom from flops
- Door prizes and refreshments!
UVU Academic Innovation Awards
These awards have been established to celebrate and encourage innovative ways to help UVU students
succeed. Success may be defined as increased retention, completion rates, in-career
job placement, decreased time to degree, boosting diversity, etc...
They will be awarded based on specific initiatives that have been developed and implemented. These are not limited to the classroom
and do not need to be pedagogical, but they should affect the academic success of
our students.
Award Categories
- UVU Academic Innovation Award (Individual $1000 and Group $2000)
- UVU Innovative External Collaboration Award (Individual $1000 and Group $2000)
Evaluation criteria: ingenuity, number of students impacted, sustainability, scalability, target population, strong assessment method(s), and overcoming challenges.
Eligibility
- Individual award: must be either UVU faculty (including lecturers and adjuncts) or staff member within Academic Affairs
- Group award: must be at least 2 UVU employees and one must work within Academic Affairs.
- All official nominees with a pedagogical project will present their initiatives at UVU Adventures in Innovative Pedagogy (February 23, 2023) see above.
- Self-nominations are encouraged
Nominations must be received by February 1
Innovation Award Nomination Prompts
UVU Academic Innovation Nomination Form
Awards will be presented during the UVU Adventures in Innovative Pedagogy event on February 23rd, 2023.
Please contact Tammy Clark, clarktj@uvu.edu or Beth Godoy bgodoy@uvu.edu for more information about any UVU Innovation Days Events.
Policy News
Policy Update
On November 29, 2022, the UVU Board of Trustees approved compliance change updates to Policy 168 Whistleblower Anti-Retaliation, and approved Policy 113 University Awards of Excellence as a temporary policy for one year. Policy 113 is now also entering the regular policy development process.
President’s Council approved the following policies to enter stage 2 Review by UVU Entities.Get your comments to your Faculty Senate senator or PACE representative early so they can submit comments from the group as a whole. Closing dates are listed.
- Policy 252 International Travel for Students, Faculty, and Staff (closes 2/24/2023)
- Policy 441 Appropriate Use of Computing Facilities (deletion – closes 2/20/2023)
- Policy 442 Computer Equipment Maintenance and Repair (deletion – closes 2/20/2023)
- Policy 443 Ethics in Computer Usage (deletion – closes 2/20/2023)
- Policy 446 Privacy and Disclosure (closes 2/20/2023)
- Policy 447 Information Security (closes 2/20/2023)
- Policy 448 Authorization and Management of Web, Internet, and Domains (closes 2/20/2023)
- Policy 448 Use of University Technology Equipment (deletion closes 2/24/2023)
- • Policy 457 PCI DSS Compliance (closes 2/20/2023)
President’s Council also approved Policy 658Establishment and Administration of Graduate Programs to enter Stage 3 University Community Review, which will close Friday, January 13, 2023. Please send any comments to Jim Bailey at baileyja@uvu.edu.
Policy Highlight
Policy 635–Faculty Rights and Professional Responsibilities – Academic Freedom
“Utah Valley University is committed to fostering a culture of academic rigor and professional excellence[.]” This commitment “requires dedication from the University and its faculty to both academic freedom and professional responsibility.” As an institution of higher education, Academic Freedom is essential to protecting faculty members’ freedom of expression. Policy 635 Faculty Rights and Professional Responsibilities section 4.2 explains that“when faculty members engage in their constitutionally protected exercises of freedom of expression, assembly, and association,” they are not violating their duties to UVU or its members or profession. In fact, “[a]ll faculty members are free to discuss any matter in the classroom related to the subject of the course, to explore all avenues of scholarship, research, and creative expression, and to speak or write without institutional discipline or restraint on matters of public concern[.]” This applies to circumstances both “inside and outside the academic context, including matters related to professional duties and the functioning of the university.” (section 4.2.1) But while “[f]acultymembers are entitled to academic freedom in the classroom in discussing their subject, [] they should be careful not to introduce into their teaching controversial matter that has no relation to the subject of the course.” (section 4.5.2) Regardless of “[w]hether it engenders hostility, pressure, or praise for the University, this freedom of expression shall remain secure for UVU faculty.” (section 4.2.1)
Undoubtedly, UVU believes that faculty members should be “free from university censorship, reprisal, or discipline” when they “speak or write as citizens rather than employees”. Given this right, it is also important to realize that faculty members hold a special position in the community, which “imposes special obligations.” “As scholars and educational officers, [UVU faculty] should remember that the public may judge their profession and university by their utterances.” Because of this, at all times, faculty members should “strive for accuracy” and “exercise appropriate restraint”. Additionally, faculty members should “show respect for the opinions of others[] and [] make every effort to indicate that they are not speaking for the University.” (section 4.2.2)