Recently Updated Policies

Comprehensive review.

• The Office for Civil Rights’ interpretation of the definition of Title IX sexual harassment changed in February 2025. The updated policy incorporates this new definition and aligns it with updates to the Board policy definition.

• The following paragraph, which is part of the legally required definition in the Title IX regulations, is missing from the current sexual harassment definition. The updated policy adds this required paragraph to the definition:

"Sexual harassment will be designated Title IX sexual harassment by the campus Title IX office if it meets the above definition and the complainant is participating or attempting to participate in a University education program or activity at the time the complainant files a formal complaint, or if it meets the above definition and the Title IX Coordinator signs a formal complaint."

• Responsibility for coordination of appeals moves from EOT to the Grievance Process Manager.
• The timelines in the updated procedures were updated to provide a more prompt and timely appeal process.

Comprehensive Review changes.

• Added Presidential Conflict Procedures from the BOR Institutional Conflict of Interest Policy.
• Noncompliance Clause: Added language outlining consequences for violations, similar to other university policies, ensuring clarity on enforcement.

Comprehensive Review.

Included clinical laboratories under the policy's coverage. Removed responsibilities previously assigned to Registrants and Authorized Users. Eliminated exclusions section. Introduced a new section on Controlled Substances Compliance Management and Responsibilities. Relocated the Health, Safety, and Risk Management content from Procedures to a standalone section to better emphasize their role. Removed Forms and Instructions section; users are now directed to the Controlled Substances website for relevant resources.

University has an administrative policy for the use of controlled substances in research settings but does not currently have a policy that covers the use of controlled substances in clinical settings. To address this inconsistency, the Office of Institutional Compliance (OIC) partnered with Health, Safety, and Risk Management (HSRM) to conduct a risk assessment to determine if any compliance gaps exist that needed to be addressed in clinical settings.

Comprehensive Review. Federal regulatory compliance with the Office of Research Integrity (ORI) policy on research misconduct, 42 CFR 93, requires institutions who receive PHS funding to revise policies to comply with updated regulation by January 1, 2026. The major revision of the policy, procedure, and appendix align with the federal requirement from ORI and ensure our ability to maintain federal assurances as part of eligibility as an institution for federal research funds.

Key changes include addition of new sections and definitions, revision of definitions, clarification of the procedure for reviewing allegations of research misconduct, and deletion of old appendices no longer used.

Comprehensive Review. Remove exemption of locums from the policy provisions. Locums are currently listed as exempt from the ROC pre-approval requirement. Reason: The language is confusing. Locums require college approval and may interfere with regular work duties if not appropriately managed.

Comprehensive Review.

Revisions clarify that Single Semester Leaves, a type of development leave, has been phased out in most colleges/campuses, and that faculty must consult college/campus guidelines to determine the availability of a Single Semester Leave program. The revised language does not affect the availability or terms of sabbatical leaves.